b>"One of the last and most distinguished survivors of the tragic incidents that made the struggles of the Republic of Texas to bring the blessings of free government." - Texas Legislature, House of Representatives, 1915
"A survivor of the Comanche Indian massacre...the only ones who escaped a dreadful fate were herself and brother." -History of Mendocino and Lake Counties (1914)
"One of the notable and grand old ladies of Texas. She and her little brother were carried away by their cruel captors." -Galveston Daily News, 1913
The stories of those early Texas pioneers who survived captivity by Comanches during their frequent raids on Texas frontier settlements are full of harrowing interest. Of particular interest is that told by Rebecca J. Gilleland Fisher in her short 7-page narrative, "Capture and Rescue of Mrs. Rebecca J. Fisher," published in 1900.
In 1837, Rebecca Jane Gilleland Fisher's father moved the family to Texas with his family, being utterly ignorant of frontier life. They settled in Refugio County near the Don Carlos Ranch.
Never having been inured to hardships, they were ill-prepared for the trials which awaited them. Her father joined the Texas army in 1838. In 1840 both parents were killed by the Comanches who attacked their home. Rebecca Gilleland and her brother William were captured by the Comanches.
In describing the moment of her capture by the Comanches, Fisher writes:
"We were only a few rods from the house, my parents expatiating upon the beauties of nature, the goodness of God, and the dangers surrounding us. Nature full of life and beauty was all a glow, but a death-like solemnity seemed to pervade the hearts and mantle the faces of my parents as though some great calamity were near at hand. Suddenly the war whoop of the Comanche burst upon our ears sending terror to all hearts...."
The Galveston News in 1912 described the moment of Fisher's rescue:
"Indians were quietly resting in camp, unmindful of the approach of the whites, and they were completely surprised when the fight opened. In an instant the white men and the Indians were grappling with each other in a hand-to-hand fight. The plan of attack had been arranged so that the children could be recovered without injury to them. Mr. Teal, remembering their names, called them aloud...."
About the author:
Rebecca Jane Gilleland Fisher (1831–1926), known as "The Mother of Texas," was a charter member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, serving as its president. For years she prayed the opening prayer when the Texas legislature convened. Her portrait was the first of a woman in the Senate chamber at the Capitol. When she died in Austin on March 21, 1926, her body lay in state in the Senate chamber, and the Senate adopted a resolution in her memory. When she was buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Austin, honorary pallbearers included the two U.S. senators from Texas and four former governors.
