Last Stand of the Texas Cherokees: Chief Bowles and the 1839 Cherokee War in Texas

Cherokee John Bowles held onto the faint hope that his valiant chieftain father would escape the battlefield unscathed. He and his brothers had fought alongside their aged parent for nearly two hours this day, braving the deadly rifle balls that whistled past their heads and sporadically cut down some of their comrades. They had managed in the first 90 minutes of conflict to repel all efforts by the Texans to charge their defensive position in the deep creek bed. John and his fellow Cherokees had created confusion and fear in the Texans earlier in the battle by trying to flank their opponents and stampede their horses. But the Texans were simply too numerous this day, and their firepower had eventually driven John and his fellow Indians back to their stronghold in the creek. The shooting was intense and both sides were taking casualties in the heat of mid-July afternoon in East Texas. At age 43, John was a rising star among his Texas Cherokees. His father had entrusted him and a friend, Fox Fields, to ride into the Texan’s camp the previous day to deliver a final message to the Indian commissioners. John had announced that the previous week’s diplomacy attempts had failed. His father’s followers were ignoring the Texans’ demands to surrender and they were breaking camp to fall back across the Neches River. Hours later, John’s Cherokees had engaged the Texan forces in a sharp skirmish in which lives were lost on both sides. Now, less than 24 hours later, his fellow Native Americans were fighting valiantly to hold onto the land in Texas that had once been promised them by Sam Houston, president of the young Republic of Texas. Allies from twelve other East Texas tribes had banded with the Cherokees to make a final stand against the Texans, who numbered more than 900 men. John’s 83-year-old father, Chief Bowles, was the proud leader of more than 800 Indians who were challenging the Texas frontiersmen now charging down upon them from all sides. Their final assault was well executed, and the Cherokees suffered many casualties before those surviving were forced to flee from the creek bed toward the cover of heavy forest behind them. John turned and urged his fellow people to flee for cover, retreat, lick their wounds and prepare for the chance to engage the Texans again the following day from a stronger position. He glanced back to see his aged father perched atop his horse, still valiantly clutching his ceremonial sword and waving it defiantly in th