Dressing Point massacre facts for kids

The Dressing Point massacre was a terrible event in 1826. About 40 to 50 Karankawa people were killed by the Texian Militia. This happened in Mexican Texas, near where the town of Matagorda is today, close to the Colorado River.

This event was part of a bigger problem. As new settlers moved into Native American lands, conflicts grew. The Karankawa people eventually lost their land. Many were forced to move, work for others, or were killed. By 1860, there were no free Karankawa people left in this area.

History of the Dressing Point Massacre

Why the Conflict Started

In 1823, the First Mexican Republic was formed. This opened up Mexican Texas for people from the United States to settle there. Many European-Americans moved in quickly. They began to take land that Native Americans had lived on for a long time.

The Native Americans, including the Karankawa, struggled to survive. They sometimes took cattle from the new settlers. This led to a lot of anger and fighting between the two groups.

In the Galveston Bay area, the Karankawa Indians were still the main group in the 1820s. The new settlers from the Southern United States were not used to living alongside large groups of Native Americans. They took new lands without offering gifts or sharing.

In 1823, Stephen F. Austin started claiming rich lands near bays and rivers. These areas were important to the Karankawa, especially for fishing and shellfish. These foods were a key part of their diet in winter. The Karankawa were very protective of their territory.

Austin even wrote that the Karankawa might need to be removed. He spread rumors about them, saying they were cannibals. However, research suggests these stories were not true. The Karankawa themselves were scared by cannibalism they had seen from shipwrecked Spaniards.

These stories made the settlers believe they could not live peacefully with the Karankawa. When the Karankawa started taking livestock from their old lands, fighting broke out. Settlers attacked Native Americans in several massacres, like the Skull Creek massacre. White settlers also encouraged other Native American tribes to kill the Karankawa. Austin even offered rewards like lead and gunpowder for this.

By 1824, the Karankawa were under great pressure. A Karankawa chief named Antonio signed a treaty. This agreement meant they gave up their homelands east of the Guadalupe River.

But the displaced Karankawa faced problems west of the Guadalupe River. Other tribes like the Comanche and Lipan were already using that land. Some Karankawa still went back to the bay for fishing or took cattle from settlers. Because of this, Austin ordered his men to "Pursue and kill all those Indians wherever they are found."

The Attack at Dressing Point

After a Native American attack on the Cavanaugh and Flowers families, a group of Texian Militia led by Aylett C. Buckner went after the Karankawa. They found a group of Coco Indians, a Karankawa subgroup, near the Colorado River. This was about three miles north of where Matagorda is today.

The militia began shooting the Coco men, women, and children. The Karankawa tried to escape by swimming across the river and climbing the other bank. But many were killed during this desperate attempt.

What Happened After

The settlers later called this site "Dressing Point." They said the Indians had received the "dressing they deserved." After this terrible event, the Coco Indians left the area. They moved west of the Guadalupe River to join other tribes.

Some smaller groups of Karankawa remained. But settlers continued to bother them. "Indian hunting" even became a sport for some.

On May 13, 1827, Chief Antonio signed another peace treaty. This agreement permanently gave the land to the settlers. That same year, Austin started the town of Matagorda. It was built three miles from Dressing Point. He said it was to "protect" settlers from the Native Americans.

The remaining Karankawa groups struggled to find new places to live. They spread out. Some became day laborers in towns or on farms. Others were taken as slaves by Austin's settlers. Many were killed in later fights. By 1860, the free Karankawa people had disappeared from this area.