VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas — Saturday afternoon, a small group gathered to remember a dark part of East Texas’ past nearly 200 years ago. Our Alan Kasper went to the Battle of the Neches Memorial Grounds for an annual remembrance of Chief Bowles, the Native American leader who died on the land in Van Zandt County in 1839.
Eagle 1st is the lifetime chairman of the American Indian Cultural Society. They are a small group that oversees the Battle of the Neches historical site in Van Zandt County.
Eagle and his fellow volunteers oversee the upkeep of the site, volunteering their time and their money to make sure the site is maintained. Eagle commutes from De Soto, 90 miles away, to mow the grass and perform other upkeep on the property.
“I just feel honored that I was chosen to be given the chance to help history survive, because if history is forgotten then history repeats itself," Eagle said.
For more than 20 years, the American Indian Cultural Society has been remembering those lost during the battle with a memorial ceremony on the Saturday closest to the date of Chief Bowles death on July 16, 1839.
This year a smaller group than normal showed up as many of the native American tribes were hit extremely hard by COVID-19 and our not yet returning to large gatherings.
Eagle recounts the story of Chief Bowles:
"Actually, Chief Bowles was in Dallas before Dallas was and he was pushed out, of course. It’s the plight of many tribes, nations, people. [Mirabeau] Lamar, the second President of Texas, wanted all of the Indians out of Texas. They used the Killough massacre to come after Bowles and his people. They found out later it wasn’t Bowles' people responsible for Killough, but the whole thing was that the white settlers were expanding and they wanted the Indians' land because they had all of the choice farmland.
"There were Cherokees and 12 other tribes here on the day of the battle. The battle originally started in Chandler, Texas, and came down Battle Creek where Chief Bowles' people lost horses, shot, powder and weapons. It is said by the time they got here they only had 19 to 24 weapons amongst them against fully armed Texican’s and Texas rangers. The date was July 16, 1839 and there are several different stories about how Bowles died, like his horse was shot at and he was trapped underneath or he was shot off his horse at that point one of the officers ran up and put a pistol to his head and executed him on the battlefield.
"There are still a lot of people and live in this area who do not know of this. Today is kind of a watered-down ceremony, because of the COVID we canceled last year. We usually have dancers and traditional foods, but this year we’re just going to have a few historical speeches and giving their blessings to our people who died here. It is letting our ancestors know that we are still here for them and they voice for them that needs to be.
"For me, the celebration is like going to church, the spiritual feeling I get here, the calmness, the camaraderie with my ancestral spirits that died here. The spirits of our ancestors still walk on this land, their voices should not be silent. The tears and blood that were spilled on this land will be in remembrance of our hearts forever."
The group also took time to remember long-time American Indian Cultural Society board member Sandra “Two Feathers" Adams who passed away in the last year. She was very involved in maintaining the massacre site and will be missed.
Eagle 1st says they look forward to next year when they can ratchet the celebration up again and see many native American descendants return to the land.
“We’re looking for more people to help with this, physical help or donations to take care of this land," Eagle said. "Once people really start getting involved they are surprised how much their heart is opened and their minds are opened just from coming down here and experiencing the serenity of it, as long as you come down with an open heart and good feelings."