This column appeared 2/11/54 by Edward Manley I have written permission to publish the article narrated by a 90-year-old lady [in 1916] whose maiden name was Rachel Harness Whitman, native of Warrick County, IN, and where she married Matthew roger Luce in 1848. Matthew was the son of Abner Luce, making the trek to Texas in the story following. They had 14 children. Rachel related the story to a granddaughter, Birdie Kate Newsom, today a resident of Lockhart, Caldwell Co., TX. "In the year of 1849 quite a number of citizens of Warrick Co., IN made up their minds to move to Texas, and as my father-in-law, Abner Luce (grandson of the emigrant Abner) had visited Texas twice to look over the country to see if it would do to move to, of course they all came to him and he was delighted with the country, they all sold out to go in that year. A long train of wagons started with banners up, reading "Texas." My father-in-law could not get off till later and was going by water, the leaders of this crowd agreed to meet at Seguin, TX. They begged Father Luce to send all the ladies with them but he would not agree to it and he regretted very much before we got here that he had not consented to it. On Oct 1, 1849, we all pushed out from Newburgh, IN on the Ohio river. there were no immigrants in the crowd, just Father Luce and his family consisting of his sons, Matthew R., Sam, Frank, and David, all grown, and Lafayette, 12 years of age, and the ladies were myself, my mother-in-law, and the Misses Elizabeth and Arminta Luce. As father had three, what we called flat-bottomed boats, he hired several hands to come with us. We had one colored servant. I had one baby who is now Mr. A. A. Ellison of San Antonio, TX. She and myself are the only living ones of our crowd that left for Texas. Father and sons had one boat load of livestock and produce. When we went down to New Orleans to sell it he rented a field to turn his horses into and left us at a place called Gains' Landing several miles below the mouth of Red River. He had bought 100 head of the finest horses he could find, on which he lost money. He thought he would fill this big country with fine horses but the people preferred their own Texas ponies and there was no sale for fine horses. Father Luce made the town of Newburgh, IN. In early times he settled there and the place was called Sprinklesburg. Father laid off a new town and called it Newburg. He was a leading citizen of that place and when the news went around that we were going to start for Texas, many were the friends and kin-folks to see us off. I think everyone near was on the bank of the Ohio River to wave us a farewell. We could see for three miles then the river made a turn and they were still standing there as we went round the bend. It looked like a white cloud, waving a last farewell. We had a pleasant trip down the Ohio and down the Mississippi River. Sometimes the passing steamboats had captains and crews knowing who we were and they came near to wave goodbye. As well as I remember, before we stopped at Gains' Landing, they paid off three captains, $100 each and they took a steamboat and went back. Father Luce took two hands and David and went down to New Orleans with the stock boat and we lived in our boat for six weeks. There were rich people there and the old planters were acquainted with father and he told them he left us in their care. We certainly had a gay time. I saw more champagne drunk than I ever did before, most too much. Some of their cakes were baked in New York. We went to a party nearly every night and there I did my last dancing. My husband did not dance but he'd hold the baby and let me dance. A lady said, "I know your husband is so kind to you. He know he is taking you where you will never see anything by Indians."