The Clash Of Cultures And The Webster Massacre

Historically, the Comanche did not make many friends, even among fellow Native Americans. The Comanche were a force to be reckoned with, however, for hundreds of years in what is now the American West and Mexico.

Skilled with horses, the Comanche were both proficient traders and brave warriors. The Comanche traded and fought with a host of diverse people and political powers from around 1700 until the late 1800’s, but were finally overwhelmed by the expansion of the United States as it pushed west.

One of the most famous and bloody clashes involving the Comanche occurred in Texas in 1839 (the exact date is disputed). The Webster family, along with some traveling companions, left Virginia for a new life in the West. While heading through Texas, they were attacked by Comanche warriors along Brushy Creek, in what is now Williamson County, just east of present day Leander, Texas.

The attack left all the men in John Webster’s party dead. Webster's wife and two children, one boy and one girl, were captured. The wife and daughter later escaped, and his son was safely ransomed. This was a happy ending, perhaps, to a not so happy confrontation between two very different cultures.

Although John Webster lost his life in the Comanche raid in 1839, his daughter, who survived the attack but was captured, lived until the age of 93, before passing away in California in 1927. The last Comanche warriors finally surrendered to authorities in the 1870’s.

While many pioneers continued to move west to eventually establish the western boundry of the United States in California, most of the remaining Comanche eventually settled in Oklahoma. During World War II, like the Navajo code talkers who befuddled the Japanese military, and made such an important contribution to this country in the Pacific, the Comanche code talkers were equally important in Europe confusing the German military.

The violent struggles in Texas of long ago, which helped produce events like the Webster Massacre, emanated from collisions of much different cultures. Today, the victims of the massacre lie peacefully in a common grave in a cemetery along the eastern edge of the hill country, a mile or so due east of Leander.

Down In Luckenbach, Texas Without Waylon, Willie, And The Boys

All hill country travel eventually leads to Luckenbach, Texas, where, as they say there, “Everybody’s Somebody in Luckenbach.” The town, such as it is, first become famous during the 1970’s, but its history goes back well before that.

Located just a few miles southeast of Fredericksburg, Luckenbach was established in the mid 1800’s, and by the late 1800’s, had a post office, general store, and a drinking establishment. The goods and services provided, catered to both the local farmers as well as the native Comanche, who were still prevalent in the area.

The Engel family, which had initially opened the small trading post, was still in control in 1970, when, they put the “community” and its establishments up for sale. Luckenbach was purchased by several local “characters,” including one Hondo Crouch, who promptly appointed himself, Mayor. He eventually made Marge, a decendant of the original Engel family, and the drinking establishment’s bartender, the Sheriff. Other appointments included, a Minister of Agriculture, who received the honor because he was the one who took the eggs to market. Other appointments included ambassadors to other countries. It was all in good fun, of course. Crouch, himself, played guitar, sang, told stories, and was easily recognizable by his white beard and hair.

In 1973, country music singer Jerry Jeff Walker recorded an album in the dance hall which brought the first real fame to Luckenbach. Several years later, in 1977, county music legends Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, recorded, “Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love),” which became a huge hit, and put this little speck of a place in the Texas Hill Country on the lips of people around the world. Unfortunately, Hondo never experienced the fame the song brought to Luckenbach, having passed away in 1976.

Despite the fact that this small place is extremely difficult to find (a lady in Blanco, Texas, warned me, “Don’t blink or you’ll miss it.”), it provides a place of pilgrimage of sorts for country music fans, historians, curiosity seekers, vacationers, and visitors, from all over the world. A lot of the people hanging around Luckenbach, look just like Hondo Crouch did, with white beards and white hair, and there are always a line of motorcycles in a special parking area just outside the dance hall. During my visit, I did not see Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, or any of the “boys,” of course, but I enjoyed the experience just the same.

Despite the historic charm of the place, with the old post office, general store, dance hall, outdoor stage, cold beer, and live music seven days a week, some visitors, it seems, are disappointed. I’m not sure what they expected, but this is a remote part of the hill country of Texas. People who come here from distant places because of the song’s popularity but are then disappointed, perhaps need to listen to the song once again. It’s obvious, that they have missed the message the lyrics are conveying.

Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love) **

There's only two things in life that make it worth livin

'That's guitars that tune good and firm feelin' women

I don't need my name in the marquee lights

I got my song and I got you with me tonight

Maybe it's time we got back to the basics of love

Let's go to Luckenbach Texas with Waylon and Willie and the boys

This successful life we're livin' got us feuding like the Hatfield and
McCoy's

Between Hank Williams pain songs, Newberry's train songs and blue eyes
cryin' in the rain, out in Luckenbach Texas ain't nobody feelin' no pain

So baby let's sell your diamond ring

Buy some boots and faded jeans and go away

This coat and tie is choking me

In your high socitey you cry all day

We've been so busy keepin' up with the Jones

Four car garage and we're still building on

Maybe it's time we got back to the basics of love

Let's go to Luckenbach Texas with Waylon and Willie and the boys

This successful life we're livin' got us feuding like the Hatfield and McCoy's

Between Hank Williams pain songs, Newberry's train songs and blue eyes cryin' in the rain, out in Luckenbach Texas ain't nobody feelin' no pain

Let's go to Luckenbach Texas with Willie and Waylon and the boys

This successful life we're livin' got us feuding like the Hatfield and McCoy's

Between Hank Williams pain songs and Jerry Jeff's train songs and blue eyes cryin' in the rain out in Luckenbach Texas ain't nobody feelin' no pain

** Lyrics of this song or any variation thereof, are the property and copyright of their respective authors, artists and labels, and are provided here for educational purposes only. Please respect the various proprietary rights of the owners.