Freestone County, Texas
Biographies 



Biography of John Karner
    (15 Aug 1817-Aug. 18, 1901, buried Mexia City Cemetery in Mexia, TX.)
   
A Memorial and Biographical History of Navarro, Henderson, Anderson, 
  Limestone, Freestone and Leon Counties, Texas
Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1893; pages 601-604

    John Karner is one of the pioneers of central Texas, and without extended
mention of him no history of this part of the State would be complete.
    He was born August 15, 1817, [July 25, 1816 according to his tombstone] in 
Bavaria, the disputed territory then under the domain of France, and now a part 
of Germany. He is the third of five children - three daughters and two sons - of 
Adam and Mary Ann (Stubenrauch) Karner. His mother died when he was seven years 
of age. Early in the year 1831 he emigrated to America in company with his brother 
Joseph and located in western New York. About 1837 his father and the rest of the 
family came to this country, taking up their abode at Buffalo, New York, where 
his father, brother and two sisters died, and where his youngest sister recently 
died.
   Of a daring and adventurous nature, John, seeking a new field of action, came
to Texas in the spring of 1835, reaching San Augustine county early in May. He 
lived there during that summer and the following fall joined Captain Henry Teel's
company, Millot's battalion, then forming for the defense of Texas against the 
Mexican invasion under Santa Anna. His command left San Augusting county about
the middle of December, 1835, and headed for the main army, then under Houston,
at Gonzales. They encountered active service at that point, and the company was 
in all the subsequent operations under Houston until after the battle of San
Jacinto, in which youn Karner took part, witnessing the defeat of the Mexican
army and the surrender of Santa An[n]a. He then returned with a number of his
comrades to Houston, where he was employed by a Mr. Allen, at whose house General
Houston boarded. While there Mr. Karner was taken down with yellow fever, and to
Mrs. Allen's kind nursing he attributes his restoration to health.
    Having received his certificate for service in defense of the Republic 
entitling him to a certain amount of land, he went in 1838 to Leon county to 
locate it. About this time the Indians became troublesome. They had made several
forays in to the country, had killed some citizens and had stolen some of the 
stock. Our subject had traveled considerably over the country, and, there being
a desire on the part of the citizens that a local company of rangers be organized
for protection, for which a permit was necedssary from the Government, Mr. Karner
was sent to Austin, through hostile Indian lines, to obtain the desired permission.
He had many ups and downs during the trip and made many narrow escapes. Once, 
while stopping to drink at a spring, he lost his purse, which he never found, and
in consequence made the trip on from there to Austin and back without money, his
old captain and Governor Bell paying his bills at Austin. He returned with a 
commission and joined a company of rangers that was at once formed, under Captain
Greer. They had several skirmishes with the Indians and succeeded in running them
out. Captain Greer, however, was waylaid and killed. The work of the rangers being
done, the company disbanded.
    In 1840, when the Mexicans recaptured San Antonio, the people from the 
Trinity river and the West went to prevent the Mexican invasion into the territory 
of the Republic of Texas, and Mr. Karner was one of the first to start for the
seat of the trouble. The Mexicans were driven back across the Rio Grande, but not
without a heavy loss. After this trouble he returned home, and the following year
[March 29, 1841] joined the celebrated "Minute Men," [Robertson County Minute Men] 
organized to protect the frontier against the Indians. This was to operate in the 
country between the Trinity and Brazos rivers. Mr. Karner joined the company 
commanded by Captain Eli Chandler, and while serving with the command acted as guide 
for the scouting parties. While thus employed they were in no regular engagements 
but had many skirmishes with small bodies of Indians. During the invasion a Mr. 
Rogers was killed and a part of the Gregg family killed and the rest taken 
prisoners.  Mr. Karner was always on the alert. Whenever Indians invaded the 
settlement he was ever ready to act as guide for pursuing parties. During one of 
these pursuits Major Herd was killed. He was one of the bravest of the Texas 
frontiersmen, and on this occassion was at the head of a company of scouts. 
   The first regular engagement was on School creek, about four miles from
Corsicana, where they met a large body of Cherokees, who were well armed and 
equipped and who had prepared themselves for combat by going into the forks of
the creek, where they were protected on three sides. Here the little band of 
forty nine whites charged on them and captured their horses and a large amount of
supplies, pursued them across the creek, had another short, hard battle, and then
the Indians fled with heavy loss. After this the frontiersmen returned home and 
disposed of their plunder, which brought $3,600.
   Not long afterward the company of forty-nine started from Franklin to the 
cross timbers [sic, town of Cross Timber] in what is now Johnson county, where 
the Indians had a village at the head of Village creek [May 24, 1841].  There 
were about 300 warriors in three different encampments here, and this little band 
of white men drove them all out of the village and some distance down the creek, 
where a hard battle ensued, several Indians being killed and seven women and 
children captured. Hearing a firing in the rear, the whites found that a band of 
Indians had attacked their guard of seven men who were left with the supplies; 
and another hard skirmish took place.  A man named Hill was crippled in the charge 
by running into a tree. The whites killed the Indian chief, and while the red-
skins were carrying him off a dozen more of their number were killed. Among the 
prisoners above mentioned was an intelligent Shawnee woman, who informed the 
whites of the strength of the Indians, and former thought it better to retire, 
which they did, going to the falls of the Brazos in Falls county. 
    The next expedition [1841] was at the Gibraltar, where Captains [George Bernard] 
Erath and Chandler and a few men from Austin joined forces and started after the 
combined forces of the Indians. Among the Texans was a Mexican, whom Mr. Karner 
and Mr. Patton had taken prisoner. They put a rope around this Mexican's neck 
and made him guide the party in pursuit of the Indians. On arriving at the upper 
end of Palo Pinto county, a company of spies, under the guidance of the Mexican 
and Thomas I. Smith, went out to reconnoiter the Indian stronghold. As they were 
returning the Indians discovered their encampment, went to the mountains and 
opened fire on the soldiers. During the firing Abe Smith was wounded and the red 
men made an attempt to secure his scalp. At this juncture Mr. Karner came to the 
rescue, and placing himself behind a tree, shot and mortally wounded their chief, 
Jose Maria.  After some skirmishing the whites returneed and took Smith's body 
and gave it as near a Christian burial as possible. All the Indians were either 
killed or wounded - seven in number. 
    The following year, when Wahl came to Texas with a force of 1,500 men and 
captured San Antonio, including the judge and part of the jury (as court was in
session), our subject joined the forces that drove the Mexicans back. He was 
afterward in various engagements with the Mexicans and the Indians, to give a
detailed account of which would be to write a volume of thrilling interest. The
hardest fight he was ever in was one between the Texans and Indians at Crooked
creek, in No Man's Land, sometimes called Owl creek. Various tribes had congregated
theere to the number of about 1,800, and the whites numbered only fifty, the 
historical character, Kit Carson, being one of the party. The latter were situated
within a bend of the river, rocks in front and bluffs on other three sides, and 
were eating dinner when the Indians came upon them. A constant firing was kept
up from one o'clock until night, when darkness put an end to the fighting. By
strategy the Texans made good their escape.
    The last Indian expedition in which Mr. Karner participated was in the fall
of 1859. At that time the red men were committing depredations in Parker county,
and, in answer to an appeal from the settlers, he raised a company of seventy-
nine men and went to their relief. The whites succeeded in driving the Indians
out of the country, following them up to the head of the Colorado river, and, 
after a battle there, returning home.
    In the spring of 1862 Mr. Karner entered the army of the Confederacy, enlisting
in the Seventh Texas and serving twelve months on the coast. He then returned
home, and toward the close of the war again entered the service, after Banks
landed on Texas soil, and remained until the surrender.
    In an early day Mr. Karner traveled all over the country, "a reckless, 
adventurous boy," as he expresses it, known as "Dutch John."  He became acquainted
with all the old Texans from the Trinity to the Colorado, and was welcomed wherever
he went.  
    Mr. Karner married, in Limestone county, October 23, 1851, Miss Mary Elizabeth
Love, the daughter of James M. Love, an old settler of the country. He settled
in Springfield, Limestone county, the same year, but moved in 1853 to Fairfield,
Freestone county, where he lived for a number of years. Finally, however, he moved
back to Limestone county, and has since resided here, chiefly in the vicinity of
Mexia. For the last twenty-five or thirty years he has been engaged in farming 
and land-trading, and owns considerable land all over the State. He has had many
positions of trust offered him, but he would never accept any, nor would he ever
hold a public office. The nine children of his family are as follows: Mary, who
died in infancy; Lizzie, who married Dr. Alphonso Cook, resides in Houston, Texas;
John R., a merchant of Mexia; Annie, who died when a child; Louetta, is the wife
of John B. Parker, of Tyler, Texas; Joe, of Ennis, Texas; and James, Fannie and
Philpot are still at home.  Mrs. Karner's death occurred April 1, 1886.
    Mr. Karner has been a Mason ever since he was a young man, and is identified
with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, of which his wife was also a worthy 
member. He is now one of the two survivors of the battle of San Jacinto living in
Limestone county, the other one being Alphonso Steele. Few of the old Texans are
more highly esteemed than he. He is really a lovable old man, and one who has had
a remarkable career. Age has mellowed and softened him. He hears no marks of the
toughness that his life might lead one to expect; on the other hand he is kind,
genial, trustful, cheerful, hopeful, and in every way a Christian gentleman.