The Edens-Madden Massacre

A famous tragedy of the 1830s occurred while able-bodied men were away fighting Indians, leaving six or seven women, some young children, and four elderly men, most of them relatives, at the home of John Edens, 2.4 miles southwest of here. Indians attacked, killing several women and setting fire to the house. The men, 4-year-old Balis Madden, and a little girl escaped. Two wounded women, Mrs. James Madden and Mrs. Robert Madden, managed to survive. The Indians may have carried off some of the missing, and the fire burned several bodies. Patsy, or Betsy, a Negro woman, rescued some of the survivors.

Texas · United States