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From: jean mccoy <>
Subject: [YORK] Capt John York-Texas
Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2002 15:49:39 -0700

The following are notes that I have collected on John York who died near
the home of my White line which were connected to Yorks. I would like
to have Bruce or Rebecca or anyone explain to me just where this John
York fits into the history. Thanks, Jean (TX)
YORKTOWN Pop. 2,896 Alt. 266 General-

First settled in 1846 by John York. Road from Indianola
to San Antonio, surveyed in 1848, went by way of the York home,
and the surveyor, Charles Eckhardt, built a home at site of
Yorktown. York was killed by Native American Indians and
Eckhardt moved away, but German, Czech and Polish immigrants
using the road settled the area, and greetings are often given
in those languages today. A famous live oak tree, hundreds of
years old, is in front of the Lutheran church.

__Yorktown is located just northwest of Victoria along
Highway 77 near the San Antonio and Guadalupe rivers.

http://yorktowntx.com/history.htm

In honor of Captain John York, in whose breast burned the
Spirit of Empires, the town was named Yorktown. Captain York
was born in Kentucky on July 4, 1800, and came to Austin
County, with his parents in 1821. He became a famous Indian
fighter and was in command of a company of citizens who, under
Ben Milam, defeated General Cos and 1,500 Mexicans in 1835 at
the battle of Bexar. For his military services, York received
many acres of land in the Coleto Creek area. Being interested
in colonizations, he felt he could enhance the value of his
property by establishing a settlement of his land. In 1846, two
years previous to the founding of the town, Captain York moved
to Coleto Creek, a short distance from where the present town
is now located. Captain York lost his life in October, 1848, in
a battle with Indians who had raided on the settlement of
Yorktown. A historical marker designates York's grave only
seven miles from town.

The Kenedy Times Historical Edition-Oct 31, 1963
One of the first memorable dates in the history of Karnes County, Texas
was Oct 8, 1848, at which time a fight with Indians occurred just above
the junction of the dry Escondido Creek, three miles from Kenedy and
about two and a half miles south of old Daileyville, in the Plez Butler
pasture. A band of Indians, about forty in number, raided the Yorktown
settlement and drove off some thirty head of horses, and a company of
thirty white men headed by Capt. (John) York organized as quickly as
possible and followed their trail to Escondido Creek. Here they
discovered a blanket, supposed to have been left by the Indians, and as
they stopped to examine it, a volley of shots was fired from a thicket
nearby, and a fierce battle ensued. After about thirty minutes the York
party had lost three men, including Capt. York, his son in law, James
Beil, and a man named Sykes---and it was forced to withdraw because the
Indians were hidden behind a large fallen oak in the dense thicket of
trees, and greatly outnumbered the white men.

The news of the fight spread quickly to Goliad County where Jackson and
Benson Burris organized a company of men who came to the scene of the
battle and buried the three men who had fallen in battle. It is
estimated by the Goliad party that seven Indians were killed and their
bodies carried away.

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• [YORK] Capt John York-Texas by jean mccoy <>