The story of that incident has been passed down the years in every branch of the family in slightly differ-ent versions each time. The most accurate account is probably the newspaper article written at the time and published in the Texas Republican at Marshall, Texas. A microfilm copy of the old newspaper can be found at the Center for American History at the University of Texas. (November 23, 1961 p.4 c.1 Barker Library, microfilm, University of Texas at Austin)
Died at Pulliam's Rancho, Uvalde County, Texas, October 12, 1861, Joseph H. Long, son of Samuel A. and Louisa J. Long, aged six years.It is not known whether Joseph Long's grave was marked or not.
The circumstances of this child's death were trully (s.i.c.) appalling. On the day previous to his death, he and his brother Andrew were herding the cattle about half a mile from the house when five Indians on horseback ran upon them. Joseph being on foot was cut off from Andrew. Four of the Indians chased Andrew to the house, leaving one, a boy, to dispatch Joseph. This brutal creature ordered the child in plain English to give him all his clothes, and the little fellow deliberately pulled off his own clothes and gave them to the savage. The Indian then shot him in the side with an arrow, when he ran toward the house and the Indian shot another arrow in his back. The little boy then concluded to lie down and feign himself dead; when he did this, the Indian came up and pulled the arrow from his body and left. When he saw the savage had left him he crawled as far as he could toward the house and laid down near the fence, where his father and Mr. Kennedy found him and carried him to the house. He lived 26 hours, and related with great minuteness and good sense for one of his age, the circumstances of the attack.
The other Indians when they had run Andrew to the house, discovered Julia Ann, a little girl 11 years old, driving up the horses, and immediately made for her, pulling her from her horse by her hair; tearing her dress and beating her with their bows. At the sight of this, Mrs. Long ran out after her daughter, and was followed by Mr. Long with a gun, although almost blind with granulated sore eyes. The Indians then desisted from further injury to the little girl, but took all the horses and left. Rev. J. K. Harper and myself, with others, arrived at the house about 4 hours after this awful tragedy; after consultations it was thought best I should remain with the family while Mr. Harper and the other men scattered out to protect the other families in the vicinity. Dr. Watt, from Fort Inge, arrived a little after dark and did all he could to save the little sufferer, but all in vain. I had the mournful task to wait on this lovely boy until he breathed his last. On the morning of the 12th Dr. Watt left, and I was left entirely alone with this deeply afflicted family, and Mr. Editor, I pray God that I may never again have to pass through such another scene as transpired when I announced that Joseph was dead. His mother became almost frantic with grief, and his brothers and sisters ran around the house uttering their emotions of grief in the most heartrending tones. I washed and laid out the corpse without any assistance except what his almost blind father gave me.
In the evening the neighbors came in and made every preparation for the interment, which took place on Sunday, the 13th, at three o'clock. The undersigned preached a sermon to a small but attentive and deeply affected congregation,and the deceased was decently interred.
JOHN W. DE VILBISS October 14th, 1861
The Rev. John Wesley De Vilbiss was a well known Methodist preacher in the San Antonio area. He arrived in San Antonio in 1844, one of the first two Protestant ministers to preach in San Antonio. De Vilbiss preached in the famous Veramendi house in San Antonio when it was used as a hotel in 1845.
After the Indian attack, the Long family moved to Medina County. Sam Long appears on Medina County tax rolls from 1863 through 1866, with the widow Long listed through 1878.