The Liberty County Historical Commission will bring back Fletcher Clark and Donaly Brice for a double-feature in song, narrative, lecture in rollicking style to Liberty and Dayton on Saturday, April 1. Both events are free admission to the public and sponsored by the commission as a special history event in Liberty County. Songwriter/musician Fletcher Clark and author/historian Donaly Brice bring to life exciting chapters of early Texas history in their Texana Tales!
Starting at 10:30 a.m. in the theater at the Humphries Cultural Center in Liberty, attendees will enjoy “The Great Comanche Raid,” which tells of the last great move by this most powerful people against the inexorable advance of white civilization. Following the concluding Battle of Plum Creek on August 12, 1840, the tribes would never again pose a significant threat to the growing population of settlers in the then new Republic of Texas.
“The Black Bean Episode” is the story of prisoners from the Mier Expedition who were deemed criminals to be shot. After never recognizing the Republic of Texas, Mexico persisted to reassert hegemony over the “rogue” state. In 1842, Mexican troops came up from Mier to occupy variously Goliad, Refugio, and San Antonio.
A large number of Texans gathered at San Antonio to initiate a punitive expedition against Mexico, becoming the doomed Mier Expedition. From a gourd, 17 of the 176 captives drew black beans in the Mexican-style lottery. Every tenth man would be executed. Even survivors would never know glory.
More entertaining tales from early Texas history will start at 2 p.m. in the Dayton Community Center. “Songs of Susanna” is the story of Susanna Dickinson, messenger of the Alamo. Through ballad, music and narrative, the story of this heroic Texas woman is told: her five husbands and her travels from Tennessee to Gonzales to San Antonio to Houston to Lockhart to Austin.
Fletcher Clark’s four-chapter epic ballad, “There Must Be a Good Man in Texas,” depicts her panoramic tale – and the emergence of Texas! Next “Runaway Scrape” depicts the frenzied flight before the advancing forces of cruel Santa Anna in song, verse, and lecture which ends with victory at San Jacinto, the capture and surrender of the tyrant, and the dawn of the Republic.
Each show is approximately 45 minutes with a fifteen 15-minute comfort break between. Please join us for this unique, colorful, authentic, and entertaining look into early Texas history! Please join LCHC, Fletcher Clark and Donaly Brice in Liberty at 10:30 a.m. and Dayton at 2 p.m. (time for lunch in between performances) for a lively historical revue!
“Once experienced, these programs of son and history will not be forgotten. They give new life to our understanding of or Texas heritage. Clark and Brice working together is indeed a delight!”
For more information, please email lchc318@gmail.com or call/text 936-334-5813.
They are recapping their earlier presentation of the Runaway Scrape in Dayton which fits in with the Historical Marker on the edge of town!