An accounting of events which preceeded the Morgan Massacre in Falls County (about 115 miles NNE of here), per the Texas Historical Commission's "
Handbook of Texas Online" website:
"[...] The falls of the Brazos River have long been an important fording and camping area for Indians and white settlers. The first Americans in the area were sent in 1819 by Dr. James Long to establish a trading house. Because of problems with the Mexican government they did not stay long. In 1825 the area was included in the empresario grant to Robert Leftwich of the Texas Association, a group from Nashville, Tennessee, which sought permission from the Mexican government to settle in Texas. Colonization did not take place at that time, however. Until 1829 the falls area did not have a permanent Indian settlement but served as hunting grounds for several tribes, including Wacos, Tawakonis, and Anadarkos, who were often attacked from the north by the stronger Comanches. The Cherokees arrived in the early 1830s, after the other Indians had been weakened by internal wars in 1829–30. The Cherokees were alone in the area until 1834–35, when Sterling C. Robertson began bringing American settlers to his Nashville colony (later called Robertson's colony). Although it was illegal under new laws passed by the Mexican government, nine families had settled in the area by 1830. In 1833 Robertson established the capital of his Nashville colony and called it Sarahville de Viesca. At this time problems with the Indians were exacerbated by clashes with the Mexicans, and in 1835 the settlers prepared for war with Mexico. The change of name from Fort Viesca to Fort Milam reflected the shift away from Mexico. In early 1836 all the settlers fled during the Runaway Scrape, giving Viesca the name of "the town that died overnight." After the battle of San Jacinto families returned to the area, but Fort Milam never reached its former importance except as the head of the Brazos military operations against the Indians. By 1837–38 the Marlin family returned to Bucksnort, near Fort Milam, along with the Morgan family. By this time Indians had become a constant threat. In June 1837 several men were attacked and one killed. [...]"
As for the January 1st, 1839 Morgan Massacre (and Stacye Ann Marlin Morgan's role in the incident), below is an excerpt from Stephen L. Moore's "Savage Frontier Volume II 1838-1839: Rangers, Rifleman, and Indian Wars in Texas"
book, pages 135-137:
"New Year’s Day 1839 was relatively peaceful for the settlers of the upper Brazos River. The night hours, however, brought a disturbing new round of violence from the Indians. This evening found several related families gathered together at the home of George Morgan.
His little settlement was known as Morgan’s Point, located about six miles above the town of Marlin. At George Morgan’s home this night were: his family; his relative Mrs. James Marlin and her children Isaac and Stacy Ann Marlin; the Morgan’s daughter-in-law, Mrs. Jones and her sons Jackson and Wesley Jones; and the family of Jackson Morgan. The other relatives of the Morgan and Marlin families had retired for the night at the home of John Marlin, a brother of James Marlin, seven miles lower down the river.
The Morgan home was located on the east side of the Brazos River, near the falls. Shortly after dark on January 1, his home was surrounded and attacked by Indians who rushed in without warning and left little opportunity for the families to defend themselves.
These Indians included Caddos, Ionics, Anadarkos, and Kichais led by Chief José Maria. Born around 1800, he had led his Caddoan-speaking Anadarkos from their home north of Nacogdoehes to settle in present Young County. By the mid-8405, José Maria would become principal chief of all Caddo groups and had become a proponent of peace with Anglo-Texan settlers. It is unknown what provoked his Indians to go on the offensive in 1839, but their first victims were the settlers of Morgan’s Point. The assault was vicious and bloody, as the Indians hacked their victims with tomahawks and scalping knives. Within minutes of the first alarm being shouted out, at least five settlers had been murdered.
George Morgan and his wife, both older citizens, were killed quickly, as was their grandson Jackson Jones. The oldest boy in the house, Jones had been reading to the family from a song book when the door burst open and the Indians rushed in. He was shot through the head. Sixteen-year-old Adeline Marlin and Mrs. Jackson Morgan were also quickly tomahawked and scalped by the Indians. Stacey Ann Marlin was left for dead, her wounds being severe.
Three children were playing in the Morgan’s yard when the attack commenced. Ten-year-old Isaac Marlin quickly hid under the fence and remained there throughout the assault on his family. Little Wesley Jones ran into the house as the attack started. Upon seeing the adults being tomahawked by the Indians, the scared boy ran out unobserved by the attackers. He was followed by young Mary Marlin and both children escaped unhurt.
Stacy Ann Marlin had regained consciousness during the final minutes of the massacre and saved her own life by playing dead. By some stroke of good luck, she was not scalped although all six other victims were. The Indians ransacked the Morgan home, stealing all contents of value, and then departed.
In the silence after the lndians’ departure, young Isaac Marlin crept out from his hiding place and entered the horrific scene of the household. He examined the bodies, including that of his sister Stacy Ann, who continued to play dead as this person she supposed was an Indian entered the house. After he left. the wounded girl crawled out of the house and toward safety.
Young Isaac Marlin was thus unsure that anyone at all had survived the bloody depredation. The other two surviving children, Wesley Jones and Mary Marlin, had fled on their own toward the nearest settlement. Little Isaac ran the entire seven miles down the path through the night hours toward his Uncle John Marlin’s house. The two other children to escape did not arrive at this house until daybreak the following morning. Stacy Ann Marlin, severely wounded, made her way to John Marlin’s home around noon the following day.
When the first terrified little boy arrived. he stammered out his pathetic story to the men at this home. They were John Marlin, his brother James Marlin, William N. P. Marlin, Wilson Marlin, Jackson Morgan, George W. Morgan, and Albert G. Gholson, all veteran frontiersmen and rangers. These men hastened to the scene and found the slaughter to be just as the child had related. More relief arrived on the scene the next morning. The victims were buried “amid the wailings of their grief-stricken relatives and friends.”"
The January 9, 1838, issue of the Telegraph and Texas Register reported that the George Morgan home had been attacked by a party of about fifteen Indians. The newspaper reported, perhaps incorrectly, that Morgan and his son William Morgan were killed and that three women were captured."