Laughlin McLennan
Laughlin McLennan was born before 1800 in the Parish of Straith, Isle of Skye, Scotland, son of John McLennan and Katherine MacKinnon.
In 1801, the McLennan family emigrated to the United States, settling in North Carolina.
Laughlin married Margaret "Peggy" McDonald, daughter of Laughlin McDonald. Margaret had three brothers: Daniel, John K., and Peter K. McDonald.
The McLennan family moved to western Florida about 1818.
A Report of Claims of Land in West Florida, Founded on Habitation and Cultivation in Obedience to an Act of Congress
approved 26th May 1824 shows Laughlin having 16 or 17 acres in cultivation in Escambia County, Florida.
The family came to Texas in 1834, joining Robertson's Colony.
Laughlin probably received Spanish land grant of a league of land (4428 acres) just north of his brother Neil's league. However, no grant apprears in the GLO database, most likely because it was never completed.
That winter, Indians raided Laughlin's home, killed him and his mother, and captured his wife, Peggy, and three children. The story is that they split Laughlin's mother's head with an axe, then burned the house with her body in it. Peggy and Daniel died in captivity. Neil was supposedly sold to a white man and never heard from again. The third child, John, was adopted by the tribe. He was returned to his family in 1845, and was called Bosque John.
A story in the Telegraph and Texas Register on October 17 stated that Peggy escaped with the children. I have not yet found information that agrees with this.
News of the reached the Permanent Council in San Felipe on October 11, 1835. R. R. Royall, President of the Permanent Council, wrote to Stephen F. Austin:
"Some news of Good authority came in on yesterday of some persons being killed and a family carried off from the Little River and that some persons were in Persuit ..."
(Papers concerning Robertson's Colony, Vol. 12)
The Permanent Council voted to establish a Texas Ranger frontier patrol in the area on October 17, 1835.
"Resolved that Silas M. Parker be and is hereby authorized and required to impl[o]y and superintend the conduct and proceedings of twenty five rangers whose business shall be to range and guard the frontiers between the Brazos and Trinity rivers, and that Garrison Greenwood be and is hereby authorized and required to impl[o]y and superintend the prosedings &conduct of ten rangers on the East side of the Trinity River—and that D. B. Fryar be and is hereby authorized and required to impl[o]y and superintend the conduct and Procedings of twenty five Rangers Whose business it shall be to range between the Brazos and Colorado Rivers and that each of those superintenders have a right To engage to each ranger that [is] employed one dollar &twenty five cents per day untill the convention make other arrangements and to draw on the council or the executive established by the Convention from time to time for such sums of money as is necessary to defray expences accompanying each draft by account of expenditures."
( Texas State Historical Association - Southwestern Historical Quarterly Online, Journal of the Permanent Council)
See Neil McLennan's page for more information on the family.