At the age of 18, Goyens and his cousin John Lowry enlisted as Cherokee Mounted Soldiers. Goyens fought side by side with Colo. Gideon Morgan, Path Killer, Old Turkey, Tobacco, Tobacco Juice, Bushy Head, Dragging Canoe, Killer, George Guess. Major Ross and Sam Houston.

(Source: https://www.cherokeeregistry.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=...) Goyens and his hard work as secret agent to the Cherokees (Letter from Sam Houston to Chief Bowles, MS49, Woodson Research Center, Rice University, Houston, Texas / Sam Houston papers) to maintain peace among the tribes and establishing the newly born Republic of Texas, ended when President Mirabeau Lamar betrayed the Native Americans who had helped them win Texas. Despite their neutrality and abiding by their terms of the Houston Forbes Treaty, Lamar launched an "exterminating war" against the Cherokee, and their allied tribes the Shawnee, the Kickapoos,and the Delaware July 15 and 16, 1839." Source (https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qen02).

The massacre of the Creeks divided the Cherokees. Goyens and Lowry decided to follow Cherokee Indian Chief Duwali or Di’Wali, also known as John Bowles or Bowl, known as the "Peace Chief," as "he and his band moved across the Mississippi River and settled in the St. Francis River valley, near New Madrid, Missouri. In 1812–13 his people moved into northwestern Arkansas, south of the Arkansas River, and in 1819 they once more moved on, stopping briefly in southwestern Arkansas and at the three forks of the Trinity River before settling north of Nacogdoches." Source:https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fbo47.

General Petition Information Abstract: WILIAM GOYENS states that "he is.... a man of colour," who emigrated to Texas in 1830. Since that time, Goyens professes that he has "ever been identified with the feelings and interests of the Anglo American population and has born his humble part in their struggle." For the last five years, he has worked "in publick Services connected with the Indians," and "for the last two years he has the honour to have been appointed a regular Indian Agent -- for the Cherokee Tribe." He further notes that during the War for Texas Independence, he furnished "horses, provisions, and money - small as may have been these services they were at least equal to his ability." Stating that the Colonization Law entitles him to land, Goyens asks that a "League & Labor of Land may be granted him as a Head Right and that a Law may be passed to that effect in his favour." Result: referred to Select Committee

1. of Petition Pages: 4 Related Documents: See #11584002; Certificate, W. L. Underwood, 5 May 1838 Pages of Related Documents: 0
   

"Your talks have reached us by the hands of your friend William Goings . . . We have heard that you wish Mr. Goings to go with you to hear the Talk. We are willing that he should go because we believe him to be a man that will not tell a lie either for the White man or the Red man." (Letter dated September 24,1835 to Chief Bowles and Big Mush from Thomas J. Rusk and Sam Houston. Source: Porter, "Negroes and Indians on the Texas Frontier 1831-1876" XLI July 1956, 205-206),

In Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas, deep loyalties were forged. The first loyalty was between William Goyens and Dr. John Sibley, also from Goyens' homeland in Moore County, NC and Indian Agent appointed by Thomas Jefferson. William Goyens married the widowed daughter in law of Sibley, promising to raise Mary Pate Sibley's son as his own. Mary Pate Sibley was an Alabama Coushatta Indian, confirmed by Bryant Celestine, tribal archivist. The next loyalty was to Sam Houston and Chief Bowles who had taught him diplomacy and entrusted him with the position of negotiating the

Houston-Forbes Treaty which read as: " This Treaty made and established between Sam Houston, and John Forbes, Commissioners, on the part of the Provisional Government of Texas, of the one part, and the Cherokees, and their associate Bands now residing in Texas of the other part-to-wit Shawanee, Delawares, Kickapoos, Quapaws, Choctaws,Boluxies, Iawanies, Alabamas, Cochatties, Caddos of the Naches, Tahoocattakes, and Unataquous, -- By the Head Chiefs, Head men and Warriors, of the Cherokees, as Elder Brother and Representative of all the other Bands, agreeably to their last General Council. This Treaty is made conformably to a declaration made by the last General Consultation, at St. Felipe, and dated 13th November AD 1835."

(Source:https://www.tsl.texas.gov/exhibits/texas175/cherokee.html)

Goyens and his hard work as secret agent to the Cherokees (Letter from Sam Houston to Chief Bowles, MS49, Woodson Research Center, Rice University, Houston, Texas / Sam Houston papers) to maintain peace among the tribes and establishing the newly born Republic of Texas, ended when President Mirabeau Lamar betrayed the Native Americans who had helped them win Texas. Despite their neutrality and abiding by their terms of the Houston Forbes Treaty, Lamar launched an "exterminating war" against the Cherokee, and their allied tribes the Shawnee, the Kickapoos,and the Delaware July 15 and 16, 1839." Source (https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qen02).

Chief Bowles knew that there was no home for the Native Americans. There was no one who could protect them, despite their honorable acts. Bowles sat courageously tall and straight in his saddle. Nearing 90 years old, he was shot, in the back- his body left on the battlefield with the bodies of hundreds of other warriors.

With the newly formed Republic of Texas, Goyens had to prove that he had a right to reside in Texas. Sam Houston and Thomas Rusk were there to testify:

Petition 11583803 Details Location: Nacogdoches, Texas Salutation: To the Hon: the Senate and House of Representatives of Republick of Texas in Congress Assembled Filing Court and Date: Archives, 1838-May-21 Ending Court and Date: No Ending Court Specified

• Petition 11584002 Details Location: Nacogdoches, Texas Salutation: To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Texas in Congress assembled Filing Court and Date: Petition, 1840-November-25 Ending Court and Date: No Ending Court Specified General Petition Information Abstract: Fifty-five citizens of Nacogdoches County ask the legislature to exempt WILLIAM GOYENS, a free man of color, from the law requiring free people of color to emigrate. Goyens "has conducted himself as an honest industrious citizen has accumulated considerable property in lands &c and has been of great Service to the Country in our Indian difficulties." They therefore pray that a law be passed "authorizing the said William Goyens to reside permanently in the Republic and enjoy such privileges as are usual in like cases." Result: referred to committees; provided for by law

1. of Petition Pages: 3 Related Documents: See PAR #11583803

Source: http://lumbeeindiansandgoinsfamily.blogspot.com/2009/01/nacogdoches...)

Since Goyens was 62 when he married Mary Pate Sibley (Alabama Coushatta), they had no children together; but, he considered her son Henry Sibley as his own. Henry Sibley predeceased William and Mary, so William helped raise the two granddaughters and left his entire estate to them. William Goyens, Jr died in 1856. His house on the outskirts of Nacogdoches faced the prairies where great nations once tried to live in peace. On the fringe of society, he walked between both worlds, Earning a place in Native American, Republic of Texas and United States History. Inscription Original Texas Monument Inscription Gravesite Details Lost, pushed over and into the creek many years ago. Present landowner to be contacted prior to visit. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/195907304/william-goyens

WIFE'S ESTATE: This William is named as the executor of Henry J.Sibley's estate. The Nacogdoches, Tx. census 1832, 1833, 1834 "Ma. Mose and her son Henry" born about 1823 are noted. Mary preceded William in death and her two granddaughters, one Martha and one Henrietta Sibley were consecutively listed as "Mulatto" on census records until their deaths. In an affidavit given when Henry J. Henrietta Sibley later married Vital Y'barbo and died in 1935. Martha "Mary" married a Sanchez. A great portion of William Goyens estate had origins in the Sibley estate. Goyens Properties From Wife's Sibley Family: Names indexed: William Blue, Thomas Going, John Hnd locations, between 3/9/1752 750ac N. side Congaree on Collins Creek on the Saluda River. Henderson, John McKay. 4/24/1752 Land grant 750ac on Collins & Mill Creek. 22 Dec 1785, 12/30/1791 250ac Jumping Gully, Georgetown Dist. Jumping Gully branch of Little PeeDee River SOUTH CAROLINA

• y dna tester - Leon Goins, nephew, 4 generations down, results showed no Subsaharan, no African. 9 percent Native American. Burial: Estate of Mr. Dois Christian of Goyen's Hill, management in collaboration with Friends of Nacogdoches, non - profit whose mission is to help with historical graveyard care. Sam Houston University and the TX Historical Society are collaborating on further study of the Shawnee Half Moon Prairie, a mass graveyard of Mexican, Native Americans and African Americans. Private land cemetary in 1936/ non profits are involved.BURIAL Goyens Hill Cemetery Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County, Texas, USA PLOT 1 MEMORIAL ID 195907304

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From Cyndie Goins 7/22/2023

I noticed Leah Goings was cut off as a child of William Goings and Patsy Petty and sister to William Goyens Jr. Can we reconnect that line. I found the paper trail explaining our Mozingo, Driggers and Harman line through DNA. It was complicated since William Goings Sr. was the illegitimated child of John Harman b. 1701 and Elizabeth Goings b. 1724 but our DNA kept screaming Cumbo, Driggers and Mozingo so we followed the bloodline. Interestingly enough, we discovered the descendant's of a second wife of Daniel Goings are in possession of a small Catholic bible inscribed Guillermo Goyens. Apparently, according to their stories, Daniel's older brother, John M. Goins made two trips to Texas to check on her little brother and to try to establish a homestead. The last visit was in 1852 and after the massacre of Chief Bowles. Even though William tried to help John out with land in Rusk and Angelina Counties, hatred against the Native Americans was too much. So John sold the land and came back with money to purchase land in Moore County butting on Levi Goings land line. I perceive that William must have known he did not have many years left in him. I think his heart died in 1839, but his health was in decline. It is the only reason I can think that he would send such a personal item as the small bible home to his older sister. on my profile, you will see that my Hookers are of a male Q Haplogroup. I added a personal story about where my father was born on the Old Chief's house and the graves. These were my grandmother's people. My grandparents are related to the third generation. So everything crisscrosses. I hope to get everything straightened out to leave a clean history before my father passes. Of course he is only 86. We have a longevity gene in my family. Old age doesn't begin until the 90's and death expectancy in the 100's like Aint Norvie who died at 107 and Uncle Malcolm who was 102. But with the environment changing, that may change and we should never count on tomorrow. I did suffer a small stroke about 5 years ago and if I wigged out for a couple of years, I apologize. It has been a difficult recovery and some of my organs have suffered. But I continue to take what I learned from speaking to the elders and find the documents if I can and leave the best records we can for future generations. If you need a record of William Goyens' actually court deposition where he testified he was born in 1794 in Moore County, North Carolina I can get that because some people are confused and keep saying he was born in South Carolina when he clearly stated when and where he was born when he applied for citizenship to the state of Texas. I hope to reconnect these lines. Elizabeth Goings was not Keyawee. She was born in Virginia in 1725. Many respects. Cyndie