Vol 01 No. 10 - July 1924

Remarkable Story of a Very Old Man – Amasa Clark

By J. Marvin Hunter

Indeed, a remarkable story of a great man, Amasa Clark, who when but a lad he left his native State, New York, and enlisted in the army, and valiantly fought his way from Vera Cruz to Chapultepec with Gen. Scott, and when victory had crowned the American arms there, he came to Texas. Here he cast his lot to blaze the way for oncoming generations. He has seen the signal fires of the savage gleam from a thousand peaks and has followed their encrimsoned trail across a thousand hills and plains along the vast extent of our Texas border. Sitting upon the pedestal of years, he can now look down upon an Empire State where savage invasion is only a memory; where homes, towns and cities dot the land, where a million boys and girls go to school, and with lofty and exultant pride may well this venerated father exclaim "I was an humble factor in this wonderful achievement! Shortly after Mr. Clark arrived in this region some Mormon families came and established a settlement, and later 16 families of Polish colonists arrived from the old country and located here, and the town of Bandera had a beginning. Mr. Clark remembers "nearly all of these early settlers" - This is a great story of the early Bandera county pioneer.

Further Mentions: at San Elizario, near El Paso, Fredericksburg Crossing, on the Guadalupe, Judge Saner, Dr. Thompson and a Mr. Kindla, Mr. Milstead, Gen.. Twiggs, Cerro Gordo, Gen. Patterson, General Worth, El Pinon, Churubusco, the Mexican camp of Contereras, Molino del Rey (King's Mill), Lieut. McFerrin, Polly Rodriguez, who was in Meeklin.'s company, O. B. Miles, Rufus Brown, who lived on Bandera Creek

An Increasing Herd of Buffalo.

Frederick B. Edwards

Speaks of growing herd of Buffaloes on the Canadian plains east of the Rocky Mountains and in Montana. The Buffalo once so vital to the life-blood of the TX plains and panhandle had by 1889, according to Dr. W. T. Homaday, dissolved to less than 1000 buffalo running wild and unprotected.

Further Mentions: the Crees of the plains; A. C. Allard and Michael Pablo, near St. Ignatius Mission, on the Montana Flathead Indian reservation, Buffalo Jones of Oklahoma, the Allard-Pablo ranch, Wainwright Park, the Gibson herd, near Yakima.

Got Fifty Dollars for An Indian's Scalp.

Curley Hatcher

Mr Hatcher was an eye-witness of the first year of the cattle drives from TX through Kansas in 1867. He says that the first drive was made to Baxter Springs, and the next shipping place was Coffeyville, then Caldwell and Dodge City. Abilene was the last place we drove to, and about all of the long-horned mossy headed cattle had been driven before Abilene was thought of as a shipping point. While in Kansas, Hatcher was hired to work with the herds until they were sold out, which was done some time in October Then he went back to Texas with the outfits. Eventually, in 1874 he joined Company E of the Texas Rangers, under Captain Maltby, and I killed the first Indian that was killed by the Battalion. Captain Maltby gave me fifty dollars for the scalp and took it to Austin. This is his interesting story.

Further Mentions: Tar creek, Rock creek, Enoch Fineash at Trickham. the Gholson & Miles round-up on Pecan Bayou where the Fort Griffin and Camp Colorado road crossed it. Sam Gholson, Lieutenant Best and Lieutenant Foster, Captain John M. Elkins., Coleman City

Life History of a Pioneer Citizen of Sabinal – Jack Davenport

By A. J. Durham

Story about Andrew Jackson Davenport born in Johnson County, Mo., June 10th 1843, and died at Sabinal, Texas on February 18th, 1924. His father, John Davenport, was born in Virginia. His mother, Susan (Little) Davenport was born in Kentucky. His parents moved from Missouri to Kaufman county, and on to Uvalde county in 1853 and settled, with the Kellys, Thompsons and Fenleys in the Sabinal Canyon. These four families had a community farm and worked about 300 acres and all lived close together for company and protection. Then at nineteen, Davenport enlisted in the great Civil War and served to the close of that fratricidal struggle with honor. Immediately after its close in 1865 he married Mary Binnion, the daughter of John and Minerva Binnion, both from Alabama and also old settlers of Uvalde, County. Mrs. Davenport was one of the most loved women that it has been my good fortune to meet. Her sunny disposition, her kindly, generous heart, and her noble Christian character brought Heaven and earth closer together wherever she was, and she left the imprint of her beautiful life as a benediction and heritage to those who knew and 1cved. her. She preceded her husband to the grave about twelve years. This is a great story and excellent early Uvalde co. history and genealogy.

Further Mentions: Mr. Charles Jones, Utopia, John Bowles, Pleasanton., the Hondo, the McLemore settlement, of Mr. George S. Johnson., Sr., the father of Messrs. S. Sam Johnson and Mrs. Alice Matthews, A band of settlers, composed of Jack Davenport, Bill Davenport, Hillburn, Ross Kenedy, John Kenedy, Seco valley between John Reinhart's and Jack Miller's, Bigfoot Wallace, Wish Kelly, Painted Water Hole, General O. O. Howard, Mr. J. M. Finley

A Bandera County Pioneer – Mormon George Hay

Story of Mormon Pioneer in early Bandera co, George Hay, born at Erskine, Renfrewshire, Scotland, March 17, 1836.

With his parents, he sailed for America from Liverpool, England, Sept. 10, 1841. They dwelt in Nauvoo, the Mormon city in Illinois for a period, but hearing of the wonderful opportunities in Texas, and seeking a land free from the antagonism at that time directed against the Mormons, the family with others started to Texas in wagons drawn by mules in September, 1848. A long trip was ahead of them and the way was beset with all sorts of dangers and perils, but fearlessly the little band took up the journey. George Hay was then a small boy, 12 years of age. When the party reached Kansas City, then a very small town, they were joined by a small family named Johnson and a man, named Spencer Smith of Council Bluffs, Iowa. Their destination was Zodiac, a Mormon settlement on the, Perdenales river, three miles below Fredricksburg, which they reached safely after nearly three months on. the road. Here the Hay family remained until 1850. A Mormon, settlement had been made near Fort Groggan in Burnet county, where a mill was erected, and the place was afterwards called Mormon Mills. Mrs. Hay and her children moved there, where they tarried until the spring of 1853, when they moved over to the Packsaddle Mountain vicinity to graze their cattle,. In company with a large party of Mormons headed by Elder Lyman Wight they decided to transfer their location to Bandera county , reaching here March 1, 1854. Elder Wight's company numbered about 250 souls and when they arrived in Bandera county they found only a few people here, the Hadrians, Milsteads, T. L. Odem, P. D. Saner, Mrs. Rees and sons, Charles de Montel, and others. In speaking of his arrival in Bandera, and subseuent events, Judge Hay said: "This was a beautiful country then, a wilderness it is true, but inviting and offering our people wonderful possibilities. Charles de Montel had a horse power saw mill with a circular saw, and the men of the community were nearly all employed in getting out cypress timber and working at the mill. August Pingenot supplied the camp, for Bandera was but a camp then, with game. Here I met Amasa Clark, who was in the employ of Milstead. This was in 1854, and the friendship that was formed then has endured to this good day, and grows with the passing years. Here I also met DeWitt Burney, an uncle to our present district judge, August Klappenbach...

Further Mentions: John Dugos, Medina Lake, Mrs. Janet Ballentyne, Abram Moneur, Joseph Goodale, Meachem Curtis, Andrew Huffman, O. B. Miles was first chief justice, William Curtis was sheriff, James P. P. Poole was the first county clerk, . P. D. Saner., James Booker Davenport, Sheriff, Henry Stevens. Mr. Charles Schmidtke, H. H. Carmichael, Davenport, Schmidke & Hay, dealers in general merchandise., the Bandera County Ranchmen & Farmers' Association., the Frontier Battalion, Mrs. Amanda Elam, George A. Hay, Mrs. Georgiana Risinger, Frank T. Hay, Mrs. Mary Langford, of Bandera, Charles William Hay of Colingua, Calif; Joe M. Hay of Hondo, Mrs.Ola Croisdale of Austin, John Hay of San Antonio, Mrs. Janet Currie of Los Angeles, Calif., Mrs. Ora Smith, Mrs. Hay, before her marriage, was Miss Virginia Minear. She is a native Texan, having been born in Fannin county near Bonham, March 25th, 1844.

Fighting Days in Uvalde.

Story of Dr. J. R. Bridges

A pioneer Presbyterian Missionary to Uvalde Co. He recalls numerous bloody and wild events in early Uvalde history. Here are some reflections on his first sight of the town of Uvalde, " The town was filled with men who were engaged in road work. Apparently they were from the slums of New York, as wild and desperate a set of men as I have ever seen.

"The hotel where I had to stay was kept by a man who was a congenial spirit with his guests. The stores were frame, streets were stretches of dust in summer and, mud in winter, and wherever one went he heard the most terrible o-aths. Drunkenness was a common sin, and a too reckless use of the six-shooter seemed to be the most popular amusement especially at night when the cowboys would at times take possession of the town-in their vernacular "paint it red.' "The hotel was of two stories, half finished, so one could easily count the stars through the openings in the, roof and hear the whiz of bullets when the game was at its height."On one occasion the correspondent of the San Antonio Express, known as 'Greely No. 2,' from his resemblance to Horace Greely, had to share my room, and as the welkin rang with the whiz of bullets he lay there in expectation of death, while 1, being hardened to such amusements, slept quietly and soundly. "The surrounding country was occupied by sheep and cattlemen who often came into town filled with whisky, and sometimes fought with the authorities if the latter tried to control them. Then they sometimes fought with each other, so that we soon grew accustomed to, murders, taking them as a part of a day's performance.

"After a while I was able to get a comfortable home on the edge of town with an old couple, who were kind and good, but afflicted with a set of boys that had almost broken their hearts. There was a feud between them and some Mexicans, with the result that three of the boys had been killed by Mexicans, and the other boys had killed several Mexicans. Once by reason of my resemblance to the oldest son, a wealthy sheep man, I was nearly shot by Mexicans lying in ambush, while I was coming back from a trip on horseback to the Rio Grande River."

Further Mentions: P. P. Ramsay, Rev. J. H. Zivley., Montell. in the Nueces Canyon, Josephus Johnson

First Barbed Wire Fence in Coleman County.

Harry Hubert.

The first strand of barbed wire ever strung in Coleman, County was run by Clark Mann around a section of land on Jim Ned Creek, which is now a part of the Morris lower ranch. That was in the year 1880 according to the memory of C. Jones, who was first here in 1876. The first cost of wire was about 20c a pound at the railroad, which at that time was Fort Worth or Round Rock. The effectiveness of barbed wire in holding live stock was problematical and stockmen were slow in taking hold of the innovation. Mr. Mann used elm poles to reinforce the fence; in fact, the barbed wire was auxiliary to the pole fence, being placed a single strand above the elm poles. Some of the square iron spikes that were used in holding the elm poles in, place may still be seen embedded in some of the old mesquite trees on the Morris ranch.

Further Mentions: the Government military telegraph line that connected Coleman and Camp Colorado with Fort Griffin and civilization, to the east , Col. W. H. Day, the Red Wire pasture, H. R. Starkweather, Col. R. ff. Overall, G. W. Marhoney, J. L. Vaughn, L. L. Shield, H. R. Starkweather, the Coleman County ranch venture, J. L. Vaughn

The Battle of Dove Creek.

John Warren Hunter

Very detailed account of this bloody and sad confrontation which occurred in the Fall of 1864, under McCord's regiment, the command of Col. J.B. "Buck" Barry. They were stationed on the frontiers with head-quarters at old Fort Belknap. Kickapoo Indians in large numbers had broken up the settlements from Fort Murry down, to Belknap. Capt. Jack Curenton of Palo Pinto county, with his company of frontier scouts, had discovered a large deserted Indian camp in the big shinnery or the Clear Fork of the Brazos in Jones county, near old Fort Phantom Hill. The fight occurred on the banks Dove Creek, a tributary of the South Concho river;

Further Mentions: Captain Gillentine of Erath county, Erath, Johnson, Bosque, Hamilton Brown and Coleman counties, Camp Selman, now in Stephens county. Lieutenants J. A. Wright and Jesse Green., Captain Moseley. Lieutenant Morton, B. W. Lee, Sr; G. H. Adams, A. E. Adams, John P. Brown, Isaac Branshaw, R. M. Hanna, Sam Hanna, James G. Connell, T. D, Harris, P. R. Clark, W. Candler, Henry Jones E. D Carmack, J. Ballinger and W. Chandler., Lish Childress, a Brown County man, Yellow Wolf Canyon on the Colorado, Mr. P. R. Clark of San Angelo, Captain Fossett, Captain Totten, B. P. Lee., Byers

Captured an Indian Near Bandera.

Brief account of capture of a Tuscalero Indian boy about 13 years old, near Bandera, who had been captured by the Comanches when he was six years old. He had been on a raid with the Comanches, and becoming separated from the band had become lost and at the time was trying to steal a horse from Mr. Hudspeth on which to make his way back to the tribe. This young Tuscalero was turned over to Polly Rodriguez, a well known guide and trailer for the rangers. He remained with Rodriguez many years and was well known to all of Bandera county's early settlers.

The Killing of Grandfather Massey.

By W. Massey Utopia, Texas.

Brief account of bloody attack of Grandfather Edmond Massey, about ten miles from Carrizo Springs.

Further Mentions: the Woodward & Oge ranch, Bill Daugherty., Mr. Forest

Reveals Some Interesting History.

Henry C. Fuller 

Account of Hon. Jesse J. Watkins, who lived and died at Douglass, a village in the western part of Nacogdoches County. Reveals some interesting early details of the area and genealogical information of McCorkle family, Watkins and others.

Further Mentions: Judge J. N. Browning, Stephen W. Blount, Jr; Judge. N. A. Cravens, Judge W. L. Douglass, E, J. Garrison, Travis Henderson, John R. King, George, C. Pendleton, A. J. Rosenthal, C. S. Wurzbach, "Prairie Blossom," Clarksville, the Old Fowler Place, now owned by Mrs. Liles, General Rusk, Robert W. Smith, who commanded a company in the battle of San Jacinto, Cherokee chief, Bowles, General Robert Smith, the Masonic lodge at Henderson, the Partners Alliance Building, General Rusk, General McCloud and General Felix Huston, Capt. James H. Cook.

The Killing of Dallas Stoudenmire

James B. Gillett 

Stoudenmire, was born in Abafoil, Mason county, Alabama; served with the Fifth-seventh cavalry and Thirty-third Alabama regiment, General Cleburne's division; surrendered with Gen. Joe Johnston at Greenboro, N. C.; was wounded four times during the war. Came to Texas and settled at Columbus, Colorado county; served as a Texas ranger in Captain Waller's company B. He eventually served as Marshall of El Paso in boom days, when law and civility were hard to maintain in the border town. This is the account of his ignoble death.

Further Mentions: George Cambell was elected city marshall and Bill Johnson, deputy. Captain Baylor, whose rangers were then stationed at Ysleta, Corporal' Jim Fitch, Dr. Cummings., Mileton Gonzales, Paso del Norte, Hotel Fisher, Marshall Campbellton and Bill Johnson, Gus Krempkau, John Hale, Jim Manning and his brother, Frank, the Coliseum Variety theater, Bill Coffin’s Old Boss saloon, Neal Nuland's Acme saloon, Cliff Brooks and Walt Jones, Kerskie's book store, Joe Deaver, one of Captain Baylor's rangers

Riding the Ranges in the Seventies:

Western Weekly. Riding the ranges and following the trails-in the days when the Texas longh6rnm were driven "north of 36 " was a serious occupation, attended with many hazards of life and limb, and calling for extraordinary powers of endurance and a courage that was frequently put to the test in meeting sudden dangers or unforseen difficulties. The men who drove great herds over the long trails in the days before the railroads came rode daily in the face of ambushed perils-of lurking, predatory savages, of stampeding herds, of wind and weather, or long sleepless hours that tried their physical and mental endurance to the limits. Cowboying was, in fact, a rather sad profession. It meant loneliness, great responsibilities, small rewards, unflinching hardihood, and a philosophy that was immersed in the mysteries of wilderness solitudes. This is a great story.

Further Mentions: Northwestern Nebraska, at Agate Springs, "on the banks of the beautiful Niobrara," Capt. James H. Cook, Red Cloud, the great chief of the Ogalalla Sioux, Brig. Gen. Chas. King, John Longworth, one of Ben Slaughter's corporals, or foreman, of Ben Slaughter, father of Charlie, Billy and John Slaughter

G. C. Herrington Became a Crack Shot.

Written by Hugh Galbreath, Kempner,Texas.

Kemprier and its territory have many interesting personages, men who fought back the Redskins and helped to make the history of the Lone Star State, and among these noted characters and pioneers is Mr. G. C. Herrington, who makes his home with his daughter, Mrs. Beulah Cooke, in Kempner. Mr. Herrington's father came to Texas, from Alabama in 1844, and stopped where East Waco now stands, and it was here that the subject of this sketch was born February 19, 1845. In earliest childhood Mr. Herrington learned to use the gun and pistol, and became an expert shot, being able to kill a squirrel as it jumped from tree to tree, with ease. After he became a grown man he had a number of shooting matches with noted characters, among whom was Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill. He says he and Buffalo Bill were well matched in this respect, but that Wild Bill was the best shot of the three. Despite his advanced age, Mr. Herrington recently took his old pistol from its place of retirement, greased it and cleaned it, and at sixty feet, in quick succession, he put four balls in a spot no larger than a silver dollar. Mr. Herrington grew up on the banks of the Brazos river, and became an expert swimmer, It is related that he saved a number of children from drowning in what is now the heart of Waco. Before he was fifteen years old he was employed by a Mr. Driver to raft logs down the river to the sawmill. At the time of his birth there was only one little store where Waco now stands. This is very excellent early Waco history.

Further Mentions: a man named Dick Dean., Mr. Hood, a Mr. Arnold, the " Two Brothers" Saloon., Mr. Henson, Tom and Henry Ford, George and Mace Patton., General Gruter., Cripple Creek, New Mexico., Captain Woody Serd, General Stevens.

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Some Names in this volume:

A. E. Adams; Ennis Adams; G. H. Adams; John Rufus Alexander; A. C. Allard; Stephen F. Austin; Mrs Janet Ballentyne; J. Ballinger; Capt Buck Barry; Bass; Capt Baylor; Lt Best; John Binnion; Mary Binnion; Minerva Binnion; Stephen W. Jr Blount; Bowles; John Bowles; Isaac Branshaw; Jim Bridger; Dr J. R. Bridges; Cliff Brooks; John P. Brown; Rufus Brown; J. N. Judge Browning; DeWitt Burney; Joe Byers; George Cambell; George Campbell; W. Candler; E. D. Carmack; H. H. Carmichael; Kit Carson; W. Chandler; Jesse Patrick Chasteen; Lish Childress; Amasa Clark; Bud Clark; P. R. Clark; Gen Cleburne; Buffalo Bill Cody; Brooks Coffey; John Nathan Mrs; Bill Coffin; James G. Connell; Capt Cook; Capt James H. Cook; Capt Jim Cook; Mrs Beulah Cooke; N. A. Judge Cravens; Mrs Ola Croisdale; Dr Cummings; Capt James Cunningham; Mrs Janet Currie; Meachem Curtis; William Curtis; Gen Custer; Bill Daugherty; Andrew Jackson "Jack" Davenport; Bill Davenport; Jack Davenport; James Booker; John Booker; Mrs Susan Little Booker; Col W. H. Day; Dick Dean; Joe Deaver; J. Frank Dobie; W. L. Judge Douglass; Christian Dugos; John Dugos; A. J. Durham; Frederick B. Edwards; Mrs Amanda Elam; Capt John M. Elkins; Vernon T. Evans; Enoch Fineash; J. M. Finley; Jim Corp Fitch; Henry Ford; Tom Ford; Temp Forest; Capt Fossett; Lt Foster; Henry C. Fuller; Hugh Galbreath; E. J. Garrison; Sam Gholson; Capt Gillentine; James B. Gillett; Mileton Gonzales; Joseph Goodale; Mrs Good Graves; Horace Greely; Jesse Green; Gen Gruter; John Hale; Mrs Rhoda Halley; R. M. Hanna; Sam Hanna; T. D. Harris; Curley Hatcher; Charles William Hay; Frank T. Hay; George Hay; George A. Hay; Joe M. Hay; John Hay; Judge Hay; Travis Henderson; G. C. Herrington; William Judge Holman; Dr W. T. Hornaday; Gen Sam Houston; Gen O. O. Howard; Harry Hubert; Joseph B. Hudspeth; Andrew Huffman; Gen Felix Huston; Rube Jenkins; Bill Johnson; George S. Johnson Sr; Josephus Johnson; S. Sam Johnson; Gen Joe Johnston; Buffalo Jones; Charles Jones; Henery Jones; J. C. Jones; Walt Jones; John Kenedy; Ross Kenedy; E. F. Kindla; Brig Gen Chas King; John R. King; August Klappenbach; Gus Krempkau; Mrs Mary Langford; Cleve Law; Mrs Fletcher Layton; B. P. Lee; B. W. Lee Sr; John Longworth; G. W. Mahoney; Capt Jeff Maltby; Clark Mann; Dr Manning; Frank Manning; G. F. Manning; Dr G. F. Manning; J. Manning; Jim Manning; ; Father Margil; Edmond Massey; W. Massey –:; Mrs Alice Matthews; Dr Mayfield; Dr J. E. Mayfield; Gen McCloud; Archibald McCorkle; Emma Miss McCown; I. L. McCown; I. L. Mesdame McCown; Mattie McCutcheon; Lt McFerrin; Lt Mecklin; O. B. Miles; Jack Miller; Virginia Miss Minear; H. Mohr; Abram Moncur; Charles de Montel; Rev Z. N. Morrell; Lt Morton; Capt Moseley; Jim Ned; W. B. Mesdame NeSmith; Neal Nuland; T. L. Odem; Col R. H. Overall; Michael Pablo; Gen Patterson; George Patton; Mace Patton; George C. Pendleton; August Pingenot; James P. P. Poole; Richard Porter; F. P. Ramsay; Dr Red; Chief Red Cloud; John Reinhart; Mrs Georgiana Risinger; James M. Robertson; Polly Rodriguez; A. J. Rosenthal; Gen Rusk; Gen Thomas J. ; Louis Sanchez; Judge Saner; P. D. Saner; Gen Santa Anna; Saunders; Charles Schmidtke; Gen Scott; Capt Woody Serd; A. F. Mesdame Shelton; E. L. Shettles; L. L. Shield; Ben Slaughter; Billy Slaughter; Charlie Slaughter; John Slaughter; Capt Smith ; Gen Smith; Mrs Ora Smith; Gen Robert Smith; Robert W. Smith; Spencer; H. R. Starkweather; Gen Stevens; Henry Stevens; Dallas Stoudenmire; ; Marshal Stoudenmire; Bill Stroupe; Dr Thompson; David Thomson; Capt Totten; Gen Twiggs ; Rip Van Winkle; J. L. Vaughn; Big Foot Wallace; Capt Waller; Jesse Watkins; Hon Jesse J. Watkins; Lyman Wight; Gen Worth; J. A. Lt Wright; C. S. Wurzbach; Rev J. H. Zivley.