Vol 03 No. 07 - April 1926

A Drive From Texas To North Dakota

Samuel Dunn Houston, San Antonio Texas. Excellent day to day account of a large, notable cattle drive in March 1876 from Lockhart, TX to what was then known as the "far Northwest", (North Dakota). Mack Stewart, along with other foremen, Monroe Hardeman, Tom Osborn, Giles Fenner, Little Jim Ellison, Coleman James, Bill Green and Bellport drove the Ellison & Dewees cattle by way of Seguin and Floresville from the Ellison ranch and the old Randow Ranch, the Tom Dewees pasture to North Dakota.

Further Mentions: R. G. (Dick) Head; Captain Smith and Mat Coates were Seguin boys, Tull Roebuck, GeIcrge and Edgar Adams were from Luling; the Devil's River route; Mitchell's Lake; the Alazan Creek; Prospect Hill, about three miles from town; the Lady of the Lake; Joe Smith, of Lockhart; the old Spanish Trail; Leon Springs; Charlie Schreiner; Little Devil's River; Mat Coates, Cap Smith and Joe Smith; John T. Lytle, R. G. Head and D. R. Fant; Tull Roebuck; Duck Creek; C. C. Slaughter; C. D. Wcidlworth.

Interesting Bits Of History Of Williamson County

Calhoun McCutcheon, Student in, Taylor (Texas) High School.

Account of historical investigation led my class of students in 1926 to explore notable historical locations in Williamson co.

Further Mentions The San Xavier group of missions: Rockdale; the old Kolb's Gin; Brushy Creek and the San Gabriel River; Laneport; the village of San Gabriel; Circleville; the old Hoxie Ranch house; Georgetown; Leander, where we were joined by Ex Senator Faubion; the scene of the Webster massacre; Hornsby's Bend on the Colorado River; the "Council House Fight"; Mr. Stribling; Mr. Simmons; Round Rock; the place where Kenney's Fort used to stand.

Beef Gathering In ’71 Was Thrilling

Captain James B. Gillett. In the spring of 1871 Gillett was working with Robert Trogdon's cow outfit. He details the herding of cattle in Brown county, Texas prior to the days of barbed wire. This is an excellent account detailed by a master cattleman.

Further Mentions: the Hall pens on Big Brady creek near where the fine town of Brady now stands; the old Beasley settlement; Lev Baw

A VISIT BY TWO INDIANS

Frank P. Banta, Voca, Texas. Mentions Indian raid thirteen miles west of the town of Burnet, near the Colorado river in what was known as Banta's Bend in 1865, and a fortunate case of the malfunction of a rifle.

Further Mentions: D. R Banta; John Banta and Jim Stokes; Long Mountain

Sherrard’s Cave In Burnet County

By Mary Johnson Posey

Mentions and describes a cave eight miles from the town of Burnet in Burnet co which is said to rival Carlsbad Cavern. Speaks of historical events that occurred in relation to the cave, particularly the capture of a beautiful girl, Mariel King, by Indians and subsequent bloody fight that occurred in the cave. It was the story of this fight which caused the United states government to send soldiers for protection against the Indians, and caused the building of 'Old Fort Croghan at Burnet where General Robert E. Lee commanded for a time, followed later by Kirby Smith, Earl Van Dorn, Adam R. Johnson, Chalmers, George B. McClellan and others.

Further Mentions: Father Francisco; Logan Van Deveer, hero of San Jacinto's battlefield;; Chief Yellow Wolf; Captain Howard and his rangers; Red Fox; was a Mr. Putman who held the record for the best rifle shot in the state; Marble Falls; Billy McGill and Captain Neil Helm.

Scouting On The Texas Frontier (Brown County)

In 1873 William Williams settled on a piece of land on Sand Creek, in Brown county. His family consisted of a wife, one son about grown, a little girl seven years old, and an infant a few months old. They were living in a camp and preparing to, build a house. One morning Williams and his son went into the woods for timber to build the house. The son came in in the evening before his father, and found his mother in the bed dying. She said the Indians shot her, and expired. The baby was lying on the ground near where they had a fire to cook by. The signs showed they had shoveled out coals of fire and poured them on the infant. The mother had poured water on the child after the Indians left. They had carried off the little girl. The supposition is that she was in the cow-pen milking, when the Indians came, as her milk pail was setting there with about a half gallon of milk in it. Miss Nannie Cross (now Mrs. Perry of Brownwood) was the first, woman to reach the scene. She took charge of the burned infant and took it to the house of her father, Mr. Riley Cross. Everything possible was done for the little sufferer. It was tenderly cared for, but in two weeks went to join; its mother. News was sent to Brownwood and the Brown County Minute Company joined by several citizens, went in pursuit. They were joined in the west part of Coleman county by part of my company, commanded by Sam Gholson. I was absent at the time. They pursued the Indians for some distance but could not overtake them. Sometime after this we saw in a Houston paper a letter written by Mr. Convers of Houston in which he stated he found the body of a child hanging to a tree near Double Mountain on the forks of the Brazos. The Indians had split the girth of a side saddle. It was the mother's saddle that they took when they captured the child. The Indians had put her head through the split and hung it to a tree. They scalped her alive, as her hand was on top of her head, held and stuck there by the blood.

This account goes on to detail the scouting that was a result of these atrocities.

Further Mentions: Captain Coney; Lieut. Stedrman from Fort Concho; Fort Sill; man named Dripps; Sam Brookshire; G. K. Elkins; Ben Kirkendall; William Lawrence and James Caulk; Sergeant Best; Jim Jackson; G. K. Elkins' ranch'; Buffalo Gap; Clay Mann's ranch; Ben Cooper.

Adventure And Romance Near Home

W. P. Webb. Mentions: Thomas L. Bryan; Elanor Attebury; Issac Van Zandt, the man who founded the town of Marshall, named Upsher Comity and Gilmer, the county seat; Alice Lee Perkins of Nacogdoches; Josephine Ranney; Thos. Swift

History Of Sam Bass And His Gang

The following multi-installment narrative of the notorious gang of outlaws, is considered authentic and accurate. The sources from whence the facts are derived are regarded as being generally reliable with many of the incidents occuring in Denton and adjacent counties.

This notorious character was born in Lawrence county, in the State of Indiana, on the 21st day of July, 1851, near the town of Mitchell. His father, Daniel Bass, was an honest, industrious farmer, who by continued toil and rigid economy, accumulated sufficient property to insure himself and family the ordinary comforts of life. Sam's mother was named Jane Sheeks. She was married to Daniel Bass in 1841), and shared with him the privatilcns and prosperity of their married life up to 1861, when she died. The wayward Sam had many advantages in training as a youth, but spurned them all for a life of reuthless and wanton crime and notorious outrage against the citizens of Texas. This is an engaging account, and we can supply you with all the installments if desired.

This volume continues chapter 11 through chap 17 and concludes the story.

CHAP 11 (continued) Mentions: Deputy Sheriff Riley Wetsel, and A. .R. McGintie, constable; Capt. Whitehead's field in Clear Creek bottom; the road north cf Bolivar; Tom Yates, Jack Yates, Alex Cockrel, Charley Hart and Dode Fain; Hard Carter's house; Finley Grissom; Elm river and. Hickory Creek; Capt. June Peak; Everheart's forces; I. D. Ferguson, Robt. Mellhenmy, A. E. McMath, Wnr. Davis, Drake and Bryant; the swamps of Hickory Creek, back of Star's field below the Alton Crossing; met a man named Thomas at Robertson's Mill; A E. McMath and Wm. Davis; I. D. Ferguson; Alvin Owsley, Ed Wilson; a hollow near Warner Jackson's, a brother to Frank Jackson; W. S. Kirksey, Tom Gerren and John Wark; John Scaggs, a negro; Scott Mayes of Denton; Bob Murphy and Green Hill; Riley Wetsel, deputy sheriff; P. J. Mullen, a lawyer at Denton; a dungeon at Tyler; the Collins Family; Big Caddo Creek, by Berry Meadows; Deputy Sheriff Freeman. Sergeant Smith of the rangers; Lieutenant Campbell and Sergeant Jack Smith; McClasen's store; Breckenridge a few' miles from Taylor's store...

CHAPTER 12: The Bass War-The Most Daring Feat of All-The Robbers Suddenly Dash Into the City of Denton and Recapture Their Horses-Hot Pursuit and Escape of the Bandits.
Further Mentions: Stephen, Christal; Henry Collins; Elizabethtown; to P. C. Withers, deputy sheriff; A. E. Allen; Chas. McDonald; T. M. Yates; Jess Chinn and Gillis Hammett; Bollard's Mill; the small town of Davenport's Mills; the store of Hardy Troope; Stein and Medlin; Alex Cockrell and John Work; Reuben Bandy; Capt. Grady and Ed Willson; Elm bottom near the Fishtrap Crossing; John Carroll, deputy sheriff, Jim Courtwright, city marshal of Fort Worth Bill Woody and Jack Yates; Everheart, sheriff of Grayson county, Parish, deputy sheriff of Cooke county, and Deputy U. S. Marshal Walter Johnson; Pond Creek, in Cooke county; John Carroll, one of Egan's deputies, Stoker, deputy sheriff of Tarrant county; Salt Creek, near Cottondale in Wise county; Sergt. Floyd; Charley Carter;
CHAPTER 13: Jim Murphy with the Robbers-A Peep Into the Inside Life of Bass and His Brigands-Observations
Further Mentions: house on Cove Hollow; old Judge Hogg; Alonzo Carruth; the C 2 ranch; the Decatur road to Medlin's Point; W. H. Mounts; Kauffman; Tom Gerren; Trindad Crossing; the Ranch Saloon; Williamson County Bank; Riley Wetsel; Sheriff Tucker; Mays' & Blacks' store.
CHAPTER 14: Mentions: Jim Murphy Bargains to Bag Bass for the Consideration of the Release of Himself and Father from the Tyler Jail.
Further Mentions: Henderson Murphy; Major Jones; Walter Johnson; Hon. A. J. Evans, U. S. District Attorney; C. C. Cannon;
CHAPTER 15: Death of Bass and Barnes.
Further Mentions: Maurice Moore, deputy sheriff of Travis county; Grimes of Williamson county; George Harrall; George Ware, a ranger; Major Jones, Ware and Tubbs; F. L. Jordan.. and Albert Highsmith, citizens of Round Rock; Capt. Lee Hall; Lieut. Reynolds; Lieut. Armstrong from Austin; Sergt. Neville of Lieut. Reynolds' company; Dr. Cochran; Henry Harrell; the Salt Creek fight; Jim Chapman; Joel Collins, Bill Heferige. Torn Nixon, Jack Davis, Jim Berry and the were in the Union Pacifier robbery;
CHAPTER 16: Reflections.
Further Mentions: Joel Collins, Heffrige and Berry...

Use Canes Presented By Lincoln

In 1863 President Lincoln gave silver mounted canes to each of thirteen governors of pueblos among the Pueblo and Zuni Indians in New Mexico, on the occasion of their visit to Washington. Today these canes represent the emblem of authority in the pueblos. They have been handed down from governor to governor.

Lincoln's memory, through the canes, still stands as the symbol of authority -the recognition of the Great White Father for his redskin children of New Mexico.

When Birchfield Cussed And Roared

Captain William Carter, San Angelo, TX gives account of a battle with Indians in which he was a participant and which took place in Uvalde county in September, 1866. It was then that a band of about 30 Indians made a raid on Turkey Creek, Uvalde county, and among others drove off all our horses from Wood's ranch. Early next morning the settlers rallied and took their trail. The pursuing party was composed of Steve Birchfield, Jesse Cox, Irve Cox, Henry Cox, Jim Spears, Billy King and Carter; seven in all. Account goes on to describe the unique qualities of Steve Birchfield, a large, pompous man who could cuss and fight Indians like no one else.

Further Mentions: Jim Spears who was afterwards Sheriff of Tom Green County; the Cook boys; John, Tom, and Dave; the three Bates boys, Felix, Finis, and Barliss; John Kenedy, Henry Patterson, Johnnie Bodes and Bob McKinney;

The Hopi Snake Dance

Days of Peril on the Clear Fork J J Bragg. In 1912 His father settled on Elm Creek in Young County ten miles west of Ft Belknap in spring of 1860. His Uncle George Bragg lived two miles away. Account of Indian problems of Harry Williams, Hol & Alex Clark and James Clark, Fort Griffin, etc.

Further Mentions: the Clear Fork of the Brazos, in the Shackleford county...