Vol 04 No. 05 - February 1927

Rangers Rescue Three Children

This is the account of the heroic pusuit that occurred autumn of 1862 with a detachment of sixteen rangers, who followed and pursued an Indian trail somewhere to the northwest of old Fort Mason, forty-five miles from the German town of Fredericksburg in an effort to recuse three children taken captive by Comanches.

Further Characters Mentioned: Fritz Krawitz, Willie Krawitz, Justo Rodriguez

Locations: Fort Mason, Fredericksburg, Kerrville, Comfort, Bandera, Medina River, Castroville, Medina County.

John Day Morgan, a Texas Pioneer

by S. H. Morgan, Georgetown, TX

Account of the life of John Day Morgan who was born in London, England, May 15, 1819. His father's name was Thomas Frances Morgan; his mother's name was Sophia Elizabeth Morgan. Her maiden name was Day. Morgan settled in Texas about the middle of July 1836, when he was only seventeen years old. He established his residence in the wilds of this almost unknown land and soon drifted into the Valley of the Colorado River and into what is now known as Bastrop county. Here he found a home and friends with Captain Wiley Hill, an early pioneer of this area – this is his story.

Further Characters Mentions: Thomas Frances Morgan, Sophia Elizabeth Morgan, Sophia Elizabeth Day, Captain Wiley Hill, General Sam Houston, General Santa Anna, General Cos, Comanches, Mexicans, Dave Owens, Dr. Homer S. Thrall, Rebecca Rogers,

Locations: Bastrop County, Washington, Brazos River, San Antonio, Alamo, Gonzales, Buffalo Bayou, Houston, Goliad, Rio Grande, Austin, McLellan County, Williamson County, Bell County, Brushy Creek, Little River, Temple, Waco, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Salado, Galveston, Harrisburg, Oscar Creek...

Christmas in Junction 50 Years Ago

by John W. Gray, Stephenville, TX

The residents of Kimble County, the Kountz family, Tom' Doran's family, Tom Spear abnd others celebrated Christmas with Indian raids and murders.

Further Characters Mentioned: Dr. John Kountz, Isaac Kountz, Sebastian Kountz, Tom Doran, Sam Doran, George Spear, Nora Spear, Tom Spear, Dick Rawls, Patterson, Latta, Browning, Jimmie Temples, Smith, Jim Deaton, Sel Denman, Meeks,

Locations: Kimble County, South Llano River, North Llano River, Bear Creek, Fort McKavitt, Gillespie County, Kerr County, Bandera County, Kinney County, Rio Grande, Fort Clark, Johnson Fork, Fort Mason, Fort Terrett, Junction City

Pronounced the Death Sentence

By Donald F. McCarthy, Montrose, CA

"The old days in the west were grim days when it came to exacting justice. They were the days when the man who did a thing must do it well, and most of all that applied to him who slew his fellow beings. Once he started he must be prepared to keep on, for when he faltered there was no mercy shown him. Men were willing to take the consequences for their own acts and prepared to exact the consequences from others. The same spirit crept into the courts at these times. One of the most remarkable instances of the sterness of frontier judges, came in the case of Jose Maria Martinez, a young Mexican who was convicted of murder in. Taos, New Mexico, in' March, 1854. He had shot down his victim, a well known man of the community, from ambush, that he might rob him.. Judge Kirby Benedict, who presided to the trial, was but 22 years of age, the youngest jurist ever to attain the federal bench. When the jury brought in its verdict, the court, in passing sentence, delivered himself of the following remarkable language"Jose Maria Martinez, stand up. Jose Maria Martinez, you have been indicted, tried and convicted by a jury of. your countrymen of the crime of murder, and the court is now about to pass upon you, the dread sentence of the law. As a usual thing, Jose Maria Martinez, it is a painful duty for the judge of a court of justice to pronounce upon a human being the sentence of death. There is something horrible about it, and the mind of the court naturally revolts from the performance of such a duty. Happily, however, your case is relieved of all such unpleasant features. and the court takes positive delight in sentencing you to death..."

Further Characters Mentioned: Jose Maria Martinez, Judge Kirby Benedict

Locations: Taos, New Mexico

Overland Trip to California In 1850

By J. Frank Bowles, San Antonio, TX

The author and his family came to Texas from Mississippi in 1849, in ox-wagons, and settled four miles from Belton on the Lampasas river, where they built log houses, opened up farms, bought some stock, and settled down to grow up with the country. All went well until the gold fever broke out in California in 1850. The author goes on to tell of his journey to the gold fields in 1850

Further Character Mentions: Hy J. Bowles, Love Witt, Six-Toed Pete

Locations: Belton, Lampasas River, San Antonio, Uvalde, San Felipe, Del Rio, Comanche Springs, Limpia Canyon, El Paso, Devil’s River, Painted Cave, Howard’s Well, Pecos River, Fort Stockton, El Muerta Springs, Van Horn Wells, Rio Grande River, Old Franklin, Las Cruces, Mimbres River, Tucson, Gila River, Fort Yuma, San Bernardino Mountains, San Joaquin Valley, Belton, San Diego, Sabinal River, Uvalde County

The Fight at Ledbetter’s Salt Works

By John Warren Hunter

Comanches and half-breed Mexicans attack Texas pioneers.

Further Characters Mentioned: Indian Kate, Cato, Cloud, Ledbetter, Tonkawa Charley, Chief Johnson, Lieutenant Turner, Sergeant Jones

Locations: Fort McKavett, Fort Concho, Fort Griffin, Salt Creek, Albany, Concholand

Another Pioneer Passes on

Hon. A. J. Durham, of Sabinal, Texas, writes a brief account of his mother who came from Ireland to New York in 1850 and married Ross Kenedy in 1857, in Brooklyn, and came to settle in Sabinal, Uvalde county, where she remained the rest of her life

Forty-three Years a Postmaster

Postmaster B. F. Sullivan of Rockwood, Texas, writes an interesting of his life as Postmaster at Camp Colorado, Coleman county for 43 years.

Further Mentions: a family by the name of Paulk * John and G. K. Paulk. * Hon. Henry Sackett * L. D. Greaves, F. M. Alexander, Ike Christman, R. C. Morgan, Al Cheatman, M. R. Cheatham, G. F. Gordon, L. E. Collins, Sam Gholson, Kin Elkins, J. M. Elkins, Jim Sanders, , Curley Thatcher, Sid Sackett, George McNamara, D. J. McNamara, John Thomas and others * Clifton Seymour * C. S. Stuart * the shooting of Actor Barrymore by Jim Cuty, in Marshall, Texas, in 1878.

Free Masonry on the Frontier

By John Warren Hunter

Story of courageous Masonic family, their trials accomplishments and experiences on the early Texas frontier.

Further Characters Mentioned: Mr Thomas, General Price, Hindman.

Locations: Hopkins County, White Rock, Hunt County, Montague County, Wise County, Jack County, Parker County, Weatherford, Denton County.

Jack Hays, The Intrepid Texas Ranger

By Col. Hays and John Caperton

Excellent and detailed biography; contains a pen-and-ink sketch of Captain Jack Hays as well as a group photo of him and his Company of Texas Rangers.

Further Characters Mentioned: General Jackson, Harmon Hays, John Coffee Hays, General Coffee, General Sam Houston, General Felix Huston, General Albert Sidney Johnson, Col. Karnes, Antonio Coy, Nat Harbert, And More!

Locations: Little Cedar Lick, Wilson County, Tennessee, Fort Maysboro, Brazos River, San Jacinto, San Antonio, Comal Creek, Laredo, Rio Grande, Goliad, Corpus Christi, Perdenales River, Port Lavaca, Red River, Canyon De Uvalde, Llano River, Cista’s Creek, And More!

Nineteen Skeletons in A Grave

A farmer digging a water tank accidentally discovers mass grave of unknown pioneers three miles from Christine on Turkey creek, a town located 10 miles south of Jourdanton. The location of the tunnel-grave is on Turkey creek, about two miles from the old time Tilden-San Antonio road.This is the grizzly account

Further Characters Mentioned: W. G. Wiley, Sheriff L. D. McAda, Justice A. N. Steinle, County Attorney Slatton,

Locations: Christine, Jourdanton, Turkey Creek, Tilden-San Antonio Road, Atascosa County

Comanche’ Still Lives

In United States Army Recruiting News, 1926 The story of the famous Army horse, "Comanche" This horse was the sole survivor of Custer's Massacre.

Further Characters Mentioned: Captain Myles W. Keogh, General George A. Custer, Lieutenant H. I. Nowlan, Colonel E. H. Sturgis,

Locations: Fort Abraham Lincoln, Little Big Horn River

Henry A. Crabbe, Filibuster

By Donald F. McCarthy

Stood up to the brutal Mexican, Ygnacio Pesqueira, and was brutally massacred along with his men.

Characters: William Walker, Henry A. Crabbe, Dr. Gwin, Ainzas, Governor Gandara, General John D. Crosby, Charles E. Evans, Ygnacio Pesqueira, Jose Maria Redondo, Pablo Hernandez, John C. Fremont,

Locations: Fort Yuma, Point Lobos, Caborca, Sonora, Siskiyon County, Hermosillo, Guaymas, Tuolumne County, Gila River, Santa Fe, Mohawk Desert

Stage Hold-Up at Pegleg In 1877

By Lieut. Harry Kirby

In frontier days, there was a scope of territory, about ten miles east of the town of Menardville, which was known as Pegleg Pocket, so-called because it was an open pasture a mile or two wide by three or four miles long. Near the San Saba river in this "pocket" was an old stage stand used as a relay station during the early days when the overland mail line was in operation between San Antonio and Fort Mason, Fort McKavett, Fort Concho, and other frontier posts. For a long time a one-legged man named Perkins kept this relay station, and it became known as "Pegleg," later the region surrounding it took the name of "Pegleg Pocket." Being on the great overland stage line leading from San Antonio to El Paso, and thence to Los Angeles, California, its isolation in the then almost unbounded wilderness, made it a favorite point of operations for "road agents" of that period, and because of the frequent "hold-ups" and robberies committed in that vicinity, Pegleg became quite as well known abroad as Austin or San Antonio. It was only a stage stand and was never a town or village, its only occupants being the hostlers and never more than two families. This is the story of an army letter depicting a graphic account of a hold-up at Pegleg.

Further Characters Mentioned: Harry Kirby, Glenn, Brereton, Bigelow, Safford, Judge A. Blacker, Ben Ficklin

Locations: Pegleg Pocket, San Saba River, San Antonio, Fort Mason, Fort McKavett, Fort Concho, Austin, Galveston, Houston, Fredericksburg, Mason, Bear Creek

Hardships of A German Family

By Bernard Monken, Boerne, Texas

Monken family makes a perilous trek across the world to a new home.

Further Characters Mentioned: Monken, Torrey, Fietsam, Weber, Kohler, Sewald, Burkhart, Hankhamer, Judge Jones, Kaeterle,

Locations: Galveston, New Braunfels, San Antonio, Indianola, Chocolate Creek, Victoria, Spring Creek, Comal County, Hochheim, Peach Creek, Curry’s Creek, Kendall County, Seguin, Knew Lottie Deno.

Col. John C. Jacobs, of San Antonio who personally knew Lottie Deno writes and offers further details on the life of the notable frontier "Mystery Woman" The original article on Deno is found in the January, 1927 volume of Frontier Times.

Old Circuit Rider Dies

Brief account of Rev. N. W. Keith, Uvalde, TX who was a pioneer Methodist circuit riding minister known to thousands of people throughout Texas

Battle Creek Fight In Navarro County

By Walter P. Lane

Exciting account taken from the memoirs of General Walter P. Lane, part of a surveying party formed at Franklin, Robertson county, with William Love and others from San Augustine in September, 1838, via Parker's Fort.

Further Characters Mentioned: William Love, William Henderson, Neil, Euclid Cook, Burton, Jackson.

Locations: Franklin, Robertson County, San Augustine, Parker’s Fort, Richland Creek, Tehuacana Hill, Navasota.

The Morgan Massacre

From Wilbarger’s Indian Depredations in TX

Indian massacre of the Morgans, Marlins, and many others. It was on Sunday night, the first day of January, 1839, that a portion of the families of James Marlin, Mrs. Jones and Jackson Morgan were passing the night together at the house of George Morgan, who lived at what is now called Morgan's Point, six miles above the town of Marlin. The remainder of the divided families were at the house of John Marlin, seven miles below the fort. John and James Marlin were brothers, the others of the same name were their children. A little after dark the house of George Morgan was suddenly attacked by Indians, who instantly rushed into the dwelling, thereby giving the inmates no time to prepare for defense. George Morgan and wife, their grandson, Jackson Jones, Mrs. Jackson Morgan, Miss Adeline Marlin, fifteen or sixteen years old, were all tomahawked and scalped in the house in a very few moments. Miss Stacy Ann Marlin, afterwards the wife of William Morgan, was severely wounded and left for dead. Three children were in the yard when the attack was made. One of them, Isaac Marlin, a child ten years of age, secreted himself behind the fence, and remained there undiscovered until the Indians left. The other child, Wesley Jones, first ran to the house, but seeing the red devils entering and tomahawking the inmates, he ran out unobserved by them, and was followed by Mary Marlin, another little child. They both escaped together. The young lady, before mentioned as having been severely wounded, retained her consciousness and feigned death. She was not scalped, but all the rest were. The Indians, after they had finished their bloody work, robbed he house of its contents, and then left. When the Indians departed, the little fellow, Isaac Marlin, who had secreted himself behind the...

Further Mentions: Characters: Col. John H. Moore, John Henry Brown, Jackson Morgan, James Marlin, George Morgan, Jackson Jones, Adeline Marlin, Stacy Ann Marlin, William Morgan, Isaac Marlin, Mary Marlin, Wesley Jones, John Marlin, Wilson Marlin, Albert G. Gholson, Benjamin Marlin, Garrett Menifee, Benjamin Bryant, Jose Maria, Joseph Boren, Ethan Stroud, David W. Campbell, Plummer, Ward, Barton, Eli Chandler, Jack Powers, David Cobb.

Locations: San Jacinto, Austin, San Saba River, Brushy Creek, Travis County, Milam County, Dallas, Brazos River Marlin.

Some of the names mentioned in this volume:

Kit Acklin; F. M. Alexander; H. C. Aten; Buck Barry; Actor Barrymore; Judge Kirby Benedict; A. Blacker; Joseph Boren; Hy J. Bowles; J. Frank Bowles; John Bowles; Capt Brown; Joe Browning; Benjamin Bryant; John Bull; D. G. Burnett; G. G. Burnett; Mrs N. W. Burt; Gus Butterfield; David W. Campbell; Maj John Caperton; Capt Arnold W. Caperton; Carson; Capt R. G. Carter; Capt Robert G.; Indian Kate Cato; Eli Chandler; Sgt John B. Charlton; M. R. Cheatham; Al Cheatman; Maj Chevalier; Maj Chevallier; John Chisum; Ike Christman; Mustang Gray Clemons; David Cobb; Gen Coffee; Hilary Colbath; Thomas Colbath; Bob Collins; L. E. Collins; Euclid Cook; Gen Cos; Chief Cosette; Antonio Coy; Henry A. Crabbe; Capt Crane; Judge Craner; Gen Crosby; Gen John D. Crosby; Bill Cruger; Jim Curry; Gen George A. Custer; Claiborne Davenport; Ira Davenport; James Davenport; John Davenport; John W. Davenport; Mary Davenport; McCormic Davenport; Newell Davenport; Raymond Davenport; Rollie Davenport; Tomo Davenport; Alligator Davis; Capt Dawson; Sophia Elizabeth Day; Jim Deaton; Sel Denman; Lottie Deno; James T. DeShields; Dobie; Tom Doran; Dick Dublin; Hon A. J. Durham; Prof Dyche; J. M. Elkins; Kin Elkins; George B. Ely; Andrew Erskine; John Erskine; Maj Erskine; Charles E. Evans; Monroe Fenley; Ben Ficklin; John C. Fremont; A. F. Gamber; A. T. Gamber; Gov Gandara; E. H. Garlington; Albert Gholson; Albert G. Gholson; Sam Gholson; Capt Gillespie; Capt R. A. Gillespie; Bill Gilson; Alexis Godey; John Golden; G. F. Gordon; John W. Gray; L. D. Greaves; Green; Dr Gwin; John Wesley Hardin; Nat Harbert; Harbert; Curley Hatcher; Jack Hays; Capt Jack Hays; Jack Maj Hays; John Hays; John C. Hays; John Coffee Hays; Groover Henderson; William Henderson; Pablo Hernandez; Wild Bill Hickok; Capt Wiley Hill; Bill Hitchbreath; Frederick H. Hitchcock; Fritz Hitchfelt; Mrs I. C. Honneger; ; Gen Felix Huston; John C. Jacobs; Gen Albert Sidney Johnson; Chief Johnson; Dick Johnson; Sam Johnson; Thomas Johnson; Mrs C. W. Jones; Griffin Jones; Jackson Jones; Judge Jones; Sgt Jones; Wesley Jones; Col Karnes; Rev N. W. Keith; Chris Kelley; Emma Kelley; Jane Kenedy; John Kenedy; Ross Kenedy; Capt Myles W. Keogh; Harry Kirby; Lt Kirby; Dr Kountz; Isaac Kountz; John Kountz; Nina Kountz; Sebastian Kountz; Fritz Krawitz; Willie Krawitz; L. D. Lafferty; Gen Walter P. Lane; Nat Lewis; Abraham Lincoln; Henry Sr Lindweber; Pete Lindweber; Mrs Eugene Locke; Tom Logan; Longley; William Love; Corp Macedonia; Jose Maria; Maria; Adeline Marlin; Benjamin Marlin; Isaac Marlin; James Marlin; John Marlin; Mary Marlin; Stacy Ann Marlin; William Marlin; William N. P. Marlin; Wilson Marlin; Jose Maria Martinez; Masterson; Mary A. Maverick; Col Mayfield; L. D. Sheriff McAda; Donald F. McCarthy; Ben McCulloch; ; Henry McCulloch; William McGrew; Red McLaughlin; John McMullen; D. S. McMullin; D. J. McNamara; George McNamara; Garrett Menifee; Thomas Menifee; Milam; "Kansas"Miller; Joe Minter; Bernard Monken; Col Moore; John H. Col Moore; Tom Moore; Charles Morgan; Ellen Morgan; George Morgan; George W. Morgan; Jackson Morgan; Mrs Jackson Morgan; John Day Morgan; Joseph Rogers Morgan; Julia Ann Morgan; R. C. Morgan; S. H. Morgan; Sam Houston Morgan; Sophia E. Morgan; Sophia Elizabeth Morgan; Thomas Frances Morgan; Thos E. Morgan; William Morgan; Rev Z. N. Morrell; Capt Neil Morrell; Josh Nicholson; Capt Niel; Lt H. I. Nowlan; Lt Nowlan; Garry Owen; Dave Owens; Frank Paschal; G. K. Paulk; John Paulk; Ygnacio Pesqueira; Jack Powers; Gen Price; Dick Rawls; Don Jose Maria Redondo; James Robinson; Justo Rodriguez; Rebecca Rogers; Rose; Henry Hon Sackett; Sid Sackett; Jim Sanders; Cov Saunders; Clifton Seymour; Gen Sheridan; Col Smith; Ezekiel Smith; James Smith; Sowell; Charlie Spear; George Spear; Nora Spear; Sam Spear; Tom Spear; A. N. Justice Steinle; Ethan Stroud; C. S. Stuart; Col E. H. Sturgis; B. F. Sullivan; W. F. Sullivan; Gen Taylor; Jimmie Temples; David S. Terry; Alice Thomas; Erin Thomas; John Thomas; Knox Thomas; Cov Thompson; Dr Homer S. Thrall; Lt Turner; George Van Ness; Capt Walker; Sam; William; Wallace; Walton; Capt William Ware; George Washington; W. P. Webb; W. G. Wiley; Mrs I. M. Williams; Love Witt; Gen Woll; A. E. Wood; Wonsley; Wolverton; Wolner; Wolhersdoff; Wolford; Wolff; Wolfenberger; Wolfarth; Wole; Woeperman; Woehrman; Wodehouse; Woclasczyk; Wixon; Witter; Witt; Withey; Witherspoon.