Vol 05 No. 11 - August 1928

Captain Shapley P. Ross

Captain Ross is remembered as the settler who "did more to free Texas from hostile Indians, rendered more valuable services to the commonwealth over a longer period of time, and is more generally and affectionately remembered" than any other. A brief life history.

Further Mentions: He was born in Jefferson county, Kentucky, six miles from Louisville, January 18, 1811 His paternal grand parents were Lawrence and Susan (Oldham) Ross, the former born in Scotland and a scion of the historic Ross family of that country Mary (Prince) Ross William Ross, Lawrence Ross, Mervin Ross, Pressley Ross, Nevill Ross, Shapley P Ross, Susan Ross, Caroline Ross, and Elizabeth Ross Miss Katherine H. Fulkerson, a native of Buckingham county, Virginia Captain Isaac Fulkerson, a wealthy planter R. Woolfolk Capt. Jack Hays' company of rangers chief, Black Hawk Neil McLennan Robert S. Neighbors Lawrence Sullivan Kate Ross Robert S Ross Mervin Ross Ann Ross Peter Ross Virginia Ross Mary Rebecca Ross William H. Ross Margaret Ross

OLD FORT GRIFFIN

Frank Reeves Mentions: Cedar Fork It is in Shackleford county, but not far from Shackelford -Throckmorton County line the old Masonic lodge building Judg. J. A. Mathews Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Herron

The Pioneer Harrises Of Harris County

Mrs Adele R. Loosean

John Richardson Harris was one of Austin’s first 300 colonists and founded the town of Harrisburg. The story of his life, his family, and his town. HERE IS EXCELLENT VERY EARLY HISTORY OF HARRIS COUNTY, TX.

Further Mentions: J. N. Almonte David Harris William Plunket and Samuel Bell's Landing Cayuga, New York Jared E. Groce Zeno Phillips DeWitt Clinton Bray's Bayou Robert Wilson Colonel Subaran the Machauna Andrew Briscoe and Clinton Harris Lewis Birdsall Harris John Birdsall Lewis Birdsall Mary J. Briscoe, widow of Judge Andrew Briscoe Mrs. Eliza Van Tuyl the present town of La Porte Red Bluff William Plunket Harris Harrisburg Town Company Pelegrin William Beasley El Jardin Samuel Harris Dr. E. T. Leger

 PHOTO OF A VALUABLE COW

OLD photo showing a good old family cow on the ranch of John Lackey, north of Menard, Texas. This cow mothers the orphan kids and lambs on the Lackey ranch, and makes no objections to the duties which are imposed upon her, This photo was made by N. H. Rose.

 Pioneer Days In Karnes County
By Henry C. Fuller.

This article describes the feuds between several pioneers, and subsequent shoot-outs and skirmishes. It focuses on the trouble between Jim Pace and Frank Feichs.

KARNES COUNTY is sixty-five miles scuth of San Antonio and was named in honor of Henry Karnes, one of the men under Fannin, shot at Goliad on Palm Sunday, 1836. The county has an area of 740 square miles. The first settlement was made on San Antonio river about the year 1857, and the place was called Helena. The San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railroad was built through Karnes county in 1885 and the county seat was moved from Helena to a point about six miles to the west and the new county seat was called Karnes City. The town of Kenedy is six miles south of Karnes. City and was named in honor of Capt. Mifflin Kenedy, the man who furnished the money which Col. Uriah Lott, the contractor, built the railroad. Until the coming of the railroad Karnes county was devoted mostly to the cattle industry. In fact previous to the Civil War this was about the only industry worth while in all the section of Texas, now known as the southwest.

Further Mentions: Bill Pullen and George Scrier the town of Runge Dan Pace, a son of Jim Pace John Martin, of McMullen county Escondido cemetery

Cortez’s Conquest Of Mexico

The story of Hernando Cortez and Bernal Diaz and their Mexican victory.

Mentions: Captain Bernal Diaz Captain Diaz was one of Cortez's righthand men Captain Bernal Diaz del Castillo Maraca, a little port on the southern coast of Cuba the island of Cosumel St. Juan de Ulloa Narvaez

Early Reminiscences In Texas

D. L. Kokernot remembers his many adventures among which was meeting General Sam Houston, sickness, storms, battles, and Indian kings.

Mentions: George M. Patrick Col. Thorn Cedar Point, Galveston Bay Dr. Wightin Mr. Roberts the Billoxi Indians Capt. William Scott Peach Creek Judge McClure Hon. Charles Braches Col. Wallace, Robert Williamson Rev. Dr. W. P. Smith Deaf Smith Capt. James Bowie Charles Mason A. H. Jones, A. Tarner, John and Charles Dorsett and also Col. Richard Andrews Col. Andrews Capt. Carnes Col. Francis W. Johnson Col. Milam Gen. Siesmo Andrew Robeson, D. Johnson, James Spielman,-Atkison, John Dorsett, T. W. Shith and James Ferguson Mrs. Dickenson the "Runaway Scrape," Mosley's gin house Gen. Fllisiola Matlett's Creek W. B. Deweese Raymond W. Thorp

The Buffalo And His Habitat
C. C. Rister

The history and significance of the American bison, as well as the Spaniards, Indians, and early settlers. Mentions: Antonio de Espejo Rio de las Vacas Great Slave Lake J. A. Allen Thomas C. Battey Colonel R. I. Dodge Leslie Bownds, Sam Clark, Ernest Polvado, Oscar Haby, Eddie Burleson, Roy Hinds, Twigg L. Wood, James Polvado, Blake Davis, Charlie Evans, Wade Pierce, Nathan Baker, Arthur Padgett, Newt Petty, Henry Loesberg, Carl A. Mero, Erle O. Palmer, John V. Kalka, Fred Hammond, Henry Baumer, Lowell Patterson, Elmer Schumaker, Raymond Eckhart.

Seven Links In A Chain

By L. D. Walters

A sequence of grisly events involving six human lives, their connections, and individual tragedies. The events involved Billy Coran, an ordinary cowboy who claimed to be from Texas; a Mexican named Bodina, who was so bad that, he was afraid of himself; John Wesley Hardin; Harry Brown; City Policeman John Sellman; Deputy United States Marshal George Scarborough; Bill Franks, alias Bill Carver, who was a member of the well known Hole-in-the-Wall gang; State Ranger Birchfield, etc.

Further Mentions: Bluff City, Kansas Stein's Pass San Simon Valley the Black Jack Ketchum Gang Deming, New Mexico Butch Cassiday Oliver Thornton Sheriff Lige Bryant Harvey Logan

Served As A Texas Ranger

S. P. Elkins speaks of his service as a Texas Ranger.

Mentions: Captain Swisher Fort Concho Camp Colorado Rich Coffey had a ranch near the Flat Top Mountain in Coleman county Home Creek, in Coleman county Mr. Slover Sam Gholson of Camp Colorado Kin Elkins' ranch and Sam Gholson's ranch, on Jim Ned Creek Mark Withers from Lockhart Charlie Shiner and Henry Shiner, of San Antonio Elsworth, Kansas Palo Pinto county Rufe Perry the Llano river near Reichenau Mountains L. M. Seiker

 Joe Sap’s Autobiography

On the 21st day of July. 1872, there came to Coryell County a family consisting of the father and mother and six children - four boys and two girls. This family settled on the ground. This was not a very hard stunt as there was ground in every direction as far as the eye could see. The place settled by his family was on the head of Cave Creek, about ten miles northeast of Gatesville. (The reader will please keep his or her seat and not become impatient as I am almost ready to dismiss all of the above family but myself as I am the only one of the children who ever became famous-the others making just plain, hardworking, law-abiding citizens.) The country where this family settled was one of the most picturesque mortal man ever flapped his eye on. Oh, if that family could only have exchanged a few hundred square miles of "picturesque" for a few bodily comforts how much plumper and fatter would the hero of this tale be at this very moment…

Further Mentions: James Hayes Quarrels When my father moved to Cave Creek there were not exceeding five houses on the road from old man McGee's house, two miles west of Coryell City to Jonesboro, a distance of twenty miles. Our nearest neighbor was Judge McCuthen's family. Mat McCuthen, one of the Judge's boys was about my age and we were together a great deal

 Barely Escapes A "Neck-Tie" Party

Williams Sparks relates the story of a pioneer named Parnall, who narrowly misses being lynched by furious mine workers.

Mentions: Globe, AZ the Globe-Bowie railroad the United Globe Mines the Old Dominion a young mining engineer named Parnall Alexander McClain Mexican miners in the Clifton-Morenci district Wit Stanfield Lyle's saloon Aiken, the owner of a small store Cliff Middleton, Jim Green. Bill Graydon Mrs. Winslow. Parnall's housekeeper Bennett Bisbee

FRANK M. BUCKELEW, INDIAN CAPTIVE

Rev. Frank M. Buckelew, a local Methodist preacher. was a captive among the Lipan Indians for some time, being capured in Bandera county, Texas, on March 11, 1866, when he was barely fourteen years old. He was with the tribe in their wanderings over the mountains and plains of this state and in Mexico, and participated in their sports and hunting forays. He finally made his escape through the assistance of some Mexicans, and returned to his people in Bandera county….

Contains photo of Rev. Buckelew

John Gist Tells Of Changing Of The West

Cora M. Cross

Account of his family’s travel west in covered wagon and establishing a home and business in the new west. Gist became one of the most successful and largest cattle ranchers and Hereford breeders in the regions around Midland, Odessa and Marfa, TX. This is his story.

Mentions: they finally reached Fannin County and settled on the Bois d'Arc (commonly called bode arc) near the present site of Bonham - There pa started his ranch things were going fine until Denton County got to looking so inviting from a distance that, notwithstanding Indians were raiding that section ever so often, he decided to give it a whirl, anyway The next stop was made two and one-half miles from Bolivar, in that county Uncle Isaac Denton Pa and Dan Waggoner decided to backtrack to the little town if Pilot Point, in the same county the old Chisholm ranch. near where the town of Roswell, N. M., is now located pasture in Cooke -County In 1885 I married Blanche Renfro at Era We went to Hall County, forty-five miles southwest of Memphis the Mill Iron pasture Wind River the J. J. herd, then owned by Mrs. Adair so I bought another 7,000 acres, paying cash again. This tract adjoined a water station called Stiles on the Fort Worth and Denver Railroad My Longhorns had increased to as fine a commercial herd as could be found in Hall and Donley Counties and numbered 800 head the cattle ranch of Hense Pegues the Henry M. Halff ranch of 4,000 acres, adjoining the town of Midland

AN OLD TEXAS RANGER WRITES

S. H. Sutton, Medina, Texas.

I was among the early pioneers of Texas, my father coming to this state in 1852, when I was two years old. I was born at, Little Rock. Arkansas, July 29, 1850. When we arrived in Texas the country was practically unsettled, only a roving band of Indians, and a few white people. We had a great deal of trouble with the redskins, in Red River county, where my father first located. In 1862 we moved to Erath county, and landed in the McCarty and Gillentine settlement on the Little Defoe river. In July, 1664, after we had been living there over a year, I was mustered into service in Captain Gillentine's Minute Company. I was fourteen years of age when my service began. My brother, F. M. Sutton, was serving in this company also. We were sent out in squads of ten every ten days to scout for marauding Indians. and we had many skirmishes with them. In the Dove Creek battle, January 8, 1865, my captain, Gillentine, was killed. Lieutenant Cahee was also killed, by the side of John Gillentine. Bill Gillentine was wounded - and carried back to Erath county, where he partially recovered.

Further Mentions: Henry Robertson, Walker Robertson, the two Robertson sisters Miss Caroline Sap In September, 1876,, with my family, I moved to Bandera county, locating on the Williams Ranch, eight miles from Medina on the West Prong of the Medina river. This ranch is now owned by Charles Neal. the mouth of Casey Creek Bill McCarty, Bruce McCarty, Walker Robertson, Bloof Hollyce, Jim Skipper, Terry Gillentine, John Leach, Ned Skipper, Bud Hollyce, Jack Hollyce Seth Whetstone, Noxville, Texas Dave Finkelstein, Hallettsville. Texas A. Finkelstein Mrs. J. R. McDonald of Pasadena, California Matthew and Hannah Taylor W. E. Hunter Raymond W. Thorp F. S. Millard Fred S. Millard, Faywood, New Mexico

Some names mentioned in this magazine:

J. A. Allen; J. N. Almonte; Capt Alvarado; Col Andrews ; Richard Col Andrews; Gen Austin; Bob Bacon; Nathan Baker; Bass; Thomas C. Battey; Henry Baumer; William Beasley; Chief Black Hawk; Capt Bowie; Capt James Bowie; Leslie Bownds; Charles Braches; A. B. Briscoe; Andrew Briscoe; Judge Andrew Briscoe; Mary J. Briscoe; Harry Brown; Sheriff Lige Bryant; Rev Frank M. Buckelew; Col Burleson; Ed Col Burleson; Eddie Burleson; Gen Burleson; Pres Burnet; Lt Cahee; Capt Carnes; Bill Carver; Butch Cassiday; Sam Clark; DeWitt Clinton; Coffey; Billy Coran; Hernando Cortez; Gen Coss; Cora M. Cross; Blake Davis; Dennis; Isaac Denton; W. B. Deweese; Capt Bernal Diaz; Dobie; Col Dodge; R. I. Col Dodge; Charles Dorsett; John Dorsett; Dorsett; Driggs; Raymond Eckhart ; Kin Elkins; S. P. Elkins; Antonio de Espejo; Charlie Evans; Capt Fannin; Frank Feichs; James Ferguson; Gen Filisiola; A. Finkelstein; Dave Finkelstein; Ford; Bill Franks; Capt Issac Fulkerson; Katherine H. Fulkerson; Fuller; Chief Geronimo; Gholson; Bill Gillentine; Capt Gillentine; John Gillentine; Terry Gillentine; Gillett; John Gist; Bill Graydon; Jim Green; Jared E. Groce; Oscar Haby; Henry M. Halff; Fred Hammond; Hardin; Capt Harris; Clinton Harris; David Harris; DeWitt Clinton Harris; John Harris; John Birdsall Harris; John R. Harris; John Richardson Harris; Lewis B. Harris; Lewis Birdsall Harris; Samuel Harris; William Harris; William P. Harris; Capt William P. Harris; William Plunket Harris; Hays; ; H. C. Herron; Mrs H. C. Herron; Roy Hinds; Bloof Hollyce; Bud Hollyce; Jack Hollyce; W. E. Hunter; John Iiams; Tabitha Iiams; D. Johnson; Francis W. Col; A. H. Jones; John V. Kalka; Henry Karnes; Capt Mifflin Kenedy; "Black Jack" Ketchum; D. L. Kokernot; John Lackey; John Leach; Dr E. T. Leger; Lehmann; J. Mortimer Lewis; Henry Loesberg; Logan; Adele B. Looscan; Col Uriah Lott ; James Madison; Geo C. Martin; John Martin; Charles Mason; Judge J. A. Mathews; Bill McCarty; Bruce; Alexander McClain; Judge McClure; Judge McCuthen; Mat McCuthen; Mrs J. R. McDonald; Neil McLennan; Gen Meig; Carl A. Mero; Cliff Middleton; Col Milam; Fred S. Millard; Capt Monroe; Caroline Morgan; Charles Neal; Ned; Robert S. Neighbors; Dan Pace; Jim Pace; Arthur Padgett; Erle O. Palmer; George M. Patrick; Lowell Patterson; Hense Pegues; Capt Perry; Rufe Perry; Newt Petty ; Zeno Phillips; Wade Pierce; Ernest Polvado; James Polvado; Bill Pullen; Pullen; Tom Pullen; James Hayes Quarrels; Frank Reeves; Blanche Renfro; John Richardson; Rister; Roberts; ; Henry Robertson; Walker Robertson; Andrew Robeson; Rose; ; Ann Ross; Capt Ross; Caroline Ross; Elizabeth Ross; Kate Ross; L. S. Ross; Lawrence Ross; Lawrence Sullivan Ross; Margaret Virginia Ross; Mary Prince Ross; Mary Rebecca Ross; Mervin Ross; Nevill Ross; Col Peter Ross; Peter F. Ross; Pressley Ross; Robert S. Ross; Capt Shapley P. Ross; Sr Shapley Ross; Susan Ross; Susan Oldham Ross; William Ross; William H. Ross; Caroline Sap ; Joe Sap ; Joe Sappington; Saunders; Scarborough; Elmer Schumaker; Capt William Scott; George Scrier; L. M. Seiker; John Sellman; William Shakespeare; Sheridan; Col Sherman; Charlie Shiner; Henry Shiner; Gen Siesmo; Jim Skipper; Ned Skipper; ; Deaf Smith; T. W. Smith; Rev W. P. Smith; Smithers; Sowell; Williams Sparks; James Spielman; Capt Stanbury; Wit Stanfield; Col Subaran; F. M. Sutton ; S. H. Sutton; Capt Swisher; Capt J. M. Swisher; Hannah Taylor; Matthew Taylor; Col Thorn; Oliver Thornton; Raymond W. Thorp; Gov Tompkins; Col Travis; W. B. Col Travis; A. Turner; Eliza Van Tuyl; Dan Waggoner; ; Col Wallace; L. D. Walters; Seth Whetstone; Dr Wightin; Ella Wheeler Wilcox; Robert Williamson; Robert Wilson; Withers; Twigg L. Wood; R. S. Woolfolk; Shapley Woolfolk; Woolfol Wooley