Vol 14 No. 11 - August 1937

James V. Latham: A Texas Ranger

By Clarinda L. Latham, Alamogordo, New Mexico

James V. Latham was born at Vienna, Maries County, Mo., July 7, 1859. He was the son of G. W. A. and Sarah Jane Gibson Latham. His parents moved to Texas in 1861 when James V. and his sister Annie, were small children. Sanford Backues and Joe M. Gibson accompanied them on this perilous journey. It was made during the turmoil of the beginning of the Civil War, and many were the regiments of soldiers that passed them as they were traveling. They eventually settled on Spring Creek in Blanco county, Texas, then in a few years, moved over to the head of Wright's Creek, at what is known as the A. Grote Ranch. Here the marauding Comanche Indians stalked, ever ready with the scalping knife to murder the pioneers or carry them away. They made three raids on this place, stealing horses. James’ life and further service as a ranger is the subject of this story.

Further Mentions: Uncle Ben M. Gibson * Cut-Off Gap, Llano county * Legion Valley * Pecan Creek, Llano county * John Backues and Mr. Ben Phillips * Miss Mary Reams * the Cedar Creek school house * M. R. Sheppard and Rev. J. M. Moore taught school * Mart Phillips, Jeff and Jim Backues, R. L. Tate, the Slator brothers, Aaron Moss, Jim Richards, George Haynes, Othello Davis, Lewis Gibson, and Jim and the Latham girls, Nellie and Ibera and tre Latham girls, Nellie and Ibera Haynes * Professor Hill * Mart Phillips, Violet and George Haynes, Mattie Phillips and Jim and Annie Latham * Mr. John Haynes * King Springs, Burnet county * Jim Latham * Sam Tate * Dick Pope, Mart Phillips * Horace Greeley * Mountain Park, New Mexico * His brand was VAL connected * W. H. Dunman * Captain D. W. Roberts * Sergeant R. O. Kimble * R. C. Roberts * M. C. Smith * , N. J. Brown, Ed Dozier, William Duncan * Fort Lancaster * Sergeant Kimble * William Dunman * Billy Smith of the Hash-Knife Ranch * John Potter * Jim Potter * T Hudson and John C. Tate * a Dr. Watson * G. J. Brown * J. Y. Latham * to Mr. Hudson and Watson of Burnet, Texas * Under Capt. Frank Seiker * John C. Tate * Dr. Richard and Dr. Tom Yett, of Burnet county * Grewyer * Dr. Stewart Watson from Burnet. * Dr. Tom Yett * Frank Yoast * J. V. Latham, Ed Hardin and John Hardin * Flat Rock Spring * Macedonia church of Llano county * Granite Mountain * Miss Mattie Florence Johnson * the Joe Smith ranch, Blanco county * Mrs. R. R. Rokahr of El Paso, Texas, and Mrs. Florence Honstead of Phoenix * the Sacramento Mountains near High Rolls New Mexico * Miss Alma Harrington, of El Paso, Texas * Mrs Valma Ezelle, of Imperial, Caliornia, and Mrs. Vela Helen Ford, of San Antonio, Texas * the Sacramento mountains * High Rolls * Imperial, California * Mrs. Ed Hardin * Rev. Earl R. Keating and Rev. J. M. Perry *

Fabian A. Hicks, A Bandera County Pioneer

By J. Marvin Hunter

Account of life-long Bandera county man, Fabian Hicks who was born near the village of Bandera in 1859, the son of Mr. and Mrs. F. L. Hicks. He was the eldest of ten children, all of whom were raised in Bandera county. His father, F. L. Hicks, came to Texas in 1855 from North Carolina, and joined the expedition under Captain James H. Callahan to cross the Rio Grande into Mexico to chastise a tribe of Indians that had been depredating on the frontier of Texas. After returning from this expedition he came to Bandera county, which was then a wild, unsettled region. Here he was married to Miss Hedwig Anderwald, and settled down to make this region his permanent home. He served as sheriff of this county for several terms, and was quite active in ridding the country of outlaws and undesirable characters, and often went on trail of Indian raiders. Such was the character or the father of the subject of this sketch. Includes photos.

Further Mentions: Captain James H. Callahan * Miss Hedwig Anderwald * Mary L. Ball * Rev. E. C. Gates * Tarpley * Miss Mary L. Barrow * children are Dellas B. Hicks, Junius A. Hicks, Mrs. Emma Mazurek, Miss Mary Hicks, Mrs. Elma Padgett, and Miss Animate Hicks. There are fifteen grand-children * Rev. and Mrs. Sid Williams * Rev. W. H. Price * Rev. J. W. Storms * The Hicks ranch *

Old Fort Martin Scott, At Fredericksburg

By Esther Mueller.

Fort Martin Scott is almost a legend in the history of Fredericksburg and one about which very little is known. Few people realize that close to Fredericksburg lay at one time a United States frontier fort, where bluecoated infantry marched, where cavalry men went through mounted saber drill, where through the quiet valley buglers played morning reveille and sounded taps at night.

Two miles from Fredericksburg the Austin Highway passes by the site of the fort and even crosses directly over the spot where the powder house stood. Although little has been written or said of Fort Martin Scott, the traces of it are by no means lost. This is the story.

Further Mentions: Captain Castman * Penniger * the Henry Braeutigam place * Meusebach * Fort Martin Scott * Henry Braeutigam * Major Martin Scott, Brevet Lieutenant Colonel, 5th U. S. Infantry * Cross Mountain * Baron's Creek * J.W. Braeutigam * his farm at Luckenbach * Sergeant John Fisk of Fort Martin Scott * Richard Petri * the Pedernales River * Weirich's gunsmith * Wehmeyer's baker shop * Castroville * the Hotel Nimitz * San Pedro Springs in San Antonio * Schild * Charles Nimitz * Major James Longstreet, * Braeutigam's Garten *

Let's Know Texas And Texans

BY WILL H. MAYES

Mentions: Dick Hubbard * Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Love * Capt. F. H. Odium * David G. Burnet * etc., etc.

A Yacht Voyage To The New World

By Mrs. Houstoun.

(Continued from last month)

San Saba Mission Rises From Its Ruins

By J. Marvin Hunter

The Mission San Saba was founded in the year 1756. The object to be attained in the establishment of this mission was of a three-fold nature : the conversion of the Apaches; to check in a measure the raids and forays made by Northern tribes upon the mission settlements on the San Antonio river: and as an outpost against the encroachments of the French. Article is very extensive historical study on the old mission..

Further Mentions: Padre Fray Mariano de los Dolores * The College of the Holy Cross of Queretaro * Captain Don Pedro de Ravage * Colonel Don Ortiz Parilla * the Tuacanes, Taovayases, Vidias, Quoisseis * Conte de Regla * Josef de San Estevan * Los Chanas * los Almagres * Governor Don Jacinto de Barrios * Don Bernardo de Miranda * Col. Don Diego Ortiz Farina, Don Josef de Eta. y Musquiz * Emil Toepperwein * Padre Molino * Jose Vasquez * Walter Woodul * Paul J. Foik * Henry Reeve of Menard * L. W. Kemp * Los Moras Creek *

Captain James B. Gillett Passes On

By J. Marvin Hunter

The boy, Jim Gillett, learned to ride at an early age, and became familiar with all the aspects of frontier life. He joined Company D, Texas Rangers, at Menardville in 1875, and for some time served under Captain Dan W. Roberts; later he went to Ysletta with Captain George W. Baylor in 1879, and after serving six and a half years of the most trying times of this great organization the resigned to take up the duties of City Marshal and later Chief of Police of El Paso. Tiring of public service, he resigned in 1885 to accept a position as manager of the G-4 ranch in Brewster county. Captain Gillett was a man of fine judgment, obliging and courteous. As an elder in the Marfa Christian Church his advice and leadership was highly regarded. He had served as President of the Texas Ex-Rangers Association; as a director of the Marfa National Bank; as president of the Highland Hereford Association. At the time of his death he was president of the Bloys Camp-meeting Association, and of the West Texas Historical and Scientific Society. During the administration of Governor Ross Sterling and of Adjutant General W. W. Sterling, the appointment as Captain of all Texas Rangers for a life period was conferred on James B. Gillett, he being the only person ever to receive that honor. Here is his story.

Further Mentions: Temple, Texas * Marfa, his home town * Elizabeh Harper Gillett * George W. Baylor * Camp Cobra * Alpine Masonic Lodge A. F. and A. M * T. C. Richardson * Captain Charles L. Nevill * Clayton & Cooksey cow outfit * Dan W. Roberts * Ranger Ed Sieker * Wash DeLong's ranch on the South Concho * Major John B. Jones * Captain Neal Coldwell * Frio Town * Lieutenant N. O. Reynolds * the Horrell-Higgins feud in Lampasas county * Starke Reynolds and Dick Dublin, killers both * the Peg Leg stage robbery * Dick Dublin * Captain Pat Dolan * George Lloyd * Dallas Stoudenmire * Jim McIntire, a former cowhand for the Lovings * Jim Courtright * General John A. Logan

Writes About Early Days

By T. J. Churchill, Brownwood, Texas

In 1882 my father, John Churchill, rode horseback from Lee county to Mason county, Texas, looking for a new location. He was then sixty years of age, his children were all married and gone into homes of their own. He stopped and visited his son, Sam Churchill, who was then working in a dry goods store at Tow Valley, and also his son, Tom Churchill, and a daughter, Mrs. Elliott, then living in Hays county, and another daughter, Mrs. Mary Wright, also of Hays county. He traveled about five hundred miles on this trip. Finding conditions in Mason county to his liking, he located there in 1883, and remained there until his death in 1908. He was married in Mississippi to Miss Elizabeth O. Gwen, in 1848, and they carne to Texas soon afterward. My Mother never saw any of her relatives again.

Mentions: John Churchill * his son, Sam Churchill * Mrs. Mary Wright, also of Hays county * Mrs. Elliott * a dry goods store at Tow Valley * Miss Elizabeth O. Gwen * four of our neighbors who returned, Burns, Stanley, Lucas, and Helterbran. We were then living at Evergreen, Washington county * Mr. Brewer * Circleville on the North Gabriel * a Mr. Minedine * Dr. Womack, who lived at Deanville, in Lee county * Gidings * Enoch Moire * Miss Georgia Ana Smith * Mrs. Pearl Sparkman * Mrs. Pinkie Maedgen * Sidney Churchill of Colorado, Texas * Albert Maverick, Sr., of San Antonio * S. A. Maverick * Mr. Polly,' (Don Jose Policarpo Rodriguez) *

John R. Blocker, King Of The Texas Trail

E. C. Abbott, "Teddy Blue," Gilt Edge, Montana, in The Cattleman

Account of noted cattleman, John R. Blocker who drove his first herd of cattle up the Trail to Abilene, Kansas in 1873. At first the outfit was known as Blocker Brothers, John and Bill, but Bill must have dropped out as it was always John R. Blocker towards the last. Their road brand was a reversed seven. This is the story.

Further Mentions: the Nemaha River nearly on the line of Nebraska and Kansas * John Henry * Blocker Brothers, John and Bill * Ogallala * John Stringfellow * Bill Paxton on the North Platte * Suggs' cowboys * the Powder River ranch * Billy Irwin, * William Eli Loyd * Captain Loyd * His brother Ab Blocker * Jim Gillett *

The Hero Of Packsaddle Mountain Passes

By J. Marvin Hunter

Account of William Eli Loyd, (Captain Loyd, as he was familiarly known), who came to Texas from Mississippi with his parents when he was two years old, and was reared in Llano county. It was while living in that county that he participated in the noted battle of Packsaddle Mountain, which took place August 5, 1873. This was a desperate fight between eight cowboys and twenty-one Apache Indians.

Mentions: S. O. Loyd of Moore, Texas, Louis Loyd of Port Arthur, Walter Loyd of Driscoll and Don Loyd of Medina; five daughters : Mrs. Lula Anderson, Mrs. Kate Zumwalt, Mrs. Loma Lackey, of Medina; Mrs. Fannie Schimmelpfennig of Vanderpool, and Mrs. Eva Banta of Saratoga, Wyoming * Willian S. B. Moss Archer Mart Brown * William B. Moss, S. R. Moss, anti S. B. Moss (three brothers) Eli Loyd, Archer Martin, Pinkey Ayers, Robert Brown, and Deaver Harrington * James Moss * William Moss * Arch Martin * Mr. John Duncan * Honey Creek * Mrs Lillie Jane Zumwalt * Andrew Zumwalt * Mrs. Rachel Butler and J. W. Zumwalt of Medina, Mrs. T. A. Brown of Pipe Creek, John Zumwalt of Brady, Mrs. Sarah Kite and Mrs. Montie Ruswarm of Spur, and Mrs. Rosie Covey of San Antnnio * Bladen Mitchell, Judge Booker Davenport, * the Cosgrove place on West Verde Creek * The Dowdy children * Fanny * Alice * Rilla * James * Andrew Zumwalt * Tom Zumwalt * J. W. Zumwalt * John T. Walker, at Kerrville * Mr. F. E. Knouse, of Kerrville. * Mr. and Mrs. O. P. Jungman, Mr. and Mrs. F. A. Bohl and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Halty * Mr. Tschirhart * Miss Eliza Austin * Chas. H. Austin