Vol 19 No. 09 - June 1942

Wild Hog Signs In The Political Field

By Grace Miller White

James Stephen Hogg (Jim Hogg as he was affectionately called), loved Texas as few men have. He was born in Texas, he grew to manhood close to the good Texas earth, and he was the the first native son ever to become her governor. He had been Attorney-General four years from 1887 to 1891, after which he had moved to the governorship for a four-year stay. In 1895 he went into private law practice in partnership with Judge James H. Robertson in Austin. Here is his story.

Indian Gratitude Revealed

By J. Marvin Hunter Excellent account of W. J. Wilkinson, or "Uncle Jack" Wilkinson, as he was better known, successful stockman and one of the substantial citizens of Menard county in the early days. He was born in Mississippi in 1833, and died in Menard county, Texas, about 1918, at the ripe old age of 86 years. Account describes his setbacks and ultimately success at cattle-ranching and then focuses on a terrifying incident wherein he ended up showing mercy to a Comanche warrior and was repaid in like manner in a desperate situation a few months later.

Further Mentions: eventually settling in Coleman county * the famous Dove Creek battle with the Kickapoos in 1865 * Fort Sumner, New Mexico * Neill Wilkinson, Carrie Wilkinson and Emma Wilkinson * Miss Namnie Miers * Will Wilkinson, Alice Wilkinson, Frank Wilkinson, Lamar Wilkinson, Archie Wilkinson, Charlie Wilkinson, Ernest Wilkinson, and Edgar Wilkinson * Mrs. Carrie Robertson, Mrs. Ed L. Mears, and Mrs. Max Russell * Clear Creek * E. Kirby Smith * Camp Colorado * Press Brevier * Mr. Key and Willis Holloway had ranches in that vicinity * Paso del Norte * Burnt Branch * Captain J. J. Callan * Jim Mulkey * Caddo Peak *

Texas Rangers On The Scout

By A. J. Sowellin 1870-71 the Indians were very numerous and hostile on the Texas frontier, and a call was made by the Governor for several companies of volunteers to go on a campaign against them. There was an immense scope of country to protect, stretching from the Rio Grande to Red River. The Indians were more numerous in the northwestern part of the State, and committed many depredations under the notorious leaders, Big Tree, Satanta, Sittanka, and others. This account especially deals with the conditions of the Texas border at that time, especially in the northwest, and relates incidents of Indian warfare as recalled by old settlers in that region. (Continued from Last Month.)

Mentions: the Keenon massacre * William Marlett * Captain Baker * Sergeant E. H. Cobb * Wichita Mountains * Montague county * Bean's ranch * Big Sandy * Beau * Colonel Bean's farm * Jacksboro * Kelso, Swisher, Cox, Sansom, Baker * the children of Vance and Freeman, two settlers living in Wise county * William Marlett * Mr. Ball * Clark, Bailey, Shira * the chief, Red Cap * Ball's ranch * old man Shira * (Continued Next Month.)

Old Time Barbecues In Bandera County

By J. Marvin Hunter Account of the old gatherings and barbecues the people of Bandera County which was noted for its grand barbecues used to enjoy.

Mentions: Governor Coke R. Stevenson * Lee Risinger, Andy Mansfield, John Pyka, Charlie Haiduk, John Ross, Charlie Schmidtke * Mrs. Koenigham * Mr. Davenport * Charles Montague * Andy Mansfield * John Ross * old Jack Potter * Parson Potter *

America's Frontiers Of Nineteen Forty-Two

By Elmer J. Edwards, Jr.

Mentions: Camp Bowie at Brownwood, Camp Barclay at Abilene, Sheppard Field at Wichita Falls, Camp Wallace near Houston, Camp Wolters near Mineral Wells * Marion Oates and Richard Chase * Rita Brooks, Duncan, Dodd, Randolph and Kelley Fields * the A. H. Belo Corporation * Chester V. Nimitz * Nimitz Hotel * Samuel J. Tilden * Cordell Hull * Mr. Victor Bracher of San Antonio, Mr. Du Pont of New York, and Mr. Dudley Dobie of San Marcos, made a boat trip along the river from Boquillas Canyon to a point near the town of Langtry * Colonel Martin L. Crimmins * Mr. Roy Swift * Santa Helena Canyon * Mr. Jeff Graham of Marfa, the son of Mr. Joe Graham * Paisano Hotel * Holland Hotel in Alpine * Jeff B. Moore of Del Rio * Shafter * Cibolo Creek * Ben Leaton's Fort * village of Ojinaga * Dorothy Gage Forker * Sul Ross College at Alpine * Harry Anthony de Young * the Haley ranch * old Cathedral Mountain * Rudolph Mellard * Hen Egg Mountain * Mr. Jack Wise * Green Gulch * Persimmon Gap * Cooper's store at, Marathon * The Johnson ranch * Mr. Elmo Johnson * at Boquillas, Senora La Chata Sada, who is noted for her excellent Mexican cuisine * Longfellow * Reagan Canyon *

The Murder Of Mr. And Mrs. Riggs

In 1910 B. F. Gholson, then living at Evant, Texas, furnished the following account of the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Riggs and a Mr. Pierce by Indians in Bell county in the spring of 1859. The author lived about six miles from where these murders occurred and along with a number of other local citizens hurried forward to join in pursuit of the Indians. This is the sad account.

Mentions: S. S. Gholson * Sulphur Springs (now Lampasas) * Sugar Loaf Mountain * Dave Elms * Mr. Ambrose Lewis * A. M. Woods * Peevy * Captain Dameron * Rocksprings, in Edwards county * Rhoda Riggs and Rebecca Riggs * Thomas A. Riggs * a man named Benton * Wilcox, Arizona *

Texas In Wartime Through British Eyes

By T. C. Richatrdsott Account of the diary of Lieutenant-Colonel Fremantle, of Her Brittonic Majesty's Coldstream Guards, April 2, 1863. The fastidious young officer of an aristocratic regiment was entering upon a three months tour of the then Confederate States, during which he acquired a liberal education in the (to him) strange ways of Texans and other Southerners. Colonel Fremantle explains in his foreword that his first attitude toward the American civil war was, in common with most of his countrymen, that of indifference, but with a slight bias in favor of the North on account of his dislike of slavery. "But soon sentiment of great admiration for the gallantry and determination of the Southerners, together with the unhappy contrast afforded by the foolish, bullying conduct of the Northerners, caused a, complete revulsion of my feelings" whereupon he determined to visit America and "see something of this wonderful struggle." Incidents of his stay in Texas are related in this story without reference to dates and sometimes out of their chronological order, with a view of portraying the scene as it appeared to Colonel Fremantle in April, 1863.

Mentions: Gettysburg * H. M. S. Immortalite * Mr. Johnston * the miserable village of Bagdad, on the Mexican bank of the Rio Grande * McCarthy * Mr. Ituria * General Magruder * General Bee * Palmito ranch * Duff's cavalry * Mr. Zorn * Mr. Behnsen * The Prussian Consul, Mr. Oetling * Buchel * Colonel Luckett * Mr. Maloney * Major Leon Smith * Harriet Lane *

Cowboy Branded A Comanche Indian

By J. Marvin Hunter

Account describes the event of a cowboy employed on one of the first ranches established in Shackelford county who ventured out unarmed one day to brand a young calf in a bend of the creek near camp. He had accomplished his mission and was mounting his horse to return, when a single Indian fired upon him from the shelter of a neighboring bush. Without giving the savage time to reload his piece, this cowboy, charged down upon him with a yell, forced him out upon the open prairie, and with a deft cast of his lariat encircled his body and dragged him, helpless and silent, back to the branding fire. As coolly and deliberately as though he was going about his everyday business the Texan replaced the brand in the fire, brought it to the proper heat, and applied it with quiet precision to the most prominent part of his enemy's anatomy; then stooped and, with the Indian's own knife, added the ranch ear-mark as corroborative evidence of the authenticity of the brand. Then he loosened the rope and kicked the Indian until he sullenly arose to his feet.

Corpus Christi Shelled By Gunboats

Account by Miss Mildred Baskin, describing the bombardment and heoric defense of the port of Corpus Christi when during the Civil War, Union gunboats came to less than a mile from shore in the bay and shelled the town. The boats loosed 400 rounds on the city. A defense strategy was planned and carried out by a 16-year-old youth, Billy Mann, and a few volunteers. Here is the story. Further Mentions: Laura Baskin * Elida Baskin * Maj. Hobby * Lt. Walter Mann * Capt. Kittredge * Capt. Ireland * Victory Steiner * FAMOUS COWBOY STATUE.Mentions: Hardin - Simmons University * Abilene Hall * Dr. R. N. Richardson * Bob Rogers * Hardin-Simmons Cowboy Band, from Berkeley * Rockwell Kent *

"STAR OF THE WILDERNESS."