Vol 19 No. 11 - August 1942

Another Account Of The Dove Creek Fight

By John C. Cureton

Frontier Times has published during the past eighteen years several accounts of the great battle between Kickapoo Indians and Texas frontiersmen on Dove Creek, in 1865. Each account we have published was given by actual participants in the battle and each one brings out additional facts. The following account was written in 1926 by John C. Cureton of Los Angeles, California. He was but fourteen years of age when the battle occurred and he was engaged in it under the authority of his famous father, Captain J. J. (Jack) Cureton. Here is his story.

Further Mentions: Palo Pinto county, Texas * Henry Dillahunty * Joe Curtis * old Fort Phantom Hill * Captain Henry Fossett * Wash Delong * Joe Byers * San Angelo * Captain Gilletine * Captain Totten * George Savage * Spring creek * Culver, Barnes and Gillentine * Jacob Dyer, a brother of Charles Goodnight's wife * George Hazelwood and Phillip Runnels * Kickapoos and Potatamies * William Pearce of Cleburne, Texas * Dave and Dick Cunningham * Jack Wright of Comanche *

Charles Goodnight, The Panhandle Pioneer

By J. Marvin Hunter.

The name of Charles Goodnight stands head and shoulders above that of any other pioneer cowman in Texas, and he is justly entitled to the distinction by reason of nearly three-quarters of a century of successful experience in the cow business. Charles Goodnight was born in Macoupin county, Illinois, March 5, 1836, and died in 1930. In 1847 the family moved to Palo Pinto county, then on the extreme frontier. In 1856 Mr. Goodnight started on a overland trip to California, accompanied by J. W. Sheek, a young man of his own age. Their outfit consisted of a bull team and wagon and three horses, and they bore steadily westward until they reached the San Saba river, where, deciding that Texas was large enough to supply an ample field for their energy, they turned back. At the crossing of the Brazos they encountered a cattleman who proposed letting them have a small herd to handle on the shares, and a bargain was soon arranged. The young men were to take charge of the cattle—430 in number. This was Goodnight's entry into what would be his life-long love and his field of consummate success. This is his story.

Mentions: Keechi Valley * Kit Carter, C. C. Slaughter, Dick Jowell and George Lemley * Devil's River * Oliver Loving * Fort Sumner, New Mexico * the Goodnight & Loving Trail * the Pecoa river * Miss Mary Ann Dyer * Stock Growers' Bank of Pueblo * Henrietta * John G. Adair * the J A headquarters ranch * ranch brand was JA * Rilla Mackie Dixon * Whitney Montgomery and Vaida Stewart Montagomery *

Texas Rangers On The Scout

By A. J. Sowell

In 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: William Caruthers * Billy Sorrells * Sergeant Cobb * Judson Wilhoit * Dan Edwards * Gus Hasroot * Larkin Cleveland * George Howell * Gus Hasroot * the Keep ranch * Ed Cobb * Indian fighter named Ferguson * Mrs. Jay * Bolivar * Dan Edwards * Larkin Cleveland * Dr. Bobbitt * Dr. Gillespie * Hampton * the Keenan family * Oska Horseback the Comanche chief * (Continued Next Month) *

The Southwest In The World Of Literature

By Joe O. Naylor

The Southwest offers many opportunities for many things—and important is its rise to prominence in the field of literature. The Southwest has been fortunate in being able to draw from many sources for book material: pioneers and cowboys; the permeating Mexican elements; the Negroes; the early adventuring Spanish and French—all these in addition to the shared Anglo-Saxon background of other regions.

Mentions: Dr. Homer Price Rainey * J. Frank Dobie * Thomas Carlyle *

Alex Neal Recalls Some Kimble History

By J. Marvin Hunter

Account of Mr. Alex Neal, an old time cow hand, who in this account, describes early days in Hamilton, San Saba, and Kimble counties, and is quite familiar with many of the tragedies that occurred in those days on the frontier. He was born near Hexberry, Cooke county, Texas, March 3, 1870, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Dan Neal. His mother's maiden name was Elida Russell, and she was married to Dan Neal in Georgia. The family moved to Texas and settled in Cooke county, where Alex Neal was born.

Mentions: Mr. and Mrs. Louis Reed, near the head of the Medina river, in Bandera county * Dan Neal * Jim Neal * Mrs. Neal and her children moved to Hamilton county, to a location called Fort Wood on the Cowhouse * Jonesboro in Coryell county * Richland Springs * Charlie Graham of Kerrville * Rochelle, in McCulloch county * West Bear Creek * Lankford's Cove road * Evant * Menardville * Junction City * Gatesville * Carl Lemmons * Ed Bertram * Fort McKavett * F. Mayer * R. B. Allen * Bear Creek * M. K. Braggin * John Kountz of Junction * Horace Wilson, a young Englishman * Mr. Braggin * Mr. Witson * Miss Stella Graham * Gill Graham a ranchmau of the Bear Creek region * John Mayes, Henry Murr, Bob and Albert Owens, John Tobey, Felix Watson, Arthur Mudge, the Farmers, the Kirklands, the Halls, Captain O. Keith Gordon * Allen and Braggin on East Copperas * the Live Oak ranch, owned by Chas. Schreiner * Boneyard * the Allen ranch * Robert Real * John Mayes * the LC pasture * Peter Patterson * South Llano * Jim Crane * Sheriff John Jones, Tom Taylor and John Gardner * Oscar Latta, Bob Owens * a man named Frazier * Bob Owens * Mrs. John Tobey * Avery Tobey of Bandera * Jim Knight * Sonn * Underwood * Pettigrew * Fort Terrett * the Runge ranch * Sheriff Dick Russell * Governor Miriam Ferguson * Sam Jobes * Deputy John Turman, T. C. Taylor, T. W. Frazier, Oscar Latta end Bob Owen * Chester Banuowsky * Jourd Knight * Judge Scruggs, Toni Scruggs and Lee Russell * Louie Zettlemeyer * Ed Short of Richland Springs * Peter Patterson of Junction *

A Tenderfoot Joins The Texas Rangers

By J. Marvin Hunter

The reputation of the Sieker brothers, L. P. and Ed Sieker, as gallant Texas Rangers, is well known throughout Western Texas, these brothers having lived at Menardville for many years. L. P. Sieker served for quite awhile as Adjuant General of Texas. Both saw active service on the frontier in the 1870's. Their younger brother, Tom Sieker, came out from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1876, to join the company of Texas Rangers in which his two brothers were serving, and in the following narrative, which was written by W. S. Adair, he relates some of the adventures he experienced in coming to West Texas as a tenderfoot.

Further Mentions: Dr. E. A. Sieker * Mrs. J. W. Mears * E. A. Sieker Jr * E. J. Davis * Governor Sayers * Governor Hogg * Muskogee, Indian Territory * Kingsbury Hotel * Dave DeLong * Nimitz Hotel * Loyal Valley, in Mason county * the Decker Hotel * Lieut. Frank Moore * Fort McKavett * a boy named Kuntz in Kimble county * General Shafter * JUDGE O. W. WILLIAMS' * W. H Baggett of Ozona * the Mendosa Expedition * Mr. J. W. Wiseman of Floresville * J. H. Polley * Sutherland Springs * Dr. and Mrs. Travis M.. Harrell of Corpus Christi * Harrell Park * Round Rock * W. C. Moore, Houston * M. M. Breit * Fred Mosebach * Col. and Mrs. M. L. Crimmins * Murray Ballinger * Misses Angie and Bessie Weibling, Miss Will E. Hunter, Mr. and Mrs. John C. Fassnidge, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas G. Head, San Antonio; Brig. Gen. Frank P. Lahm, New York ; Judge O. C. Fisher, San Angelo; John A. Lomax, Dallas; Dan Ferguson, Dallas; Delos R. Johnson, Franklinton, Louisiana; R. Groose, Mason; Mrs. Ida B. Hall, Hollywood, California; Miss Riva Latham, Alamogordo, New Mexico