Vol 21 No. 03 - December 1943

Sitting Bull, The Sioux

By J. Marvin Hunter

Account of Sitting Bull, the noted Sioux warrior and tribal leader of the Hunkpapa Teton branch, and, according to the Hand Book of American Indians (by Hodge) was born on Grand river, in South Dakota, in 1834.

Mentions: Four Horns, a subchief * As a boy he was first known as Jumping Badger * General Sheridan * Fort Buford * Fort Randall * Kicking Bear * Sergeants Bullhead and Red Tomahawk * Pretty Plume *

A Tenderfoot's Dangerous Trip

By Colonel Harry Young

Experiences of Harry Young when he was a tenderfoot teamster (freighter) in Wyoming during the summer of 1872.

Mentions: the ranch of Jack Hunton located on a stream called the Chugwater * Goshen Hole * Cuney & Coffee ranch four miles up the Laramie river * Jack Bowman * Mr. Deere a trader on White river * Deere's Trading Post * the Red Cloud Agency * Dr. Seville * Ben Tibbetts * Fort Laramie * Joe Bessnet * a young man named Spencer

When Guns Blazed In Tascosa

By J. Marvin Hunter

Account of old Tascosa, one of the wildest cow towns on the frontier. Situated in the Panhandle, where some of the largest ranches in the world were located, this cluster of huts was a supply center and a stopping place for outfits trailing their great herds to Dodge City, Kansas. A blacksmith shop, where cow ponies were shod, was the nucleus for this boom town. Picturesque figures colored the pages of Tascosa's history: Pat Garrett, Jim East, Charlie Siringo, Billy the Kid, Charles Goodnight, Dr. Henry F. Hoyt, and others. Here is the story.

Further Mentions: Fred Leigh * Jack Ryan's saloon * LX cowboys * Cape Willingham, first sheriff of Tascosa * Tascosa's Boot Hill Cemetery * John Middleton Tom O'Phalliard, Charlie Bowdrie, Hendry Brown, Dock Skurlock * Len Woodruff, Louis Bozeman, Charlie Emory * Fred Chilton, Ed King and Frank Valley * the LS ranch * Ed King * Rocking Chair Emma * John Lang * Lem Woodruff * Frank Valley and Fred Chilton *

FORT GRIFFIN IS DEAD.

All the fight has gone out of Fort Griffin, and nearly all the people has gone, too. The rattle of death set in last September when citizens voted two liquor stores out of business, anti today this once rip-roaring West Texas frontier hotspot is as dormant as a gangster's conscience. Further Mentions: Art Newcomb

Aunt Palestine Wilson

By Florence Fenley

Account of stalwart Bandera county pioneer mother, nurse and midwife, Palestine Wilson who was born in Arkansas, February 2, 1859, and came to Texas when she was sixteen years old. They settled in Denton county for a while, but the following year she married Peter McDaniel Wilson and went to live in a little home of her own. Not long after, her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hillman, left for Bandera county where she later came and settled. This is her story. Contains some old photos of Palestine Wilson.

Further Mentions: a man named Phillips * old Doctor Johnson * Mrs. Keese * Walter Keese * Button Willow Hollow * Mrs. Coose's place * Chris Wilson, of Vancouver, Washington * Mr. and Mrs. Guy Fenley who ranched near Medina

An Attack On Laredo

By Colonel M. L. Crimmins.

Account of Federal attack on the town of Laredo, Texas, in March, 1864. The purpose of the attack was to secure provisions from Confederate forces, particularly cotton, which the Confederates used like money.

Further Mentions: Fort Brown, Ringgold Barracks * General John Bankhead Magruder * Major Mat Nolan * Col. John S. Ford * Capt. John W. Sansom * The Benevides family * Captains Refugio and Cristoval Benavides * Captain Chapman * Major Swope * Juan Ivara * Captain Giddings * Eagle Pass * Winston Croslin of Fort Worth *

From Cattle Range To Cotton Patch

By Don H. Biggers.

Texas journalist, author, and politician, Don Hampton Biggers was born September 27, 1868, in Meridian, Texas, and grew up in a ranching environment. He edited and wrote for several West Texas newspapers, served in the Texas Legislature, and was active in land promotion in West Texas and Eastern New Mexico. These sketches are presented in serial form and offer historical accounts dealing with industrial, social, and commercial evolutions that have taken place in western Texas from the beginning of the buffalo slaughter to the turn of the century (1900).

(Continued from Last Month.)

This installment details the disastrous Nolan-Harby Expedition, the Lone Tree Fight with Comanche Indians and begins a lengthy and detailed look at frontier towns and early day ranches.

Mentions: the Mescalero Apache Indians * a raid through Shackleford county * Reynolds City, in Stonewall county * Ft. Griffin * Jim Harby * Double Lakes * Bill Benson * Clear Lakes * Bill Benson * the Yellow House Canyon * George Causey * the Pecos Valley Railroad * Tule Creek * J. J. Clinton * Chief of Police of Abilene, Texas * Adobe Walls fight * Lone Tree fight * Sand Creek, a small tributary of the Arkansas river * Juan Gonzales * Dull Knife, chief of the Comanches * Sun Boy, a sub-chief * Bill Gilson * the Texas Central railroad * Buffalo Gap * Taylor county * Sam Lanham * Snyder, in Scurry county * Reynolds City * Rath & Reynolds * Snyder * Aide Town * John Goff, a noted buffalo hunter is said to have been the first man to locate a cattle ranch west of Shackelford county * Tonkawa Creek * One-Armed Jim Reed located the famous Horseshoe ranch * Company moved a big herd from... Mexic and established what is now known as the * Lee-Scott Cattle LS ranch * Don Pedro Perea * a Mr. Duran * J. B. Matthews and Judge Lynch * the Reynolds and Milletts in Throckmorton county

Tough Hombres Had Their Uses

By T. C. Richardson

Account of Jim McIntire and sketches from his earlier career, who was known to have killed Indians and skinned them, chased outlaws across the plains with the Texas Rangers, hunted buffalo, enjoyed the hazardous life of a cow-puncher in the early days of Texas, run gambling houses and saloons, served as marshal and deputy sheriff in frontier towns, shot up towns, and been mixed up in shooting scrapes, etc. He was also chased across three states with a reward of $1,000 on his head, dead or alive; was captured and broke jail, and saw as much lawless life and had perhaps as many hair-raising adventures as any man living.

Further Mentions: Col. J. C. Loving, on whose ranch Jim's first cowboy experience was acquired * George Berry, former hotel man at Washburn * John Poe, banker at Roswell, N. M. * Mr. Reed, White Oaks, N. M * Capt. B. B. Paddock * the Blackwell hotel in Weathetford * Jacksboro * John Heath * Mrs. Knute White * Captain Hamilton * Adjutant General Jones, and Sheriff Tom Wilson of Pala Pinto county * the Meeks family in Montague county * Marshal Bill Gilson * Captain June Peak at Thorp Spring * N. F. Lock * The Millet ranch * John W. Poe * Tom Riley * Rhinehart * Mathers * Wyatt Earp * City Marshal Joe Carson * Dave Ruderbaugh * Jim Courtright

Indian Cunning Revealed

Written by W. A. Morris, Montague, Texas

Account describes a cunning and bold act on the part of Comanche Indians in Montague county on the night of June 5th, 1858, when a large herd of horses was stolen right out from under the noses of a party of men who were keeping vigilance against such an event.

Mentions: Captain D. S. Hagler and his brother, Marion Hagler * the town of Forestburg * Jim Ned Lookout * Barrel Springs on Coffey Creek * Belcherville * Belknap Creek * John P. Braden, William Fanning, Joab Faulkner * the old Stitt farm

Jesse James, Outstanding Outlaw

By J. Marvin Hunter.

Of all the daring leaders who have blasted their way through blood and violence to the top of American outlawry, none has achieved more lasting renown than Jesse James, that dashing, fearless Missourian who terrorized half a dozen states for nearly twenty years after the Civil war. What of his character? A brutal, bloodthirsty rogue? Or unfortunate hero, driven to lawlessness by the school of hard knocks? The truth lies somewhere between the two extremes of callous brutality and knightly courtesy. This story is a study of his character.

Mentions: Cole Younger * Frank James * John Murrel * Capone, Terrible Johnny Torrio, Legs Diamond Bugs Moran, Dion O'Banion, Owney Madden, Dutch Schultz, Harvey Bailey * the brothers Tuohy and Waxey Gordon * Rev. Frank James * Clay county, Missouri, * Quantrell's band of Confederate raiders * Colonel Henry Washington Younger * Kit Dalton * General Garcia, the Cuban insurgent * Gadshill, Mo * Bob Ford and Charley Ford * Higginsville, Mo * Emmett Dalton, Gratton Dalton and Bob Dalton * Tom Evans and Texas Jack Moore * Ollie Ogee * Jim Spears * T. Connolly

The Texas Of Today

The account is a lecture given before the Texas Landmarks Association in San Antonio, Texas, on October 14, 1943, by Edward M. Golson:

Mr. Golson said :

"I am grateful 'to your President and those in charge of your programs for asking me to address you today. For my subject I have not' chose,: Texas of the olden days, of which I am sure you have had many lectures, but Texas of Today, our Texas which symbolizes the greatness of our country. I suppose no man has ever seen enough of Texas who can truthfully say what Texans were fighting for in the days of Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, Travis and Bowie, and what we Texans are fighting for in the days of General Eisenhower, Admiral Nimitz and Carmichael, and other Texans who gained fame on various battlefields…" etc, etc.

The Handbook Of Texas

Walter Prescott Webb

"As yet The Handbook of Texas is but an idea, known only to me and to a few members of the Texas State Historical Association. I think it proper that The Handbook of Texas, or any book, should originate in an idea, and I have noticed that those which do not so originate are birds of swift passage. It is my opinion that The Handbook will become more than an idea; it will materialize, I hope, and if it does materialize, it will be in my opinion, one of the most important books that has ever come out of Texas and it will, if properly done, be the most used book in Texas for years to come." Etc., Etc.

Mentions: John Coffee Hays, R. T. Milner * Ben McCulloch * the XIT Ranch * King Ranch * Gideon Lincecum * Rosalind Langston * S. E. Geiser * R. N. Richardson * Dr. Barleer * Roy Bedichek