Vol
1 No. 6 - MARCH 1924
Some
Names in this volume:
Ben Anderson, Capt Bill Anderson,
Dr Anderson, Lon Anderson, Moses
Austin, Stephen F. Austin, Joe Bader,
Mary Miss Bader, Leman Barker, J.
D. Barncastle, Sam Bass, Col Baylor,
Capt George W. Baylor, Judge Roy
Bean, Max Bentley, Rev William B.
Bloys, George Braun, J. G. Braun,
E. A. Brininstool, J. A. Brock,
Col Edward Burleson, Jessie Campbell,
Capt R. G. Carter, Mrs R. G. Carter,
Talbert Chambers, Jasper Chapman,
Al Cheatem, Dick Cheatem, E. Lee
Childe, Jim Chism, "Slick" Clements,
Margaret Clifton, Samuel P. Cochran,
John Cole, W. W. Collier, Jim Connell,
Charlie Cooper, Mrs W. C. Dalrymple,
L. H. Davis, Charles Dixon, Chief
Don Juan, Ben Duncan, Kin Elkins,
W. S. Ethridge, G. Wesley Evans,
George Evans, Joe Evans, D. R. Fant,
Ote Finley, Hill Fletcher, Tom Gamel,
Pat Garret, Pat Garrett, Capt Gillett,
J. B. Sgt Gillett, Marshall Gillett,
Gen Gordon, Col Bill Green, Charlie
Green, Henry Hamberg, W. B. Hardeman,
John Wesley Harden, John Wesley
Hardin, Wes Hardin, JackHarris,
Charlie Hart, Dick Head, R. G. Head,
Lt Hill, Bill Hillman, T. D. Hobart,
Billy Hornsby,
Reuben Hornsby, Wm Hornsby, Samuel
Dunn, George J. Howard, J. V. Hutton,
W. L. Jerrell, Gen Albert Sidney
Johnston, Bill Jones, Mrs Lewis
Jones, Bill Kingston, Col Robert
E. Lee, Maj Llewellyn, Theodore
Luce, Capt Marcy, Bat Masterson,
Col Ben McCulloch, GenMcKenzie,
James E. McMasters, John Means,
, H. E. Miller, Jim Miller, D. E.
Moore, James Moore,
Tom Moore, T. Paul Moore, Capt Cal
Putman, Doc Putman, Harve Putman,
, Gen Israel , Walter Reed, A. B.
Dr Reeves, Lee Risinger, Bob Robison,
James Rogers, Joseph Rogers, Bob
Routh, John Sanders, George W. Saunders,
Gen Scott, John Selman, Joe "Hosstail"
Small, W. J. Smith, Jim Speed, Mose
Stevenson, W. T. Stewart, Ross Sublett,
Dick Sullivan, W. F. "Dick", Jesse
Tannehill, Sol Tanner, Charlie Taylor,
Bob Terrell, Ben Thompson, Mike
Thompson, Taylor Thompson, L. S.
Sgt Trumbo, Thomas F. Turner, Boss
Tweed, Gen Twig, Christine Miss
Wagner, R. A. Walker, Riley Walker,
John Walters, Sgt Dick Ware, Susan
Washburn, Charlie Webb, Sheriff
James White, Harvey Wilbarger, John
Wilbarger, Josiah Wilbarger, Matthias
Wilbarger, Sallie Wilbarger, George
Wilhelm, Capt R. H. Williams, J.
T. Wilson, George Womack, Jack Woods,
Cal Woodward, Woodul,
Contents of this volume:
The Lost Gold Mine of the Guadalupe
Mountains.
L. H. Davis. This interesting
story appeared in the El
Paso Times in 1912. Fascinating
account of buffalo hunters
turned gold prospectors
and their findings… Many
interesting details and
place/person names: Pat
Garrett, Charles Dixon,
Abilene and Big Springs,
Fort Griffin, General McKenzie,
buffalo hunting outfits
Long & Anderson, a big outfit,
Moore Bros., Coleman & Lewis,
Charlie Hart, George Wilhelm,
Henry Hamberg, Charlie Green,
- a great copper magnate
in Cananoa and is now called
Col. Bill Green, 'Bat' Masterson,
now a Now York detective;
John Wesley Hardin , John
Selman, Bill Hillman, known
as 'Coyote Bill.' Reynolds
& Rare, who had a hunters'
supply on 'Red Mud', south
of Blanco canyon. J. A.
Brock, the El Paso real
estate man, Jim Chism's
ranch which is about three
miles from where Roswell
now is, 'Prairie Dog Dave,
Oscuros, San Andres and
Caballos, the White mountains
and Sacramento, the Mescalero
reservation, Major Llewellyn,
Don Juan, Selas Teticua
or the Twin mountains, Guadalupe
peak, the Russell hills,
old man Sublett, Ross Sublett
"…at a certain time of
the day when the sun shines
on a slant, we could look
into the cave about 60 feet
and we saw three skeletons
or mummies. This cave is
in the Russell mountains
about 15 miles south of
the old seep springs…"
Death of Mrs. R. G. Carter
In 1870 she made a bridal
trip with her husband, Capt.
R. G. Carter, U. S. army,
retired, from Boston, Mass.,
to, Ft. Concho, Texas, to
which he had been assigned
after graduation from West
Point that year, and which
was then one of the extreme
frontier ports on the western
border of Texas, then habitated
only by a few hardy settlers,
jack rabbits and rattlesnakes.
After reaching San Antonio
by boat, rail and stage,
she marched with her husband,
who was assigned to the
duty of driving 400 -unbroken
Texas horries (broncos)
over the expanse of wilderness,
at the end of which she
took tip her abode in. a
wall tent. She had four
children. Two daughters
were born at old Fort Richardson,
Jack county. located on
Lost Creek, a small tributary
of the west fork of the
Trinity river. One of these
daughters was born in a
wall tent during a howling
"norther" and the tent was
held down by men at the
guy ropes. The other was
born in a rough pecan picket
jacal plastered with mud,
infested with scorpions,
centipedes and tarantulas.
Mrs. Carter made one march
of thirty days with her
two babies through the wild
savage country, swarming
at that period with hostile
bands of Comanche and Kiowa
Indians, the camp being
picketed at night. Mrs Carter
was in her seventy-seventh
year…
The Gospel West of the Pecos.
Max Bentley. If Roy Bean
was the law west of the
Pecos, the Rev. William
B. Bloys was the gospel
west of the Pecos,.,
Thirty-six years ago a slender
little man with blue-gray
eyes drove across the Pecos
River in a buckboard to
organize a Presbyterian
congregation in the mountain
village of Fort Davis, Texas…
The newcomer lost no time
in delivering his message
of his Master. He delivered
it so earnestly, so eloquently,
and so proudly, that the
cowmen came to hold him
in love and veneration such
as no other man has enjoyed
that ever lived out there.
They came to call him everybody's
friend, little minister
of the hills, and, finally,
just plain Brother Bloys.
(Dr. William B. Bloys).
Story mentions: Fort Davis,
where he died in March 22,
1917, the Davis Range, Skillman
Grove, the Bloys Camp Meeting
Association, . Judge Roy
Bean "Those two names-Bloys
and Bean stand out over
all others in the annals
of the ranch country of
Texas, west of the Pecos."
Langtry, G. Wesley Evans
and John Means, "Bill" Jones
and "Ote" Finley, "Bill"
Kingston and Cap'n Gillett,
"Bill" Jones, Mount Bloys,
G. Wesley Evans, John Means'
Bill 'Joiles, "Bill" Kingston,
How Old Is Texas?
Her Centennial should be
celebrated that year, on
the grounds where Austin
settled with his first settlers,
and where Austin, Houston,
Blount, Burnet, Smith, De
Zavala, Lamar, Rusk, Wharton,
Archer, Burleson, Childress,
et al, wrote the most. profound
declaration of independence
ever penned by man: March
2, 1836, at Old Washington
on the Brazos
Thrilling Tales of Frontier Days.
By Taylor Thompson.
Jack Harris, who for many
years, was a prominent citizen
in certain circles in San
Antonio was killed in the
early eighties by Ben Thompson
of Austin. When General
Albert Sidney Johnston,
with, a force of United
States troops,, marched
across the plains to Salt
Lake City in 1858 to put
down the Mormon uprising
Jack Harris was with General
Johnston's force in the
capacity of hunter and scout,
and there were perhaps twenty-five
or thirty men with the expedition
in the same capacity, among
them being a Cherokee Indian
who was known as "Cherokee
Bill," Further reference
is made in this story to:
Sol Tanner, who became quite
noted as an Indian fighter,
and in 1858 became captain
of a company of Texas rangers
Daring Hold-up Between Fort Concho
and Abilene.
From The Police News, 1884.
Two stage coaches between
Concho and Abilene, Texas
were held up at about I
o'clock in the morning,
February 4th, by two roadmen.
The coach leaving Conch
Was first attacked and the
mail and Passengers robbed.
it had gone about one mile
when it met the coach going
to Concho and in which was
Deputy Sheriff W. L. Jerrell
of Las Cruces, New Mexico,
who was in pursuit of the
thieves who robbed J. D.
Barncastle in Dona Ana County,
accompanied by Sergeant
L. S. Trumbo of Col. Baylor's
Texas Rangers, and two other
passengers. The robbers
soon came up on the second
stage and in trying to hold
it tip a fight followed
in which Jerrell Wag killed.
Mentions further: Samuel
P. Cochran, of Dallas, Marshall
Gillett, who selected him
because of his dauntless
courage and untiring energy.
In the spring of 1883, he
rejoined the Rangers as
a member of Captain George
W. Baylor's Company, and
for gallant service was
promoted to the rank of
First Sergeant, Mr. Sam
P. Cochran, Past Grand Master
of Masons in Texas; Past
Grand High Priest Grand
Royal Arch Chapter of Texas;
Trice Illustrious Past Grand
Master, Right Eminent Past
Grand Commander Grand Commander
of Texas; Past Grand Patron
Grand Chapter Order Eastern
Star of Texas; Past Past
Potentate Hella Temple A.
O. N. M. S.; Sovereign Grand
Inspector General in Texas
of the Supreme Council Ancient
and Accepted Scottish Rite,
of Freemasonry for the Southern
Jurisdiction of the United
States Mother Council of
the World.
The Lofty Courage of a Frontier
Boy.
By John Warren Hunter. Capt.
Cal Putman came to Texas
in 1821, and settled on
the San Gabriel, in what
is now Williamson county
and built the first block
house erected in that territory,
not far from where Liberty
Hill now stands. This was
long before Austin was founded,
and his nearest white neighbors
were the Hornsby's who had
formed a settlement at Hornsby's
Bend, on the Colorado. Early
in the 50's Mr. Putman,
moved to Llano county and
settled on Hickory creek,
near House Mountain, where
In the fall of 1864, Captain
Putman started on a hunting
expedition on, the Upper
Llano, in the territory
now included in Kimble county.
This is a riveting account
about a desperate Indian
raid that came upon them
and the unimaginable courage
and resourcefulness of his
son, Harve. An excerpt:
"At close range the Indians
fired a shot from a gun,
the leaden missile passing
through Captain Putman's
thigh, rupturing one of
the smallest arteries. About
the same moment a shot struck
Harve's foot tearing away
his shoe and leaving his
big toe hanging by a mere
shred. This was about 4
o'clock in the evening and
the Indians became more
bold when they saw the-effect
of their own shots, and
yet when the white men's
guns, remained silent, an
Indian more daring than
the rest, advanced to. the
wagon and. .fired on Harve
at a range so close that
the blaze of the gun set
his clothes on fire. This
was getting too close for
the Captain, and although
desperately wounded, he
raised up with his old shotgun
and landed 18 buckshot into
the carcass of the old copper-colored
savage, at the same instance
Harve drew a -bead on another-the
one who had shot, up his
new, hat and with a ball
from his old army gun, sent
him to the happy-hunting
grounds. Both these Indians
fell near the wagon and
were speedily carried away
by their comrades who made
a charge in full force in
order to recover the bodies.
Further mentions: Tom Gamel
and Jasper Chap, the Gamel
ranch, where the Captain
received the tenderest care,
"Speak Out in Meeting."
Uncle Dick Sullivan of San
Saba, Texas, writes us a
good letter and sends in
the subscription of Veteran
W. J Smith of that place.
Among, other things, Uncle
Dick says: "While reading
Captain Gillett's narrative
about "Slick" Clements in
your last issue, I could
not keep the tears back,
as "Slick" Clements and
Ben Anderson were both in
my company in 1874, one
year before Gillett knew
him, and both of these boys
were on the buffalo range
with me. I loved them as
brothers. I see many names
in your magazine that I
knew many years ago, and
that is what makes it so
interesting to me. Before
long I will write my experience
as a ranger, and when. I
want to have a talk with
you again I will just speak
out in church as I know
I am welcome to." And Uncle
Dick is right. We want all
of the Old Guard to know
they are welcome to "speak
out in meeting." Send us
anything you have relating
to the early days. We'll
be glad to publish it.
Old Settlers' Association.
The Bandera County Old Settlers
Association was organized
at Bandera on January 26.
Lee Risinger was selected
president, and W. S.Ethridge,
Secretary treasurer. Arrangements,
are being made to hold an
old settlers' reunion at
Bandera July 4th and 5th,
1924, when a great home-coming
of former Bandera county
citizens, scattered all
over the United States,
will be expected.
The Killing of Riley Walker
Written by James Moore.
R. A. Walker and D. E. Moore,
both of whom fought and
suffered through the Civil
War, were early settlers
in Llano county. Having
located with their little
families on Willow Creek,
sixteen miles south of the
town of Llano where they
quietly entered upon on
the morning of February
22, 1870. to haul a load
of bacon to the town of
Fredericksburg, hen suddenly
from ambush about fifteen
bloodthirsty Indians fired
upon them. R. A. Walker
sank slowly to the ground
and remained motionless
at the feet of D. E. Moore.
Moore's left arm was shattered
by an Indian's bullet and
was bleeding profusely.
He made an effort to get
his gun, but could not,
as the Indians were flocking
about the wagon. With all
odds against him, and believing
his companion dead, Moore
sought safety in flight.
Three of the Indians followed
him about two miles but
he outdistanced them and
they gave up the chase.
Exhausted from the loss
of blood, he reached home
and for more than three
months he lay under a lingering
illness. His health was
eventually regained, but
…
George Braun Came to Texas in 1856
W. B. Hardeman, J. G. Braun
was born in the German Empire
in I837, and came to Texas
from Germany in 1S56, when
he was, nineteen years old,
landing at Galveston. He
labored from daylight to
dark and sometimes longer,
and managed to save enough
to buy three cows and calves
and accumulate fifteen dollars
in cash, and he was well
satisfied with his achievement
during the two years he
had been in America. Married
Miss Christine, Wagner who
lived only a year after
marriage, then in 1873 married
Miss Mary Bader, and to
them were born four children…Mentions
further: Ben Duncan, Jim
Speed the Woodwards, and
the Adamses,, and how by
his honesty and industry
lie has won the confidence
and respect of all those
who knew him. His good wife
is a sister to Joe Bader,
who was been sheriff of
Medina county for nearly
fifteen years. Cal Woodward,
at one time one of the biggest
ranchmen in the west, met
George Braun in San Antonio
on one occasion and knowing
the struggle the poor German
boy was having to get along,
said to him: "George, when
you need money come to me."
Member of Devine Lodge No.
590. He was county commissioner
Of Frio CO for eight years.
Briar Branch , H. E. Miller
of Shamrock, J. V. Hutton,
An Englishman's Experience in Texas
The following very interesting
narrative was taken from
a book entitled, "With the
Border Ruffians, 1852 to
1868," written by R. H.
Williams, "sometime lieutenant
in the Kansas Rangers and
afterwards a captain in
the Texas Rangers.
Captain Williams was an
Englishman, a soldier of
fortune, and his book gives
many thrilling anecdotes
of his experiences on the
border. He .joined the Confederate
service and was connected
with the Partisan Rangers,
was in Duff's company at
the Battle on the Nueces
when a large party of Germans
going to .Mexico were overtaken
and annihilated. The story
tells of an Indian foray
made while his company was
stationed at Camp Verde,
in Kerr county.
Mentions: Colonel Robert
E. Lee, as he was then,
"courteous, and dignified
in manner, but without the
slightest assumption, he
was beloved by all who came
within the charm of his
personal influence. At this
time he was about fifty-three
years of age; but his dark
hair was untinged with grey,
and his blue eyes were bright
and undimmed beneath his
black eyebrows." General
Gordon, General Scott, E.
Lee Childe, General Twig,
the K. G. C. (Knights of
the Golden Circle) lodges
in Eastern Texas, Colonel
Ben McCulloch, an old Mormon
settlement, where there
were several solid stone
houses and a mill. The Mormons
had established themselves
on the Medina at the time
that the main body of their
co-religionists were settled
in Nauvoo; but when the
general movement was made
against that body in the
States, these folks, like
the rest of them, had to
trek to Salt Lake.,
On the Buffalo Range in 1873.
Varied accounts in the life
of W. F. (Dick) Sullivan,
San Saba, Texas. born in
Mooreville, Mississippi,
in 1854, and left there
in 1868, to come to Pilot
Point, in Denton County.
Lived on the old Chisholm
Trail, when thousands of
cattle were being driven
to Kansas and other northern
markets…Mentions: J. T.
Wilson , Bob Terrell, Brownwood,
on the, Bayou, old Capt.
Bill Anderson and a bunch
of men from Salt Creek ,
"'Slick" Clements, Ben Anderson
and Lon Anderson. , Camp
Colorado, Cedar Gap, in
what is now Taylor county,
Jim Connell's company of
Rangers, Government Knob,
the Salt Fork of the Brazos.
Mike Thompson ,Charlie Taylor,
Bob Routh and Al Cheatem,
George Womack of Brownwood
and Dick Cheatem
Shot By Sam Bass.
Dr. A. B. Reeves, who was
engaged in the fight with
the Sam Bass gang of robbers
at Round Rock an July 211
1879, which resulted in
the killing of Barnes and
the mortal wounding of Bass.
This is the account of Dr.
Reeves, who knew Bass personally.
Mentions: Sergeant Dick
Ware, Round Rock,
Minor article further mentions:
A bill of sale, written
by Billy the Kid notorious
youthful bandit, at Tascosa,
Oldham County, in 1873,
and witnessed by two men
named James E. McMastem
and George J. Howard, recently
was photographed and the
reproduction given to the
Panhandle-Plains Historical
Society. This copy of a
very interesting document
came to the society through
the courtesy of Thomas F.
Turner of Amarillo…
A Trying Trip Alone Through the
Wilderness
Bv Samuel Dunn Houston,
San Antonio, Texas. Trail
herder’s fascinating and
dangerous experience in
1879 on trail drive from
TX to Wyoming. Mentions:
R. G. Head, John Sauders
Ogallala, the Tusler Ranch
Red Cloud Agency, Dakota
, D. R. Fant. , Tom Moore
the old King herds which
had come in by way of Dodge
City, Kansas, from the coast
country down in Southern
Texas. Fort Laramie, Wyoming.
Court House Rock, The North
Platte River , Theodore
Luce, of Lockhart, Texas.
, the old Seven Crook Ranch
above Ogallala. White River.
the Dillon ranch. , Laramie
Plains, the Bosler ranch.
the Neobrara Ranch,
Josiah Wilbarger Scalped by Indians.
Wilbarger's "Indian Depredations,
in Texas". . Wilbarger had
come to Texas from the State
of Missouri as early as
1828 and first settled in
Matagorda county, where
he remained about one year
and then moved up the Colorado,
It was in about the month
of March, 1830, that he
selected for his headright
a beautiful tract of land
situated at the mouth of
what is now known as Wilbarger
creek, about ten miles above
where the San Antonio and
Nacogdoches road crosses
the river where the town
of Bastrop now is… Account
contains ghastly details
of being scalped alive:
Excerpts: "The arrow
hit center of his neck and
came out on the left side
of his chin. He fell apparently
dead, but though unable.
to move or speak, did not
lose consciousness. He knew
when the Indians came around
him when they stripped him
naked and tore the scalp
from his head. ' He says
that though- paralyzed and
unable, 'to move, he knew
what was being done, and
that when his scalp was
torn from his skull it created
no pain from which he could
flinch, but sounded like
distant thunder. The Indians
cut the throats of Strother
and Christian, but the character
of Wilbarger's wound, no
doubt, made them believe
his neck was broken, and
that he was surely dead.
This saved his life…"
"After going back to
the pool and drinking, he
crawled over the grass and
devoured such snails as
he could find, which appeased
his hunger. The green flies
had found his wounds while
he had slept, and the maggots
were at work, which pained
and gave him fresh alarm.
As night approached he determined
to go 'as far as he could
toward Reuben Hornsby's,
about six miles distant.
He had gone about six hundred
yards when he sank to the
ground exhausted, under
a large postoak tree, and
well nigh despairing of
life. Those who have ever
spent a summer in Austin
know that in that climate
the nights in summer are
always cool, and before
daybreak some covering is
needed for comfort. Wilbarger,
naked, wounded and feeble,
suffered after midnight
intensely from cold. No
sound fell on his ear but
the, hooting of owls and
the bark of the coyote wolf,
while above him the bright
silent stars seemed to mock
his agony. We are now about,
to relate two incidents
so mysterious that they
woutd excite our incredulity
were it not for the high
character of those who to
their dying day vouched
for their truth."
Further mentions: Reuben
Hornsby , Webber, Duty ,
Strother, Standifer, Walnut
creek, about where James
Rogers afterwards settled,
Joseph Rogers, John Walters,
Leman Barker (the father-in-law
of Wilbarger), Mrs. W. C.
Dalrymple, Mrs. Lewis Jones,
Colonel Edward Burleson
The Texas Ranger.
Written for Texas Siftings
in 1882.
The Texas Ranger is not
so handsome as an eight-dollar-a-week
dry-goods clerk, but he
is more courageous than.
a Numidian lion and tougher
than a Mexican burro. His
language might sound a little
barbaric in a London drawingroom,
but he can, successfully
ride a broncho pony and
kill a Mexican horse thief
at five hundred yards with
his eyes shut. His manners
are not exactly Chesterfieldian,
but this deficiency in etiquette
is more than offset by the
aestheticism he displays
in scalping an Indian, He
may not be up on the tariff
question, but he can follow
a blind trail at a gallop
and never miss the way.
It is possible that he cannot
tell the difference between
the hypothesis of atomic
evolution and a lunar eclipse,
but he knows a "rustler"
at sight and can name half
the fugitives in Texas.
Taken altogether, the ranger
is a tough case and most
of them have been born on
the headwaters of Bitter
Creek, where the natives
are "wild and wooly and
hard to curry." The further
you go on this Classic Stream,
the tougher the citizen.
Underneath this rough exterior
the Ranger hides a heart
…
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