The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1866-04-26
From Texas.

INDIAN DATIoNS-RoBBERIES, MUIR
DESs AND oUTRAGEs UPON THE PEOPLE
The following letter from the,Hon j. f.
Ranck, tells fearful tale Of Indian depre.
dations upon the apparently helpless people
of Texas:
AUSTIN, March 10, 1866.
In compliance with your request, has.
ten to lay before you such information in
regard to depredations by Indians upon our
Northwestern frontier as have come within
my personal knowledge during the last few
months. l shall confinc my remarks to
what know to have occurred within the
district which l have the honor to repre-
sent About the time Of what is known as
"the break up" in Texas, the Indians, some
twenty-five in number, came into Mason
County, not more than three miles from
where live, and killed Mrs. Todd, wife of
Geo. w. Todd, who was our County Clerk,
carried off her daughter Alice, young and
interesting girl of fourteen years, who had
just few days before returned from the
Sar Saba Female Seminary, and killed q
negro girl who was in the party. Mr..
Todd was in the party but managed to es.
cape unhurt.
The Indians were generally dressed in
the Mexican style, but were chiefly armed
with bows and arrows-only q few guns.
That same party went on into Gillespie
County, aud there witniir two-milcs of
Fredericksburg, captured two young Ger.
man girls, one eighteen aud the other
about fourteen. They killed the elder one
before they left the ncighborhood, but not
until after they had treated her in man
ner too revolving to describe. The girls
were the daughters of Mr., and Mrs En-
gliss, OF Grape Creek. On Grape Creek,
in that county, they shot an old lady by
the name of Frail, and carried off her little
son, promising boy Of ten years. On
Crab Apple Greek they killed an old man
whose name was Walker, burned his house
and carried off two Of his children-a little
boy and girl From every neighberhood
they so far succeeded in collecting and
driving off all serviceable horses that there
was no possibility of overtaking them.
They went out without even feeling the
necessity Of being in a r;rry. III chc
month OF August last they returned to the
Saline, iii Masoa County, and there killed
an old gentleman 10y the name of Park, his
wife and grandson, burned their house and
drove Oft their horses.
On Red Creek they killed man by the
name OF Fred. Conway, who left an excel
lent wife and five little children to mourn
his untimely loss. Fred was noble man,
aud brave as brave could be, but the sava
ges ovcrpowered and murdered him in
most shameful manner. Not far from there
they killed an old man, German, by the
name OF Sheeman and his little son. On
Spring Greek, in Gillespie County, they
killed Mr.. and Mrs. Taylor and carried of
their children, don't now remember the
number, but three or four I'm sure They
killed at the same time and place Mr.
Mcdonald, and carried off his family, con
sisting OF his wife and five children. On
the Tertenolis, in the same county, they
carried of promising boy fourteen years
OF age, the son of Mr.. Fisher, and again
took the horses about the different premis
es, and escaped without injury. Still later
they came again, and on Beaver Creek, in
Mason County, they killed Mr.. Gancing
and his wife, bat not Till six of the red
devils had violated her by turns in the
presence OF her husband, who was, of
course, wounded and helpless. They final
ly scarrifed Mrs. Gancing by drawing a
knife across her abdomen and thighs in
every possible direction, and then left her
to die by slow degrees she was far gone
IN pregnancy, but strange TO say, she re
tanned her senses to the moment of her
death, and when found, was able to give
the statement as just related They killed
an old man by the name Of Couch on Deer
Creek, on the edge of Mason County, shot
young man by the name Of John Lowe,
on the Little Liano, did many other dep.
relations, and as usual, drove our horses
before them and escaped without injury.
Just as L was leaving home they came on
the Leon, in Macon County, and shot old
Mr. Putnam and son, and drove off quite n
number OF horses that were making their
way further down in the settlements.
have not mentioned near all the dcpreda
tions that have been committed on the
Sixty seventh Representative District alone
within few months past. | do not re-
member the name and particulars of the
other cases; the truth is, | rather seek to
forget than to remember such horrible