Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-04-19
FROM TEXAS.


The following letter from the Hon. Jas.
f. Ranck tells fearful tale Of Indian depre-
dations upon the apparently helpless people
Of Texas:
REPRESENTATIVE HALL, Austin. March
10, lS66.-In compliance with your request
! listen 10 lay before you such information
in regard TO depredations by Indians upon
our Northwestern frontier as has come within
my personal knowledge during the last few
months ! shall confne my remarks TO
what | know to have occurred within the
district which 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
count, not more than three miles from where
/ live, and killed Mr.. Todd, wife Of Geo.
w. Todd, who was our County Clerk, car
ried Off her daughter Alice, young and
interesting girl Of fourteen years, who had
Just a few DAYS before returned from the
San Saba Female Seminary, and killed
negro girl who was in the party. Mr. Todd
was in the party, but managed to escape I'M
hurt
The Indians were generally dressed in the
Mexican style, but were chiefly armed with
bows and arrows-only few guns. That same
party went on into Gillespie county, and
there within two miles of Fredericksburgh
captured two young German girls, one eigh-
teen and the other about fourteen. They
killed the elder one before they left the
neighborhood, but not until after they had
treated her in a manner too revolving to de-
scribe. The girls were the daughters Of
Mr.. and Mrs. Engliss Of Grape creek. On
Grape creek, in that county, they shot an
old lady by the name of Frail, and carried
of her little son, a promising boy of ten
years. On Crab Apple creek they killed an
old man whose name was Walker, burned
hls house, and carried of two of his children
"a little boy and girl. From every neigh
bOrhoOd they 50 far succeeded in collecting
and driving of all the serviceable horses
that there was no possibility Of overtaking
them. They went out without even feeling
the necessity Of being in a hurry. In the
month Of August last they returned to the
Saline in Macon county, and there killed an
old gentleman by the name of Park. his wife
and grandson, burned their house, and drove
off their horses.
On Red Creek they killed a man by the
name Of Fred. Conway who left an excellent
wife and five little children to mourn his
untimely loss Fred was a noble man, and
brave as brave could be- but the savages
-oyerpOwered and murdered him i'm a most
shameful manner. Not far from there they
killed an old man, a German, by the name
of Sheeman and his little son. On Spring
Creek, IN Gillespie county, they killed Mr..
and Mrs. TAYLOR and carried off their chill
dren, ! don't now remember the number,
but three or four Pm sure. They killed at
that same time and place a Mr.. Mcdonald,
and carried off his family, consisting OF a
wife and five children. On the Tertenolis,
IN the same county, they carried off a pro-
missing boy fourteen years of age, the son of
Mr. Fisher, and again took the horses
about the different premises, and escaped
without injury. Still later they came again,
aud on Beaver Creek, in Mason county,
they killed a Mr.. Gancing and his wife, but
not until six of the red devils had violated
her 10y turns in the presence of her husband,
who was, of course, wounded and helpless.
They finally scarried Mrs. Gancing bv
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
retained her senses to the moment of her
death, and when found, was able TO give the
statement as Just related
AiAA hAAlNA an blu man Nv TIC Idllt Oh
Couch on Deer creek, on the edge of Mason
county, shot young man by the n anne Il
Lowe on the Little Liano, did many other
depradations, and, as usual drove our horses
before them and escaped without injury
Just rs was leaving home they came on the
Leon, in Macon county, and shot old Mr.
Putnam and son, and drove off quite a num-
Der of horses that were making their way
further down into the settlements / have
not mentioned near all the depredations that
have been committed on the Sixty-Seventh
Representative District alone within few
months past. do not remember the names
and particulars of the other cases; the truth
Is rather seek 10 forget than TO remember
such horrible scenes. You NAV ask why we
don't keep our horses in good strong stables,
and be ready TO make chase after the In
dams. | answer, that ten, twenty, or thirty
Indians generally take horses regardless of
one or two or three men and their stables
Again, | may answer, that the people on
the frontier OF Texas are generally stock
growers-they raise cattle: and the fact that
their beeves have been subject to all manner
of depredations for four years, leaves many
men without the means TO buy meat and
flour for their families, much less for their
horses.
The horses are necessarily left, therefore,
Ia. take the desperate chance on the range
Since the break up the few in that country
who were fortunate enough TO have any
horses remaining have been unable TO rem
der them available for much good, because
when they could collect them they couldn't
sell them, and now that they could get a lit
tie something for them, their horses are all
gone, and they are unable TO collect them.
Last summer and fall, men, neighbors Of
mine, came 20 me at San Antonio, and
begged me to aid them, if | could, in get
ting three or four dollars per head for the
choice out Of a drove of five hundred noble
muskero grass beeves, where in a drove
at that time not one beef of which was less
than four and from that to eight years old.
They had TO drive them home again. The
great necessities of the people had caused
them 10 overStock the market.
am, very respectfully, your obedient
servant, JAMES 4. RANCK,
Fort Mason, Mason County.