The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1874-12-05
THE LAST INDIAN FIGHT.
Texas Rangers on the War Path.
From our Special Correspondent
BROwNwooD, TEXAS,
November 20, 1874. I

From our Special Correspondent
| BRowNwooD, TEXAs,l
November 20, 1874. !
AS we have been lately visited by
the Indians, a report of which, nc
doubt, has already reached you, take
the liberty of writing you the truth
about it, more for til, benefit of immi.
grafton than anything else, and hope
you will give it room in your weekly.
On the 18th instant, about forty
Comanches and Kiowas, in detach-
ments, entered our county on the
northwest, the west and north borders.
The main body, numbering between
twenty and twenty-five, passed near
Captain Maultby's camp OF Brown,
Burnett and Coleman county rangers.
Two of the rangers out scouting, dis
covered the trail about three o'clock p.
NJ, and reported the fact immediately
in camp to Lieutenant B. f. Best, who
was commanding daring the captains
absence.
He was in BrOwnwood OIL company
business. In a few moments eight
men, under the lieutenant, were in the
saddle and OH the trail. 1t led towards
Brovnwood, but circuitously. "A stiff
nOrther was blowing, accompanied
with rain, snow and sleet. They fol-
lowed the trail in a gallop for fifteen
miles and within six miles of town,
when they came upon the Indians.
The rangers never checked up their
speed, but charged right in among
them as they were forming for the
fight. The Indians fought desperately,
wheeling, circling, and counter charg-
ing, but giving away be fore the ram
gers all the time. For five miles they
contested the ground like white men.
Darkness closed in and put u stop to
the fight. The rangers scalped the
only two Indians they could find and
rode into town for refreshments
and rest. The next morning
Captain Maultby rode out with his
company, and struck Il fresh trail one
mile and half from town, which led
to the battle field of the previous even-
ing, when it merged into the trail of
the main body of Indians, who had re-
turned back over the ground. The
trail then took "bee-line,n for the
Santa Anna mountain and the reser-
walton. A small party under Sergeant
Mather pushed Oh rapidly after them,
expecting to overtake them every min
ute, while Captain Maultby went by
camp for fresh horses and men. He
over ook and relieved Sergeant Mather
at Santa Anna pass, in Coleman
county, and pushed on in Il gall0p only
fifteen minutes behind them. We have
not heard from him since. The rang
ers stripped their horses of saddles,
threw away their overcoats, and thus
lightened were in rapid and determ-
ined pursuit.
The Indians have not stolen a
horse nor woundeda a man Oh this raid,
and it is the heaviest one ever made
by them into this country. All this is
due to the vigilance, gallantry and eff
fectiveness of our Texas rangers, and
should be an assurance to persons de-
signing to come here of protection. 1t
is the prevailing opinion here that the
like will never occur again. / can,
therefore, in all candor, assure any i'm
migrant into Texas, who wishes to
look at our country, or settle among us,
of protection both for person and prop.
erty. While we depended upon the
United States army could not say so;
now, that we have our own citizens in
the field, / can do so candidly. There
is more danger walking from the depot
in Dallas to the public square after
dark, than there is here in u twelve
months scout Oh the frontier.
Our country is settling up rapidly,
and with the right class of settlers.
Dallas gets large share of trade from
this section. Your friend,
IIGNOSKI.