The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-05-23

Jackson, an old Ranger, quietly said that
he could count him for one. jackson
was lust the man for so hazardous an
undertaking. He was shrewd, daring
and experienced in frontier troubles.
| Others volunteered as joke, but he
meant business. The man who went to
Fort Sill on such an errand not only
excited the undying hostilities OF tie
Indians, but threw down the gauntlet to
the United States Government. Cooper
proposed to head the party mounted on
Old Douglas. The company burst into
roar of laughter. Old Douglas was
race-horse without an equal between
Red River and the Rio Grande,
and every body allowed that Cooper had
keen eye to his own safety in the event
of detection and pursuit.
The party broke up without coming to
an agreement. The proposal was not re-
garded as serious. 1t was thought to be
mere Dar-room talk. Three days after
ward one of the company met jackson |
mounted on apowerful bay mare, armed
with Henry rifle and six-shooter. |
"Why, Jackson" said he, "where are
you goingT The ranger coolly replied
that he was going up to Fort Sill to
square Cooper and cut out some Indian
| Il.
his doubts Well, you'll see in few
days," drawled Jackson. "Pll be back
before long with a whole cavyard of
Comanche ponies.
He rode away, but the sequeal proved
that he told the truth. 1t was indeed
desperate adventure. Nearly one thou
sand Indians were encamped on the res
ervation at Fort Sill, protected by six
or seven companies of colored cavalry.
Large droves of ponies were grazing in
the vicinity. Jackson, with McCarty
and Mathers, two spirits as daring as
himself, deliberately determined to cut
out a knot of these horses, and run
them across the border into Texas.
They camped in an isolated spot on
Cache Greek, about six miles from the
! fort. 1t weuld not do to be recognized
by anv one of the post. Jackson said
they did not fear the Indians. The
dragons, or smoked Yankees" as he
2 called them, were all that stood in their
way. Three days and nights were spent
lurking around the Indian camp and
picking out choice drove of ponies.
. About sundown on the fourth day a
Z select lot were discovered in a great bend
of the creek four miles from the fort.
J The three men were well mounted.
: = They swept down upon the ponies like
y falcons, yelling and screaming, rounded
' them up in true frontier style, and
started for the Texas border at full gal
e lop. The Indian herders were scattered
like chaff. The boldness of the ma
= neuver was the cause of its success. The
y Indians saw three men, but supposed
= = that there were at least fifty. A few of
y their herders ran to Fort Sill to give
u the alarm; others aroused the Indian
T encampment, and by twilight the saw
u ages were on the skirts of the raiders
VI McCarty and Mathers kept the drove Oh
le himself firmly across the trail, and kept
IL rifle that the Indians, fancying them
n selves outnumbered and fearful of +:
re trap, gave up the chase shortly aftel
dark.
Al Fort Sill was four miles away. TIL,
10 officials did not hear of the raid unit
-. nearly two hours after sunset. Two com
y panies of colored cavalry were throw
ne in pursuit. Imagining that the raider
= 50 would take the nearest route to the Re-
u. River, they set out at full speed bu
Ell after riding until midnight withou
d striking a trail were satisfied that the
~ had been thrown off the scent. Jack
eu eu son, with prudent foresight, drove th
'er horses direct to the Abilene cattle trai
us the great highway between Texas an
Kansas. His footsteps were swallowe
.is' in this broad thoroughfare. A man Nigh
us as soon hope to trail a drove of horse
II, III down Broadway as to find the hoofprint
rs on the great Abilene road. There W.
er, but one rancho on the route 1t W:
se seu thirty miles from Fort Sill, about ha
'@uS @ way between taat post and Red Rive
gre Fitzpatrick, its owner, heard the DARN
Iae IL,e raiders sweep by soon after midnigh
ial J The ground trembled beneath the hoo
,nd ,ad of the jaded drove, and the air r
leI d sounded with the yells of the drovers.
l 1Iu At sunrise Jackson had reached Il
Dle banks of the Red River, sixty-thr
Une T miles from Fort Sill. He breakfast.
lhe at Missouri BilPs ranch in the Indis
,e;. ,e;. Territory, and the horses were urg
leil across the stream. They entered Tex
'ha' gazed at the herd in astonishment, b
jackson made no stop and answered
tart drova d 1voS +,,rnod ont 70 rross ond :
yen ,1 triumphant triumvirate made divisi
ltn- of the horses. jackson drove his al
ome mails in the direction of Fort Richal
au- son, and McCarty and Mathers took
uu ferent trails.
TeIe re That night the negro cavalry arriv
at Red River Station. On the follow
sne day they struck the three trails and f
sieo 1i lowed them like hounds on a deer-trat
ui"n i The chase grew hot. Mathers a
JAN McCarty soon left their droves and
SCI gan to look out for themselves. Jacks
~ I, a' kept his herd together until within
'neIs teen miles of Fort Richardson, and th
pos.. deserted them and broke for his
~ Sn home in Fannin County. The VIII
-ney country was filled with Indian poni
anu an and for weeks afterward black-and-t
s,Le sneei dragons were securing the prairies pi
',iu, aua ing up the stregglers.
,: ohe On his Way home Jackson was arres
H!an ,asn. by Sheriff Stevens, of Wise Coun
VIZ sa;os On the road to Fort Richardson he
L;a capped from custody, but was recaptur
u,nS mns taken to the Fort and placed In iro
lneu .nmu The news Of his daring exploit spr,
,, through the country, and created
~ tense excitement. The cowboys dan
A4om two with joy. They gathered at Fort Ri
two t,ro ardson with the intention of assist
on1 Smo him to escape. One of his guards
,oryd ovTi bought over, and the plot was ripe
, ha' execution, when the prisoner was tal
! NJ to Fort Sill under a strong escort.
them ,ms aI.a;.s saAeu W ~ nm WIN unuiesu ~
the ouad;t snn nne ness 10y sase In ain:
they rnont +ha,, a,o nan 80, az, ; uin "tm.t tant
ooper and Snrn b;ro e ond annas.is, ~ Inr, W.,
He tLo Ea, ILL, anu l ooeou
ming the;r % o1S uonan ne W oon uuan lin I'm over
that ,uaa % rof,'ao my vi ooui'e' 'neif req
for ""I Ioa1,snx aJ,useI.
lough eor. nna ias My tn ii IA inaiIs i1i
= at sum of $500. His friends quickly
Nv nished the money. He shook the {
Fort t.I OH IN, ironi nls leeI anu henel
indian .uIneu. Inc DOnos were WIlIlI