The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-07-31
Letter from Texas.
BUFFALO GAP. WEST TEXAS, J
Julv 00 1870. {

Editors dispatch: HAVING lew DAYS
ago ridden through the counties OF Taylor,
Jones, Shackeltord, and Callahan, L Will
write YOU short account OF it.
Setting out from this place early IN the
forenoon. we, my companion ana myseH,
rode northward, having as our oo1ccLVe
roint for that day old Fort Phantom Hill,
some thirty-five miles distant. Passing
along q vast prairie, from which is afforded
magnificent view Of a picturesque coun-
try. we reached the old military road SAID
to have been surveyed by General K. +.
Lee. then an officer in the United States
army, several years before the beginning OF
| the late war.
| - As the day began to draw to close we
came in sight of what was once Fort Pban-
tom Hill, Though now several whae .chlm-
news, like lone sentrieS. are all that keep
watch over the ruins. The rampartS have
long since been leve'led with the earth. 1t
| is said that at the commencement OF the war
in 1861 the United States troops, upon
eyacuating the place, DESTROYED the fortlfi-
cations. 1t has never been garriSoned since.
! There are few houses in and around 1t,
and the site OF the old fort may soon be the
foundation OF thriving town, situated as
| it is on the line Of the projected Texas and
| Pacific railroad.
| OF the weird name which the site OF the
old military post bears, and were told that
when General Lee was prospecting for the
location OF a fort which he had been sent
to establish, he, upon coming within scye-
raj miles OF the place upon which it was
afterwards built, saw towering above the
surrounding eminences lofty bill which
vanished ut bis approach. 1t proved to be
mirage, Il phenomenon not uncommon In
this country-hence the name Fort Phan-
tom Hill.
Though the country around it is unde-
reloped, being yet in its infancy, the genial
climate and unsurpassed fertility OF the soil
| OF this region make it but question OF
time when it will be densely populated.
Pleasant farm-houses will dot prairie and
woodland. Now some solitary rancho, the
home Of stock-raiScr, is all in the shape OF
q habitarion that greets the vision OF the
traveller after ride of many hours across
the open country. Continuing on our
route the next day, we passed along sec
tion OF country surprisingly beautiful,
made up as it is Of green meadows and
grandly.rollins hills, which fade against the
far-distaDt mountains. In roaming these
broad prairies of the West one becomes ABB
sorbed in the grandeur Of the scenery
around him, or else has sense OF lonell-
ness to come over him.
| A man may ride for hours with no YES
tige of humanity in sight save perhaps
some solitary horseman, "llke a speck
against the sky.' That this vast area OF
country is almost uninbabited is owing
doubtless to the fact that until within the
last few years there has been no adequate
protection against the incursions OF hos
tile bands OF r1arauding Indians.
The next point reached after ride OF
forty miles was Fort Griffin, a military post,
i'm ShackelforG county. garrisoned at present
by one or two companies Of United States
| troops. There is a considerable town,
| which is now going to decay, built near the
| fort. Two or three years ago it had the
reputation OF being the "fastest place" on
the frontier Of Texas. In its midnight
reyeIs and drunken orgies riot and blood
she'd were of frequent occurrence. Here 1t
was, some two years since, that the prose
cutting attorney, native OF Virginia, went
into q dance house, with the sheriff aud q
deputy, in which some desperadocs were
flourshlng their reyolverS, in order to arrest
| the rioters and quel the. disorder. Ihey
were opposed by three rufhans. all armed TO
the teeth. The combat, which speedily
opened, was "Short, sharp, and declslye,'
resulting in q serious wound to the prose-
Cutlus ulIOl ues WuO WIS SuUI IuIOuSu IuC
lungs, and the killing of one Of the despe-
radoes, the remainder Of whom took to
flight.
Leaving Fort Griffin, the next point
reached was Albany, small, quiet town,
the coupty-seat of Sbackelford county.
Continuing our route through tue town
OF Belle Plain, the county-seat Of Callahan
county, which from its location is deserving
! OF that appropriate name, we returned to
Buffalo Gap, an account Of which town,
with the surrounding country, has been
given in former letter TO the Dispatch.
VIRGINIAN.