The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-10-02
BIG FOOT'S SLAYER.

A Thrilling Episode in the Life Of the Late
Captain Ho~s Of Texas.
The name Of the late Captain Shapley
p. Ross, father of General Lawrence Sui
Ivan Ross, present governor of Texas, in
one of the most noted i'm the annals of
central Texas, saws q letter from Austin
tn the st. Louis Republic. He came orig
inally from Bentonsport, o., and emf
grated to the then wilderness of Texas i'm
1879, when his son ''Sul," afterward briRa-
dicr-Reneral in the confederate army, was
OF powerful frame, with cool courage
whom he was so often thrown in contact,
Captain Ross had all the qualities ncces-
sary to the makeup Of the hardy pioneer.
came "a leader of the white settlers against
the Comanche and Kiowa Indians, who
then ruled that section.
The settlers recognized Captain Ross as
their leader for many years and while the
treacherous and willy Commanchcs were
in the habit OF making raids into the set-
dement, on what was then the frontier.
Like wild animals they crept around in
the woods or lay in the tall grass around
the log abin of the settler, stole his horses
at night. or attacked his home in the day
time In force and slaughtered his family
or carried his children away into cap
tivity.
Against SO stealthy, merciless and cum
uinR an enemy the white immigrants to
the wilderness nov COMPRISING the popu-
and others of that region, required "a man
of nerve, tact, bravery, ability, IND II cum
ming equal to the savagcs themselves.
They found such n leader in Captain Ross,
then In the prime OF manhood.
An incident will illustrate the GOODNESS
of Capt. Ross i'm the of peril and
the kind of life led by the early pioneers
OF Texas. He had been absent from home
and was returning. His son "Sml," then
IA lad, was with him.. When within about
foot, he discovered to his dismay that he
was surrounded by 10 or 10 mounted Co
maehe warriors- Instead OF being over;
quick as hought seized his son, and,
throwing the boy over his shoulder like n
one of the most athletic of men Capt.
Ross actually outran the ponies ON which
the Indians pursued him at full galiop.
i'm the midst of IA shower of arrows from
the redskins, and not only saved himself
but the ad-the future governor of Texas.
Although the life OF Capt. Ross was for
many years n record of almost continued
warfare with n savaHcs one Incident
has, more than any. other, made his name
This was the celebrated hand-to-hand
fight between Capt. Ross and the famous
Comanche chief Big Foot, in which the
latter was slain.
II was i'm 1872. Capt. Ross resided near
where the present town of Cameron,
Milan county, now stands. Ross had just
returned from n visit to Burleson county
where he bought "a fine mare. the Indian,
having stolen all his other horses. A shor'
iIlNe GtteG blls ENtuGh htnt tohh shhhNh hAs-
fronticrsman heard i'm the woods near bs
what an unsophisticatcd person wouls
have thought the w~hinnyinR of a colt ans
the hootinR of owls. But the quick ear q
Ross soon detected the cheat, and IN
knew his house was watched ana sur
rounded by savaRes.- He kept indoors til
next day. when word was conveyed to
neighbor named M~unroe, whose horse
had been carried oil the night previous b.
the Indians. The object Of the CONAN
ches i'm initiating the whinnyinR of a col
was to draw him from the horse and muir
der him.
The thieves had fed with their booty
On examining the trail both Capt. RIOS
and Munroc recognized the tracks OF tn
famous Big Foot, "a Comanche chief q
whom the settlers far and near stood Il
mortal dread, SO cruel were his outraRes
IL WAS determined to raise as good u fore
as possible andfollow the Indians. TIL
party included six, one of whom was
young man, Sharpley woolfork. a nepl
ew of Capt. Ross. They travelled thirt
miles i'm "A rainstorm, which wet the pow
der i'm their fint-lock rifles and renders.
them useless. Two of the party becam
discouraged aud returned. Capt. RIOS
] and the others continued the pursuit.