Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-30
ANDREW JACKSON POTTER
The Fighting Parson of the West After
Years of Frontier Ministerial Life
Is Now Confined at his Home Sick, ard Worn
Out at San Angelo. Tex.-The People of His
Own City Remember Him.
SAY AxenLo- TEX. March IS. 1890


New Mexico and Arizona is familiar
with the name of ANDREW Jackson
Potter" the fighting parson of the
West. The daring DECIDE, hair breadth
escapes and personal encounters with
savage indians and desperadoes on the
frontier while bearing the glad tidings of
the gospel, is often discussed around the
camp fires, on street corners and in
barrooms in this western country.
The old parson was remembered
gregations of this city last Thanksgiving
day by presenting him with purse of
$4,000 and load of wood. MIR. Pot
ter's extraordinarily eventful and TO-
mantle life is now more than ever be-
fore exciting interest among the people
of Texas. Indeed the state is Justly
proud of such a living hero, who is so
Identified with its most thrilling history
AT the age of ten years our hero entered
upon the life of a race rider and followed
that occupation six years. How little
did the thousands of light minded people
and gamblers who bet on the steed
be sped around the race track
think that in future years
u SLalWarT nUnt-
ing parson of the wild west.
At sixteen he entered the service of
the United States in its war with Mexico.
During this service he traversed the
plains several times between Fort Leaven-
worth and Santa Fe. During these trips
across the great American desert, only
inhabited by the wild savage Indians,
Mr. Potter's party was often attacked
by bands of these blood-tbirstY ssvages
and had many hairbTeadth escapes,
while others fell at his side victims of
their quaint missiles of death. Our old
hero knows the lovely spot where rests
the remains of many an unfortunate,
hayward boy who fell by the wayside.
In 1851 Potter accompanied band Of
Olive Branch MOTmons near Santa Fe,
on their journey TO the mouth of tbs
Colorado, in Lower California, and cons
tTacted to do their trading with the
MeXicans. We copy the following from
Mr.. Potter's book: eve crossed the
Pecos river at little town called Anton
CHICO, on the west side We encamped
on the east bank, opposite the town.
Next morning my mule was missing. 1
borrowed horse and rode over into the
town. l looked back across the river
and saw several Mexicans on foot trying
to rope my mule. l spurred my
horse, running through gardens and
- fields, and plunged into the river.
/ soon dashed in among them with a
pepper box revolver. The Mexicans
drew their butcherknives. As one of
them ran at me / shot him in the breast
and he fell to the ground. The others
cut al me, but myshoTse would jump out
of their reach. just as l was drawing
trigger at another of the thieves they
ran off, and 1 pursued, wounding two of
them
Many such daring deeds and narrow
escapes from desperadoes and wild In
dians are chronic1ed in his thrill
ing book Even after Mr.. Potter
became a preacher of the gospel
he was forced to fight for his life. On
one occasion while preaching to a
bOisterous crowd Of gamblers and des-
peTadOes on the frontier of Texas Mr..
Potter saw that he would be compelled
to retreat from his pulpit and leave his
hilarious audience to hold high carnival
on the temporarily cOnsecTated spot or
take the law into his own hands and
demand respect for the gospel he
preached. He resolved on the lat
ter course, and deliberately laid
a pair of revolvers on his tenn
porarv book board and informed
his discourse, and that any further dis
turbance would be resented promptly.
The positive manner in which this an
nouncement was made, backed by Mr..
Potter's record, quelled the trouble, and
he says that he never had more attentive
hearers as he finished mis- sermon. Mr..
Potter served as chaplain of Debrey's
regiment in the Confederate army, and
many are his deeds of valor and kindness
well remember by his comrades, many |
of whom still survive and live in this |
state.
After the war he returned to his mis- |
sion work on the frontier of Texas. All |
who were with Mr.. Potter on the border |
of civilization st that time remember |
well the savage warwhoop of the red |
man, while many fell victims to their |
scalping knife. CThe writer's grand |
parents were massacred by the CO. !
manches during the war in Burnett |
county, Tex
A FIGHT WITH -FOUR INDIANS.
We again copy from Mr.. Potter's |
book 'Having crossed Cherry creek, !
suddenly his keen watchful eye saw
something moving along the deep ravine, |
and on close inspection be knew they |
were Indians, aiming to intercept him in |
the valley below. Instantly he saw that |
a fight was perhaps his only chance to |
save his scalp, knowing that if he tried |
TO return to the settlement he had just |
left, that they could overtake him, and |
thinking that perhaps band was already |
there TO cut off his retreat, a fight won |
the only chance. Wishing TO bring on
the contest far enough from
his ambulance not TO brighten |
his team, he refined them |
up TO tbicket mot and made them fast |
He then took his rifle in hand, and,
placing himself so that mot should, he |
oeal his motions from his willy foe, he
fastened to reach the mot unperCeived |
BY them. Reaching the mot in safety |
he cautiously crept through it toahe /
other side, when he discovered the four |
savages about fifty PAGES off, standing |
near to the road, awaiting the arrival of 1
the ambulance, which they expected to /
capture, driver and all. The noise of the /
hammer called their attention to him |
and the two having citizens rifles fired |
at him, the bullets passing near to his |