The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-06-05
cow R ROSS,
! IN FIGHTER.
ThrilFhg Stories Of His Conflicts
Nih the COmanches by the
Executive of the Lone
Star State.
A TEXAN OF THE TEXANS
How He Rescued Cynthia Ann Par
ker and Broke Up the Great Con-
federation Comanches that
Infested the Frontier.

Under this heading the New York
Herald of last Sunday had the follow
ing interesting interview with Cover
nor Ross:
Governor L. S. Ross, of Texas, who
visited New York for the first time
last week, when he headed the delega-
ton from the Loue Star State that
came to invite ex-President Cleveland
and Mrs. Cleveland to be the guests
of honor at the State fair and Dallas
exposition next October, is a figure
unique among the governors of the
States. He is Texan of the Texans.
Plain and unassuming in manner
as in garb, with voice in ordinary
conversation as mild as a child's, he is
an old Indian fighter and played a
conspicuous part in the exciting scenes
O. pioneer life on the Texas frontier.
The heroism and romance of war have
been personal experiences with him.
Before he was of age he had COPIED with
the Comanches and more than held
his own.
a DIM
He also fought through the civil
war on the Confederate side, and was
the youngest brigadier general in the
service when appointed. He is only
80 years old now, but he has been
elected governor of Texas twice-frst
elected by 100000 majority and the
second time by 10000.
Governor Ross is about six feet tall.
He has gray mustache and goatee,
and his hair is also silvered. His
face is full and his eyes light blue,
with mild expression, but reserved
force is plainly marked in his features.
He wears dark cutaway coat, dark
trousers and soft broad brimmed felt
hat of the kind so much affected by
Texans.
He was born in Bentonsport, Iowa,
September 81, 1888. His father
moved to Texas the following spring.
Since that time Governor Ross has
been a Texan. His father settled at
Waco, McLennan county, and Waco is
still the governors home. In 1858 he
returned from Wesleyan university, at
Florence, North Alabama, just as
Maj. Earl Van Dorm, commanding the
United States forces on the frontier,
was about to start on an expedition
against the Comanches.
Young Ross mustered in 1876 friendly
Caddo and Waco Indians and report
ed to Van Dorm. The governor him
self gave me graphic account of the
first engagement while we chatted to-
gether at the Fifth Avenue hotel.
FIRST CoMANCHE CAMPAIGN.
at was on Oct. %, 1855" said he,
chat our expedition came upon a
large Cemanche village on the False
Wachita river in Indian Territory.
There was short conflict and our
forces killed some ninety of the Co.
manches and captured their town,
their supplies and most of their
horses.
During the contest Lieutenant Van
Camp, an honorary aide on Van
Dorn's staff, a second regiment caval-
ryman named Alexander, one Of our
Caddo Indians and l found ourselves
separated from our command. While
we were consulting, a large number of
Indian women and children came run
ming by, one of the squaws dragging
with her a white girl about nine years
old. l told the Caddo to seize the
white child, and he started to do so
just as band of about twenty-five
Comanche warriors came whooping
down upon us.
SHOT WITH AN ARROW.
GAS the savages rushed forward they
delivered volley of arrows, one of
which pierced Van Camps heart. He
fell MORALLY wounded.
Meanwhile Alexander, the cavalry
man, had been fatally shot and the
Indian, grabbing the gun, shot me and
l fell across Alexander. The next in
slant huge Comauche chief lowered
above me with a scalping knife. /
recognized him at once as Mohe, one
of the fiercest of the Comanche cap
tains. Before the knife could descend
there was tremendous uproar on the
outskirts of the mob Of yelling In
dams, and suddenly Mohe turned, and
with the other braves, took to his heels.
"Lieut. James Majors, of the Second
cavalry, had charged and put the
Comanche warriors to fight. The
Caddo was then discovered untouched,
with the young girl clutched in his
arms.
"Gen. Winfield Scott, then secretary
of war, sent an autograph letter to me
commencing me for my services and
offering to help me to a place in the
regular army should / desire it. be-
lieve this is the only case of the sort
on record, and l was only an unknown
Texas boy at the time.
ADOPTED LIZZIE ROSS.
"The young white girl was sent to
my home in Texas and / hterward