San Saba County news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1874-19??, 1892-06-03
VOLUME XVIII.
Rock ShOaIes.

ED. NEws.-It was at this time that
Captains Thos Hambric and Riley Woods
did effective work as commander of two
companies of minuit men. During that
long and bloody strife between the South
and North, Captains Woods and Hambric
with what few able bodied men who did
not go to wai, together with few old
men and boys, were the only protection
against Indians that San Saba had. Some
one has said What the Indians were to
New England during her colonial period
so were they to Texas during the Civil
War; specially was this true of San Saba
county,
One day in Feb. 1850, Warren, D C, and
Henry Wood went in search of the form
ers oxen. Wrrren Wood was going to
move his family to Big Valley the next
day The two brothers found the missing
oxen near Cottonwood Pond and had
started toward home, when about one and
one half miles from the pond, they found
themselves surrounded by Indians. Warren
Wood known in history as Boze Woody
was riding a sorry mount but his brother
was riding good horse and could have
outstripped the Indiant very easily, but
staid by Warren. Warren Wood, who had
a cap-and-ball pistol, snapped it at the In
dams three times, but the confederate
caps were no account and the arm did net
90 of Henry Wood had an old citizens
rifle and his one shot at the foremost In
dian after the distance between them had
been reduced to twenty yards. The saw
ages reply was hearty laugh. The two
whites had, in the meantime, been going
towards home as fast as Warren's horse
Guild run. The indian who had uttered
the laugh of derision at Henry Woods
shot, now turned his attention to the
white who rode the slow horse. Henry
Wood, thinking to give his brother bet
ter chance to escape, wheeled his horse
and started back in in the direction in
which lie had been fleeing. This feint
drew the attention of the Indian for mo
ment only, for he soon returned to the
pursuit of the slow rider. The red skin
passed Warren and as he did so the latter
placed the muzzle of his pistol against the
Indians left side and fired, the force of
the bullet caused the foe to reel in his sad
ole, but recovering himself, he let fly an
arrow which pierced the white mans right
side, Henry Wood, seeing that his broth
Ell was near falling, dismounted and took
him in his arms. The wounded man lived
but fifteen minutes. Henry wood was
compelled to leave the body, SO remount-
ing his horsh and while relOading his rifle
he looked up aud saw three Indians, not
twenty feet away, bearing down upon
him. He failed TO get his gun loaded and
fled toward home. He and his neighbors
the next day went and buried the body
of Warren Woods. A few days afterwards
Captain John williams aud his men en-
countered, on Cherokee. a number of In
dads; among them was an Indian who
made himself very conspicuous by his
bravery. This Indian answered, in every
particular, the description of the one that
killed Warren Woods. Captain Williams
men had repeatedly fired upon the Indian
in que stion but without success. Truly
the savage seemed to bear charmed life.
Finally one of the men who had shotgun
fired at the Indians face on short range,
at this he fell. Upon examination it was
found that the dead Indian wore raw
hide waistcoat which covered his entire
body. This, then, was the explanation of
SO many bullets having no effect upon
him. The waistcoat was found to contain
the prints eff over fifty bullets. A single
shot from the shotgun had entered the eye
and had penetrated the brain.
LEMON SOUFEZER.