The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-03
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COLONEL HENRY wHALEy.
OF the Old Frontfersmau
Recently Deud


Recently Deud
ApeniueWh. Texas, january 1.-The death
ooionei Henry Whaley, which occ,rred
"' ms nome few miles north of this nl,ce
oh last wednesday, closed an eyentfpl an
reer' He was distinctly a fro,tis-s,,,,,
-s rue was spent among the wilds OF the
"est uhVai the great West ceased
~ W "iia' and then he sat down and lil.a
fAieAahaer the Great, wept because there
were no more wilds for him to CONQUER
IN loos Colonel Whaley enigrated from
Cooke county and settled on a fertile hsnd
~ lr; tsou river ON the northern border OF this
tCiay) county, and the place TOOK bis ma na
and Us yet known as Whaley's Bend Hare
| ne iald out and began operating stoc,,
anu gram farm. which he continued ia do
10 the day of his death. Wv
~ tnut tine There were few settlements
,.am,, W So r county and not many stock
lahches Inc county still belonged tn tbe
apoilglnes-the Comanche Indian and the
puHaio' There were United States soIdiers
at Ft. SUI. FIT. Richardson (JacksboroI
anu ~. Grifhn, and IL was to these trooDs
.''al Colonel Whaley disposed OF his grain.
a troop OF cavalry would PASS back and
lor,h between the forts every week or two
ana sometimes they would stop several
days with him to rest UP their horses
He had many desperate fights with The
..a'ens' puD WIS never seriously hurt by |
liem. But they stole great deal of his |
stock Claims for such losses paid him by |
the government ran well into the thous. I
ands.
las inst battle with the Indians occur
req IN the summer OF 1870. He was work
ing farm for Mrs. Gilb@rt, whose husband
mad died and who had moved with her
Children to civilization. Having first am
ana shocked the grain ON the Gilbert place
ne cut and shocked his own aud theu start
ed back 10 Gllberts to stack the ain.
but upon arriving in sight of the ranch
he discovered a band OF perhaps 200 Indians
Dusty engaged In burning the shocks of
grain ana farming implements. Co.onel
Whaiey was mounted on a good horse. but
his men. some fifteen in number. rode
only work mules and having been discover
cd and fired upon by the Indians. he quick
" decided that bad run was worse than /,
q bad stand SO he fought and fell back !
slowly to the shelter OF Gilbert grove a d
lew scattering trees on the high prairie !
overlooking the Big Wichita yallev In thia
grove Colonel Whaley killed two Indians,
,ut lost one man, killed, by the name OF
3rock. After three hours hard hghting, Il
Night came on. and while the Indians slept G
;olonel Whaler and his men slipped away, g.
wan Red river and made their way to b
oldiers' camp On Whisky creek few "
niles distant. in the Indian Territory. This y
and OF Indians was led by Chief Kicking ~
'ird and the notorious White Ho sc. A n,
sw Gays afterwards Colonel Whliey Wis w
.ed the government post at FIT. Sill AMI
lot some OF tine Indians who were in the
ght at Gilbert grove. They recognized
i'm and would eye HIM curiously and ex- M
aim in broken English. White chief hsap 10
rave!' -
During the same year Colonel WhaIey's f ri
zen We're In the field on his home place. T..
aullng grain, when the Indians made q 10,
lh on the ranch folIse and killed one :
an, who was attending to some work ga
Ock. Colonel Whaley was In the house | col
hlch was always kept well supplied With cri
Winchester rifles and ammunition, and he ne
,ured such yolley of lead in.o~them J
at they made oil without scalping the my mp
an or taking any mules. The men at ~ ~
nrk in the field, hearing the firing. took tw,
u thelr teams. mounted them and 1onef bee
the fight. John Wha1ey. lad OF soma I
or III years. was In the neld with IN" bee
sn and In their excitement they forgot era
d left him. When they returned they tiol
ind that he had climbed down from tina con
I'd OF grain on which he had been riding ~ ~
was secreted underneath 1t on the s.r
unds Of the wagon, frightened half to p
eth. IpIs
Colonel WhaIey fought the Indians 10 SEA SEA
xas more or less during period OF fcrv the
ars. He was volunteer in the Mexican kal
a and also served in the war between 10 10 +,
!, States. He was tall and stnrd erect b Is,
s seyenty-three years bore lightly on 'A'
n. for he would not have been taken
over co. He was married but hts fam WI
never lived With him at Wh7ley's
nd. They remained IN Coke county. reg
was loved nv his nelghbors and WIS BY -
m laid 10 rest in the neighborsood ceDi-
nv, He died OF inflammation OF the last
oder ber