Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-01-14
a3tiseellatteuns &eading,
BEsIEGED BY INDIANS.

BEsIEGED BY INDIANS.
How Texas Rangers Saved the Fam
lily of a Buffalo Hunter.
"A short time ago." writes a CORE
spondent, IT took a blackboard at
Stamford, in Jones county, which is
the northwestern Texas terminus OF
the Texas Central railroad, and drove
to Flat Top Mountain, a distance OF
twenty miles, through a pasture, which
incloses under one fence 100000 acres
Of grazing land. Flat Top Is one of
thousands of buttes scattered irregu-
larly in that region. From Its pima
Gle one can see as far as vision can
reach. It is now a land Of farmers and
stock raisers, but when I was there,
between twenty and thirty years ago,
1t was land Of death and danger.
"In 1876, the year Of the Custer ca
lamity on the Little Big Horn, being
then a Texas ranger, I halted at Flat
Top with a squad of eight rangers. By
some strange means the Comanches
and Apaches just beyond the Texas
border, had learned Of the incident of
the Little Big Horn, and, elated with
the success of the Sioux, the southern
savages were bent upon massacre.
Reynolds, a sergeant, called Mage,
was in command. Standing on the
peak Of the butte he saw through his
telescope a string Of warriors, 200 in
number, moving rapidly toward the
site now occupied by Stamford. where
a dugout sheltered the family Of buf-
falo hunter. We must save them,
Reynolds said, and in less than five
minutes seven men were trotting to-
ward the advancing line of Comanches.
The eighth man was galloping south
ward to secure reinforcements.
1.-The wife and children Of the hunter
were taken up behind the rangers, and
by rapid march a rugged hillock was
reached just in time. The rangers
were armed with carbines and revolv-
ers, and Mrs. Carr, the wife Of the
trapper, had long-range buffalo gun,
left at home by her husband, who had
started a week before to trap beaver on
the upper forks of the Colorado. The
Comanches were allowed to ride with
in close range, when volley unhorsed
five Of their number and disclosed our
position. Surprised and no doubt bad
ly frightened, they retreated in con-
fusion. Our horses, which we had
abandoned, were running over the
range, and were scar caught by our
foes.
by the number Of horses they as
certained our strength, except that
Mrs. Carr was not figured In their cal
culations, and the warriors began prep
arations for a siege. We had a few
pounds Of jerked buffalo meat and q
little bread. Water was a grave con-
sideration, and we felt the more con-
cerned because Of the fact that the
children were already crying from
thirst. After dark we found small
spring at the foot Of our natural for
tress, and we soon filled our canteens.
The food supply was placed in Mrs
Carr's hands. and she proved vivan-
diere worthy Of the trust. We ascer-
tanned afterward that during the thir-
ty-six hours Of the siege she ate moth
ing, dividing her share among her little
ones, and leaving all the rest for the
men.
ITO cut the story short, the Conan
ches made desperate efforts to rush OUR
fortress, each time retiring with loss,
Mrs Carr Staying a big buck with
bullet from her heavy carbine. Our
courier returned at sunset on the Sec
ond day Of the siege, accompanied by
Mr.. Carr and thirty cowboys from
Coleman county ranch. After fierce
battle the reinforcing men broke
through the Gordon Of savages and en-
tered our fortress, bringing plenty or
food. ammunition and water. The day
following the Comanches raised the
siege and departed toward the Double
Mountain fork of the Brazos river.
They left their dead, seventeen In num-
ber, being in a hurry to get away, De-
cause, as we afterward learned, Ma
jor John B. Jones, the commander-in-
chief Of the ranger force Of Texas
was approaching the scene from the
Panhandle, with three troops Of his no
ted Indian fighters, following the trail
Of the raiding red men.
1.-THE youngest Of the Carr children
died Of Group during the siege. Three
of our garrison were wounded by the
bullets of our foes, having been incau-
tious in the efforts to obtain adVan-
tageous shots. One Of the three, John
Ward, died. We buried the child and
the ranger in the same grave, one OF
the men reading the Episcopal burlai
service.
1.-THE grave Of John Ward and little
Iucy Carr can still be discerned by
the inscription it bears, roughly cut
with a tomahawk on the sandstone
monument we placed at the head OF
the double grave. 1t is rugged stone,
and lichen-grown, and
weights town or more. 1t took our
combined strength to turn it over. All
the tomahawks we could procure were
worn out chipping a smooth surface
for the epitaph. which reads:
"'Here lies John Ward, ranger, and
Lucy Carr, in whose defence he died.
Soft rest the prairie turf upon the
breasts of the ranger and the little
child
Major Jones overlook the warriors,
recovering our horses and many more