The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1913-11-07
INDIAN RAIDS IN TEXAS.
RAID INTO COOKE COUNTY


destructive Indian raids to which our poorly
protected frontier was subject during and
some time after, the late war. AT this time
Colonel James Bourland, one of the bravest
and truest OF all our frontiersmen, command
ed Q. regiment Of Confederate troops with his
headquarters at Gainesville, but at the time
Of this particular raid he was in Bonham on
official business with General Henry d. Nc
Culloch. Colonel Bourland had to protect
such an extended reach of frontier that he
was compelled to scatter his troops in small
squads, far apart, and for this reason 1t was
impossible TO concentrate any considerable
number of his troops at any given point IN
time to repel such an invasion as this. AT
this time Captain William C. Twitty, a brave
and true soldier, was in command OF the Few
troops of Colonel Bourland's regiment, not
exceeding fifty or seventy-five in number,
that then happened to be at or near, Gaines
vile.
AZ the same time Captain John T, Row
land. courageous and experienced Indian
fighter commanded company Of Texas
state troops. Captain Rowland was in camp
ut Red River Station, in Montague county
and was the first to hear of the raid The
Indians crossed Red River into Texas about
Q o'clock in the afternoon of the 22nd OF
December, 1863, few miles below Red River
Station, and at once commenced their fiend-
ish work of murder and burning. They first
came uron the house of Mr.. Anderson. They
killed his wife. and left her with her feet so
near fire in the yard as to roast them. AT
the residence of Wesley Willet they killed
Mr. Willet and one daughter, while his wife
and another daughter made their escape.
They burned and plundered his house, after
which they came to the home of Mr.. g. Il.
Hatfield This family made their escape, but
thew had fled only short distance before
they looked back and saw their home in
flames After having taken such articles as
they wanted the Indians had set fire to the
house. Settlements at this time were quite
scarce along the Red River border, and what
was then known ms the Wallace settlement,
in Sadler's bend in Cooke county, was the
next below Hatfield's, and was some ten or
fifteen miles distant The Indians started
in the direction Of this settlement when they
left the Hatfield place, but we're closely pur
sued by Captain Rowland with about twenty,
five men. The Indians we're between 2OO
and 300 strong. Before reaching the Wal
lace settlement they recrossed Red River and
this led Captain Rowland to believe that they
had abandoned the raid, as il was their Gus
tom to make these sudden inroads upon the
settlements and then escape under cover of
night Captain Rowland and his men had
ridden very rapidly the Indians had so much
the start of them that their horses were com
pletely wearied-so he thought il was best
to turn into Captain Wnllace's and rest his
men and horses for the night, and renew the
pursuit early next morning The news of the
raid and massacre of the Willet family with
usual exaggerations) had already been car
ried TO the Wallace settlement by some ter
rified settler and when Captain Rowland
reached Wallace's he found that the whole
settlement and forted there, as n means OF
protection. The news had also been conveyed
To what was known ms the Gilmore settlement,
on the head of Fish creek, about six miles
east of Walace's; and again to what was
known as the Potter settlement some four
miles southeast of Elmore's, and fleet cour-
Ter had not failed TO carry the news to Gaines
vile. During the night of the 22nd the few
families which composed the settlement
around Captain C. Potter's were gathered
i'm there before daylight of the morning Of
the 23rd Many of these families we're sim
ply women and children the husbands and
fathers being in the Confederate army, and
the few men in the county were armed with
the poorest class of firearms, all the best
guns having been given to those who Joined
the Confederate army.
When Captain Twitty heard the news.
which reached him At Gainesville in the early
part Of the night of the 22nd of December.
he Immediately dispatched about twenty-five
men from Captain S. r. c. Patton s company
10 the scene. These men. after hard ride,
reached Captain Wallace's a short time be
fore daylight on the morning of the 23rd.
Captain Rowland not expecting reinforce
ments and taking these men for the enemy.
came near firing on them before his mistake
was discovered But the Indians. confident Of
their superior numbers, determined TO do
more devilment before leaving, and early next
morning recrossed Red River and went in
below Captain Wallace's. AT sunrise they
were scampering over the prairies stealing
horses, shooting cattle and burning houses.
They soon came TO the fillmore place and their
nuuohar xCoc 40 rnpraca1opflv lorcro fbof tba.-