The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-03-11
TELLS OF EARLY
LIFE ON PLAINS
Old Texas Ranger Helped
Bury Victims of Conan.
che Indian Massacre

derned much pride to be n coward"
the then youthful fighter quickly re-
tOrted.
It was probably that pride" he
spoke about while doing service in the
Civil war that has marked "Uncle Ike"
as a successful fighter, and Uncle
Ike" Civil war veteran, ex-Indian
fighter and former member of the
Texas Rangers, has led a quiet life as
marrying squire" Of Tahoka for the
last few years.
Uncle Ike" Metcalf took his first
step onto the fertile plains of Texas
in 1868 as one Of a detachment Of
Texas Rangers. Entering Lynn county,
Or what is now called Lynn county,
from the southeast, the rangers
marched nOrthward to the Tahoka
springs, on the west side OF TahOka
lake, about nine miles northeast Of the
present town OF TahOka, where they
pitched camp and spent ten days.
TELLS OF Trip to Plains.
Metcalf had been stationed at Camp
Cooper, six miles above Fort Griffin on
the Clear Fork branch Of the BrazOs,
as a member OK the Second Texas
Rangers The occasion Of his first
trip to the plains he says was this:
along in the summer Of '6S about
60 negro soldiers, either of the Sixth
or Tenth cavalry, 1 don't remember
which, from Fort COnchO, where San
Angelo now stands, had been sent to
the plains under the command Of a
Lieutenant Gilbert on the trail Of q
bunch Of Indians who had been steal
Ing horses from outlying ranches. AS
the days went by, fear for the safety
Of the negroes grew. No word was
heard from them. Then, one day In
August, orders were received at Camp
Cooper for the SO Texas Rangers sta
toned there to start q search for the
negro troopers
Settlements Near Forts.
"The only settlements In western
Texas in those days were centered
around Fort Griffin, Fort Concho, Del
NOrte, where FL PasO now stands, and
a few other such forts. Indians in
Oklahoma were allowed to leave res
ervatiOns and journey into the western
part Of Texas to hunt the buffalo that
grazed the plains In herds of from a
hundred to several thousand head.
Frequently these Indians, not con-
tent with killing buffalo alone, raided
scattering and isolated ranches, way.
laid travellers, and even at times ven
tured down into Comanche, Brown.
Erath, and other central west Texas
counties.
1T took a brave group of men to
start a trip across the plains facing
the probability of meeting up with
hostile Indians, the scarcity Of water
ing places and the danger of becom.
Ing lost and running out of food, to a
nothing Of the lOnesOmeness Of such
a trip.
All Eager to Go.
"But when the orders came the
whole bunch was rearin' to 20. Can
tain Brown of Erath county was to be
In command. While we were getting
read. to break camp and to start the
trip that was to cover hundreds of
miles that would take weeks to make
O mail carrier Of the Dallas-Weather-
ford Fort Griffin Fort Davis Fort
Adobe" Del Norte line rode in and
told US of a terrible massacre of n
bunch Of California immigrants COM
mitted by a band of COmanche Indi-
ans, that had taken place near the
head Of Devils river, between the
present town Of Odessa and Concho.
las this would not be much u Of
our way we decided to go by way Of
the scene. We arrived at the head of
the river some time later, which was
known as Devils Greek springs. and
found that the immigrants had an
parently camped there several DAVIS
Six miles northwest of there we found
the most hideOus sight 1 ever saw.
Thirty-six people had been slaugh-
tered, stripped Of their clothing, and
cut to pieces. Not one white man
lived to tell the story Of how it all
occurred, but the story was silently
told IN the scene we saw.
Mark of comanches' Work.
I'VE knew the Comanches had done
the work, as the COmanches and Ton
kawas were the only Indians that
rOamed in west Texas at that time.
/ never knew Of a Tonkawa tribe
harming white people, but the Co
manches were always into mischief.
1.-THE Indians probably found the
immigrants camped at the springs and
waited for a good chance to attack
them. When the latter got out from
under cover and on the plains the
Indians sped down on them unawares
and wiped out the entire grOup.
Nothing was left undone. They
murdered and undressed their victims.
took their valuables, cut their throats
and stOmachs open. scalped them. and
left their bodies on the open pralries.
The wagons yer burned where they
stood, and their positions showed that
little fight had been made, for If they
had the wagons would have been cor.