TX BIOS:  Daniel Boone Sinclair
   Selected and converted.American Memory, Library of Congress.
   
   Washington, 1994.
   
   Preceding element provides place and date of transcription only.
   
   This transcription intended to be 99.95% accurate.
   
   For more information about this text and this American Memory
   collection, refer to accompanying matter.
   
   U.S. Work Projects Administration, Federal Writers' Project (Folklore
   Project, Life Histories, 1936-39); Manuscript Division, Library of
   Congress.Copyright status not determined.
   
   00011
   
   Range-lore
   
   Ruby Mosley
   
   San Angelo, Texas.
   
   [Folkstuff - Range - Lore [?]?]
   
   Page one [?]
   
   RANGE-LORE
   
   Mr. Daniel Boone Sinclair and Mrs. Melvina Graham Sinclair, were born
   in Missouri. They had a family of several children. Daniel Boone
   Sinclair, Jr., was born in 1863 in Madison County, Missouri, soon
   after his father was killed, then a little later his mother passed
   away. At eleven years of age Daniel Boone Sinclair, Jr., came to Texas
   and made his home with the J. A. Goodnight family for sixteen years,
   riding the range most of the time. Tears were shed in expressing his
   gratitude for the goodness of Mrs. Goodnight to the wandering cowboys,
   she and Mr. Goodnight being the only mother and father he had ever
   known. He revealed his good training and character, in pictures as
   well as words, as he showed the picture of each of his children at
   different times being baptized.
   
     NOTE: C12 - 2/11/41 - Texas
     
   00022The old fashion baptizings were held in the river where hundreds
   of people gathered. Mr. Sinclair was father of two families; his first
   wife was Mrs. Lella Fields Sinclair, three children were born to them;
   his second marriage was to Miss Lillie Cain, to which J.A., A. D., and
   Mrs Lillie Sinclair Mullinax, were born.
   
   "I was just a wandering orphan boy when I went into the Panhandle just
   north of the Pease River, looking for work, and some place to live,"
   says Mr. Daniel Boon Sinclair, Jr., known as "Missouri Kid". "I got a
   job with the Half Circle Box Ranch near 1331 [Breckenridge?] and my
   dream had come true, I was a cowboy at last. I was such a kid; but
   nothing was too hard for me.
   
   "Our ranch business was going as smooth as that kind of work did in
   those days, when a band of Comanche Indians attacked our place one
   night and swiped seventy of our horses. We got on our horses and
   trailed them to six miles north of San Angelo; here's where the
   skirmish began, we sure had a bloody fight; Ray, Thompson and four of
   our other boys were killed. The negro soldiers from Fort Concho were
   called in to help us and sixty of them were killed. The Indians were
   happy over killing the so-called Buffalo Soldiers, (meaning negro
   soldiers). Johnson was commander at the fort at this time. We killed a
   good many Indians; we never knew how many. We rounded our horses and
   got them ready to return to the ranch when the Indians made another
   attack and got fifty of our horses. During the skirmish I got shot in
   the hip with an arrow. 00033I laid in Old Fort Concho twenty-two days
   before I could ride again. This battle was fought on White Flat.
   
   "During the time we were here J. A. Goodnight had taken over the Half
   Circle Box Ranch, and me and eleven more of our crew were to take the
   horses back. Charlie Thompson, Willis Benson, Wild Bill, Arch McDonald
   (and I don't recollect the other names) made up the bunch. Our food
   supplies had run out and we didn't have any money after being delayed,
   so our only resort was meat of any kind that we could get and this was
   eaten raw for a period of six weeks. An Indian friend of ours warned
   us that one hundred Indians were on our trail. At this word we set out
   with a long road ahead of us. We made 247 miles in three days and
   nights without water or food. Three of the boys' tongues swelled out
   of their heads before we got water for them. I laid over for about
   eighteen months on the Old Half Circle Box Ranch, owned by J. A.
   Goodnight, recuperating from the arrow wound and starvation period
   which I suffered while going from San Angelo to the Panhandle. Old
   "Missouri Kid" was afraid he would not ride again.
   
   "Now it was time for the main round-up and I couldn't miss that, the
   most interesting event of the year. Jack Smith, Charlie Thompson and
   me were to take 145 head of horses to the old Goodnight Ranch/ in the
   Panhandle. On the way when night came we always hobbled our horses so
   they would range near our camp. Well, me and the two boys were at it
   when 00044a band of depredating redskins attacked us. Jack and Charlie
   were killed and they would have gotten me but I mounted my horse and
   jumped off a bluff in the water. My horse was a good swimmer, so we
   went on across the Pease River and to the ranch. I got forces from
   Fort Sill and the ranch then we put up a good fight for six long
   hours. Some Texas Rangers and six of our boys were killed. We killed
   many Indians but we never knew the exact number. We took what was left
   and went on to the round-up, which was a very unhappy occasion after
   the skirmish with those hostile Indians.
   
   "Just eight days later the Indians made another raid and sneaked our
   horses. We had about 120 men at the round-up and they all mounted
   horses except me. There was nothing left so I jumped on a little mule.
   We circled the ranch, going in every direction to get our horses
   again. Tom Scott, Billie Smith, and me were cut off from the bunch by
   sixteen Indians. My, it was cold and these Indians were wild and kept
   us dodging until late in the evening.
   
   "When the other boys found us I was shot in the shoulder but kept
   fightin'. A cowboy wouldn't quit. We used all of our ammunition and
   there was nothing left to fight with except our fists; then we really
   clashed. The hand to hand flat fight lasted most of the night. I had
   lost so much blood that I was carried to the ranch. The wagon man
   served as a surgical physician, 00055as he was used to cutting meat,
   and he cut the arrow out of my shoulder.
   
   "I was carried to Fort Jacksboro and stayed twenty-one days and was
   off the range for a year and could not use my arm.
   
   "I had two good cuttin' horses, Nigger and White Man, named for their
   color. Money couldn't have bought either of them. We rode all night,
   horses without bridles, as they knew more about the trails at night
   than we did. I rode my night horse twenty-five miles one night during
   a stampede in a thunderstorm; four of our boys and about twenty head
   of cattle were killed by lightning.
   
   "One time Mrs. Goodnight went with us on a trip. We got into town late
   and she couldn't get a bed, as the hotel was full. This made her mad,
   so she wouldn't eat at the hotel. It was cold and snowing and we made
   her a bed in the wagon, as comfortable as possible. The next morning
   we shoveled snow so that she could have breakfast on the ground with
   us. When we were returning home she got in a hurry and asked to ride
   my horse on in. She started out and got a few miles ahead when she was
   stopped by the Indians. They grabbed the cuttin' horse by the reins
   and was going to capture both horse and woman but he was too quick for
   them. He fought and pawed the Indians, then cut around as quick as
   lightning and brought Mrs. Goodnight safely back to the gang. 00066The
   Indians disappeared for they knew we would be prepared for them.
   
   "The Horse Head Battle on the plains was the most outstanding battle
   that I was in. There were over two-hundred Indians killed and only
   four whites. We really had it on them this time. We were hidden in the
   rocks of the canyon and every time an Indian showed up he was shot by
   several different men. We sure had a lot of fun there.
   
   "Me and Lieutenant Red Thompson of the Texas Rangers, saved the
   negroes at Fort Concho. We had been scoutin' around, got hungry and
   needed some sleep so we tied our horses and went in at the back door
   to make it for the kitchen. Mrs. Charlie Fields, the cook at the fort,
   saw who we were and shouted, 'Just in time, Missouri Kid and Red.' We
   asked for food but she gave us whisky and ammunition. Some of the
   negro soldiers were called out to Dove Creek to do a little fightin'
   in what is known today as the Dove Creek Battle, and the Indians came
   from some other source and tried to take the fort from the remaining
   soldiers. The Indians began coming through windows and doors but Red
   and me with the help of Mrs. Fields and the booze she gave us soon
   cleaned up on the Indians. The unusual thing about this was that we
   found nine dead Indians in the back yard the next morning. I
   00077guess there were not enough live ones left to carry their dead
   this time. We didn't know which of us killed the Indians but I know
   one thing, I had rather any one would take a shot at me than Mrs.
   Fields.
   
   "I was then sent to Ranger as a Texas Scout for the rangers, when all
   of the Tom McDonald family was killed, except the sixteen year old
   girl. The Tom McDonald family was one of the wealthiest in that
   section and when they were killed the Indians put Tom's head on a gate
   post. They carried the girl with them and it was our job to rescue
   her. Captain of Texas Rangers, Dave McDonald (cousin to the family
   that was killed), Lieutenant Red Thompson and I, set out with strong
   determination to rescue the girl, Millie McDonald. We got on the trail
   and followed as long as we could see. It was raining and cold but we
   kept on going in and out of the woods. About 10:00 o'clock I saw a
   fire away in the woods and we rode as near as possible without
   disturbance and left our horses. We crawled on our bellies until we
   got as close to the fire as possible without sound. The snow began to
   fall fast and thick when old Dave whispered, 'If we run off or disturb
   them they will kill Millie, but if we lay low the Indians will be
   sound asleep about 4:00 o'clock, then one of us will crawl in, cut the
   ropes and escape with her.' We agreed and lay under the blanket of
   snow those long hours; no one knows how we suffered mentally and
   physically. Sure enough, when the long waited-for time came, old Red
   crawled through the slush, snow and Indians, to cut the ropes and free
   00088Millie. They took every precaution in getting out. I stole an
   Indian pony and gave Millie my horse and extra gun. We pushed on that
   night without much speed through rough hills and darkness. We
   continued our escape with as much speed as possible but that was not
   enough. The Indians had followed our snow tracks to [DEL: [???] Fork,
   :DEL] , Red Canyon on the [DEL: [???] :DEL] Brazos. Here they came
   double strong, whooping and yelling, angry as could be because we
   out-smarted them. We began firing but they wouldn't halt, just came
   right on into the canyon where the fight began. We fought and ran but
   couldn't go far because they were closing in on us. We tried to get
   Millie to go on in to the fort which was about twenty miles away. She
   refused, and used her gun with as much skill as we did and would risk
   her life for ours, as we did ours for her. About 9:00 o'clock that
   night we heard a bugle as were being trapped in the back end of the
   canyon. We fired our guns again and again until we were located by the
   soldiers pursuing the stolen girl. We hadn't had food nor water in two
   days and nights, during this cold and horrid weather. Millie lived to
   be an old woman and proved to be worthy of our suffering to save her
   life.
   
   "Two years later the Indians were still seeking revenge; they returned
   to Ranger and caught twelve men and carried them to Red Canyon as
   captives. They chose 00099Charlie Smith first and gave him his due
   course of punishment and in turn gave each what they thought would be
   his punishment. There was nothing too bad for those heartless
   creatures to do. Poor Charlie, they hanged him to a tree and skinned
   him alive, taking finger and toe nails to make the hide complete for
   display. As they were completing the torture, eleven rangers and I
   appeared on the scene. We really scattered Indians, and killed several
   but they carried their dead with them, also Charlie's hide. The
   Indians thought Charlie was dead and so did we, and went on with the
   skirmish which lasted 'most all night. The citizens were released and
   sent back home. Mrs. [Fad?] [Eskew?] had a nightmare that night and
   tried to get Mr. Eskew to go help Charlie. He only said, 'Go back to
   sleep, it's too late to help Charlie now, he is dead.' She went to
   sleep and the dream was repeated. This time she said; 'Fad, go get a
   bunch of men and help Charlie, if you don't I will.' This time Mr.
   Eskew rounded up a gang of men, rode out well armed, to do what they
   could. Charlie was gone but they searched around and found him. He had
   obtained his own freedom from the tree and was trying to make it to
   Fort Griffin. They picked him up and rushed him to the fort where he
   was given treatment. Of course it took many days for him to recover
   and grow a new skin. Charlie lived eleven years and fourteen days
   after the disaster. 001010Charlie came in from the northeast. I didn't
   know any of his people except his brother Jack that was killed. We
   never knew cowboys' people. Most of them were outlaws who drifted in
   from the East. Charlie and Jack ran the H. T. Ranch south of
   Breckenridge on Palo Pinto Creek, at one time.
   
   "When the Indians were sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Mr. Goodnight made
   a contract to furnish 4,000 head of beeves for their meat supply each
   year. I went up there and issued the meat as they needed it. The
   Indians were held there three years, being trained before they could
   be placed on reservation. They still had Charlie's hide which was
   prized among their most cherished possessions. I saw it many times
   during my three years' stay. Ah, them Indians, how I hate them!"

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