Freestone County, Texas
Reflections




[SPECIAL THANKS to Linda Mullen for transcribing and Margaret Tolar for locating.]



Diary of Mrs. Frances “Fannie or Frankie” (Noland) Anderson
(Fannie was born in 1850.  She married Judge Asa Green Anderson on May 14, 1868 
 in Freestone County. )
 
Freestone County History With J.R. “Sonny” Sessions, Jr.
Freestone County Times; Jan. 25, 2005:  Mrs. Anderson’s Ledger #15

This relates to the murder of my Great Grandfather Freestone Co. Sheriff J.B. 
Rogers in 1872.  Sheriff and Mrs. Rogers were close friends of the Anderson’s 
having been in their wedding and at other events.

“Our Sheriff”
  Several years after the Civil War, Freestone Co. had her cattle thieves and 
rustlers as others did.  Sheriff J.B. Rogers and John Karner, Pioneer citizen and 
noted Indian fighter owned a small covey of horses kept in a pasture a short 
distance from the County Seat.  One morning the Sheriff was notified that several 
men had turned his horses out and drove them off.  He son had his Deputy and 
horse on their way to the pasture where they took up the trail going south.  A 
few miles beyond Avant Prairie they were in sight of the rustlers when they began 
to shoot back, the Sheriff rushed them with quite a fucilad (sic.) of shots.  
One of the Sheriffs men Hub Harrison was wounded.  That called for a halt.  Jim 
Rogers said he would rather lose the horses than some of his men.
  In the meantime the rustlers were so closely rushed one of them lost his hat, 
W.L. Noland got off his horse and picked it up and it was a fifty dollar Mexican 
Sombrero.  They knew the Pruitt brothers both wore those kind of hats and had 
been suspicioned of rustling but no proof up to then.  They went with Hub back 
to Major Blains who was a fine man and well to do planter on Avant Prairie.  
Some one had already gone for a Doctor, he came and found Hub’s arm shattered and 
had to be amputated above the elbow.  Now he had served during the War, a 
Confederate soldier came home without a wound then maimed for life by a horse 
thief, sad to relate.  One of the men remained with Hub, our Sheriff and other 
men went back to town.
  The next day J.B. Rogers told some of his close friends what his plans were, 
to go alone, follow the horses and bring them back if possible.  He got his 
credentials, left his Deputy in charge, said goodbye to his family and slipped 
quietly away.  He was gone several weeks, then one day he with two or three men 
came in with the horses and put them in their home corral.  Of course his idea 
was the rustlers were making for Mexico and didn’t have much trouble overtaking 
them, being alone and riding horseback he could whip around or across country 
without suspicion that one man was following them.  Finally they camped in a 
river bottom and had passed a County Seat a few miles back.  Deciding this was 
his chance to make his move, went back to town to the Sheriff’s Office, presented 
his credentials, told the Sheriff his business, how many rustlers there were 
and being alone he needed help.  The officer soon had his Deputies and posse on 
their way.  Arriving at the camp, took in the situation, gave no quarters, but 
when the fight was over two of the rustlers had got away.  “Continued next week.”