Hopkins Co., TX - Bios: James D. Clifton
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Pat Howard <mendocinosunrise@gmail.com>

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           BIOGRAPHY OF JAMES D. CLIFTON
                 INDIAN TROUBLES

James D. Clifton, an old pioneer citizen, a plain, unassuming farmer, acme
with his parents into the state of Texas in the year 1837. He was a boy at
that time eight years of age. He lived in Titus County for a while and
afterward came over into Hopkins County. When he came across the Red River all
the country lying south of Cypress Bayou was known as Nacogdoches District.
Texas was at this time a republic, and the county wild and rough.

At the age of twenty-seven years he met Miss Eliza Hudson of Hopkins County,
with whom he fell deeply in love. They afterwards married. Four children have
been born to them. They are all living in Hopkins County, Miss Mattie married
Monroe Dawson, a gentleman of splendid ancestry and one that no lady would be
ashamed to bear his name, a prominent merchant and an all round business man.
J. H. married Miss Mattie Gregg, Turner married Miss Kate McCoy, daughter of a
worthy old pioneer citizen. David is yet single and lives with his aged
parents and has control of his father’s plantation and his business affairs.

Mr. Clifton has been a great hunter, and has killed every kind of animal ad
beast that was common to this country, except a mustang horse. He has killed
buffalo, panther, catamount, bear, wild cat, deer, otters, rattlesnakes and
pole cats. It would require page after page to give an account of the wild,
hazardous, hair-breadth escapes he has experienced in these hunts, but the
reader must know, if only from imagination, that buffalo, bear and panther
hunting is both exciting and dangerous. The hides or skins of these animals
are all profitable and considered quite valuable. There has been a demand in
the eastern and northern markets for the skin of such animals, and when it was
possible for the people in that day to market these skins, they brought to
them considerable revenue.

Mr. Clifton relates an interesting but a sad and grievous incident of the
massacre of the Ripley family about seven miles below where Mount Vernon in
Franklin County is now located. Mr. Ripley had moved from the Old States and
settled with his family on this place. He had erected a small log cabin almost
insufficient to afford comfort for his large family, which consisted of ten in
number. On this occasion he had business of importance to look after in Red
River County and was absent from his home and family when this deplorable
affair occurred. About two o’clock in the afternoon his two oldest daughters
were in the cabin and heard an unusual noise, the crack of a gun which fell
upon their ears like the crack of doom. They both with one accord sprang to
the opening in the cabin. To their horror and distress they saw a band of wild
Indians advancing at a rapid pace toward their cabin. With a maniacal scream
they jumped from the opening in the cabin, and with lightning speed, horrified
and distressed, hid themselves in the dense wild woods near by. The rest of
the family was killed.

Henry Stout and John Denton the following spring gathered a small company of
men, getting some from the state of Arkansas, and followed the Indian trail.
They came upon the Indians about half-way between Dallas and where Fort Worth
is located at present. They had a small village. The men burnt the village and
shot a few of the Indians. While the village was on fire they pursued the
Indians. The Indians ambushed the company of white men and killed John Denton
and wounded Henry Stout. Henry Stout is the father of that grand old patriot,
champion bear hunter and trailer of thieves, Sealin Stout. John Cullom was
engaged in this Indian fight. John Cullom is now dead. He was an old pioneer
of Hopkins County.

Mr. Clifton is esteemed as an upright and conscientious man, and possesses the
respect and warm regards of a wide circle of acquaintances. He has been a
useful citizen in the county. Now, when he looks back over his past lift he
has nothing to regret.

SOURCE: Early History of Hopkins County Texas - E. B. Fleming, Publisher 1902
Pp. 69 – 73 Edited and transcribed by Pat Howard
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