Jones Co. TX - Newspapers - The Stamford American: September 7, 1924 *********************************************************** Submitted by: Dorman Holub Date: 28 December 2019 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/tx/jones/jonestoc.htm *********************************************************** The Stamford American Friday, November 7, 1924 Battle of Dove Creek Fought in 1863 between 300 Texans and 900 Kickapoo Indians by Austin Callan In 1863 the Kickapoo Indians numbered about nine hundred. They had been less hostile, perhaps, than any other savages west of the Mississippi River. Unlike the treacherous Comanches and Kiowas, the promises they made were usually lived up to and no trail of murder and devastation was left along the way they traveled from one favorite hunting ground to another. during the winter of 1863 permission was granted to this tribe by the United States Department to peacefully pass southward through Texas into Mexico. At that time, the frontier was not very well protected as most of the able-bodied men had been sent to the front to fight on the side of the South in the great Civil War. The citizens had organized, however, for home defense and such units of soldiers were under Brigadier-General James E. McCord, was most active in the western section of the State, where the cattle industry was just beginning to develop, and troops of this regiment were stationed at Camp Colorado, Runnels county, to repulse depredating savages over a wide area. There were also other forces of citizen soldiery giving protection to the country east of Camp Colorado. Peaceful Kickapoos when word reached different commanding officers of the Confederate troops and the other soldiers assigned to looking after the frontier, that a large body of Indians had passed the Brazos river, headed in towards the Colorado and the Concho rivers, it was not known that they were peaceful Kickapoos. No official information had been sent out regarding the intention of this band to journey through Texas and down into Mexico without molesting the white folks along the way. Consequently no blame is attached to the troops who fought the disastrous battle of Dove Creek. It was a fight which might properly be termed a victory for the savages. They really won, although they did not realize it and retreated when they might easily have scored a repetition of the Custer massacre on the Little Big Horn, if they had only followed up their military advantage. The day previously to the fight Lieut. Pete Callan, of Camp Colorado, with a troop of scouts sighted the Kickapoos. His guide was a half-breed Cherokee, named Jim Mulkey and Jim reported the Indians as being friendly. He claimed that any trained guide, could follow an Indian trail for a short distance and tell whether they were changing camp, on a hunt or going out for trouble. The scouts were not sure about Mulkey’s theory being correct; some of there were persuaded tha tit was just an idea of his. but as there were only sixty of the white scouts and nine hundred of the Indians, they concluded it would be best not to attack the Indians. Late one afternoon the tribe stopped near the G.W. Tankersley ranch. Mr. Tankersley was a pioneer of the west who seemed to get along with all Indians who passed his way and he swapped horses with one of the Kickapoo chiefs. This helped to precipitate the fight on the following day, as the Tankersley horse was recognized by Capt. Fossett who happened along with troops of Confederate soldiers, a part of the home reserve used for protecting the frontier, Fossett was joined by Capt. Totten, who commanded a force of three hundred men, from several counties farther back east, and it was decided to give battle. Indians Accept Challenge The Kickapoos, upon seeing that the whites meant to challenge their presence in that section of the country, made ready to defend themselves. There was a large, dense thicket lying between a deep ravine and a steep bank on Dove Creek, which was south of the Concho river. It offered splendid protection and the Indians took advantage of it. But few places were left open to attack. Totten and Fossett held a consultation of war. It was agreed that Totten would charge the thicket with this 300 men from the side on which the ravine was located, while Fossett would capture the horses and drive them back to the rear so that the Indians could not get to them when they commenced to retreat. These plans were carried out so far as Fossett was concerned. He got several hundred head of the Kickapoos’ ponies, but Totten overmatched his force. When his men crawled out of the ravine and into the open space between it and the edge of the thicket the Indians poured forth a deadly fire at short range. Most of the men who were in the lead were instantly killed and the balance were thrown into wild confusion. It was a desperate situation; there was a chance for the whole band to be wiped out; a number of bloody, hand-to-hand fights took place and the odds were overwhelmingly against the pale faces. Capt. Fossett, who was at some distance with the horses and saw what was taking place, immediately had his men turn the horses loose and charge the Indian camp. The men rode furiously among the wigwams and the women and children in order to draw the attention of the warriors from Totten’s men. These wigwams were scattered for a quarter of a mile along the banks of Dove Creek and by the time the charge had extended from one end to the other of the Indian camp, all guns of the white men were empty and it was necessary to retreat. But the expected happened. The Indians rushed to the defense of their own and gave pursuit to the invaders. This gave Totten a chance to get away. Fossett was pursued by the savages to the open prairie where the horses had been turned loose. A desperate encounter took place there and among the killed was Lieut. Giddeon, a popular young officer known to many frontiersman. At one time the little band of only a 110 whites was threatened with extermination. Capt. Totten had been unable to rally his men and could not bring them back to Fossett’s aid. They retreated for at least 10 miles before stopping. But when it looked as if the Kickapoos were going to get their enemy into a deadly noose, Capt. Fossett stampeded 300 of the captured horses, drove them madly over the dismounted warriors and made a safe getaway, holding most of the animals as a prize of war. Kickapoos Retreat That night the whites all camped together and a more vigorous and better arranged attack was planned for the next day. But it never took place for two reasons; first of all the most severe blizzard ever experienced south of the staked Plains swept down on the camp before morning, and in the next place the Kickapoos, believing that they had been whipped, retreated as fast as they could towards Mexico. Fifty brave frontiersmen lost their lives in the battle of Dove Creek and about the same number of Indians were killed. The attack was undoubtedly a mistake, but those who participated in it are not to be blamed. They had long suffered from Indian depredations; their cattle and horses had been stolen time and time again and their neighbors cruelly butchered. Each mind was fresh with the memory of some horrible deed the savages had perpetrated along the frontier and all red men looked alike to them. The Kickapoos continued their journey into Mexico unmolested after this fight. They found a permanent home among the towering Santa Rosa mountains, a 100 miles beyond the Texas border, yet within sight of it, and down there in that hazy, lazy, dream land, they still dwell, much the same people that they were in that romantic past when they chased buffalo on the Clear Fork, the Concho and the Colorado rivers of Texas. The chief difference now being that they have thrown away their tomahawks and live in peace. These Indians harbor no ill will toward the pale-face, so far as one may discern. Those Texans today who occasionally go down there to hunt the fleet-footed deer and the grizzly bear are accorded the very best of treatment at their hands. But you find withered old warriors among them who took part in the Dove Creek fight and whenever the subject of this fight is mentioned to one of these warriors he will take a deep puff at his pipe, blow rings of smoke up toward the sky and with a sad, far away look on his face, will say: “Heap big mistake of the Tehanas, (Texans).” The 53rd reunion of Terry’s Texas Rangers was held in Austin October 18th. Only eight members of the famous Confederate Corps were able to attend the reunion. Col. B.F. Terry, a sugar planter of Texas, organized and commanded the Terry Texas Rangers, which when first organized in 1861 numbered 1500 men. The Rangers fought in the memorable battles of Chickamauga, Shiloh, and Bentonville. Little Albert Paschall, 5-year old son of Mr. and Mrs. R.M. Paschall of New Hope picked 104 pounds of cotton on his father’s farm. W.H. Wright has sold his Home Bakery on Ferguson street to Gus Herspeche of Bonham. Mr. Wright has run the bakery for eight years. W.P. Brown and son, E.H., have sold their cafe on the south side to Mr. W.P. Flowers of Sylvester,. The Brown’s were originally located in the same building with a cafe, later moving to South Ferguson street and then back to the south side location. W.P. will keep his Racket Store. Mr. Flowers is an experienced boarding house man.