Tom Green County, TX - Bios:  Mrs. Helen Ketchum

TX BIOS:  Mrs. Helen Ketchum
   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
   
   Folk Stuff - Range Lore
   
   Range-lore
   
   Nellie B. Cox
   
   San Angelo, Texas
   
   Page one
   
   RANGE-LORE
   
   Mrs. Helen Ketchum of San Angelo, Texas, wife of the late J. Van
   Ketchum, tolls of Jim Ketchum (Van's father) being killed by the
   Indians. Eugene McCrohan, (now deceased) one of the early settlers of
   this country, gave the details of the story to Mrs. Ketchum. Jim
   Ketchum was a cousin of Tom Ketchum, the noted outlaw.
   
   "In the spring of 1867, Jim Ketchum started with a large herd of
   cattle to Fort Sumner, New Mexico. The government had seven thousand
   Navajo Indians imprisoned at Fort Sumner and the range country
   supplied the beef for the prisoners.
   
     NOTE: C12 - Texas
     
   "Other herds gradually joined that of Ketchum, two of those known
   being [Eugene?] McCrohan and Sam Gholson. They traveled slowly,
   reaching the Hondo River in New 00022Mexico that fall, and finding
   plenty of water and grass, wintered there with their herds. This camp
   was about where Roswell now stands. They had no Indian trouble,
   although there were lots of Indians. A troop of cavalry was stationed
   at Camp Charlotte at the head of Kiowa Creek.
   
   "Having sold the cattle for a satisfactory price, these men prepared
   to return to their homes. Ketchum and two companions traveled "light"
   carrying their supplies on pack horses. They left before the others
   were ready. Mr. McCrohan purchased two Santa Fe or Murphey wagons, as
   they were known in those days, and to each of these wagons were
   hitched three yoke of oxen. Thus, they proceeded on their slow and
   tedious journey, but always kept within three or four days' travel of
   Mr. Ketchum.
   
   "One morning one of their party was sent out to kill a buffalo. In a
   short time he came rushing back to the wagons yelling, "Indians!
   Indians!" but on being questioned, admitted that he had not seen any
   Indians but had found the body of a man riddled with bullets. Several
   men of the party went to investigate, finding the bodies of Ketchum
   and his two companions, a McDonald boy, and a Mr. Comperry, near what
   was called the Mustang Waterhole. One of the men rode rapidly to Camp
   Charlotte with the news, and a detachment of cavalry 00033was sent to
   the scene. The bodies of the men were buried by the soldiers, near the
   present day town of Tankersley. The graves are still recognizable.
   
   "The ground and surroundings at the scene of the fight, gave evidence
   that the three men put up a gallant fight. They took refuge in a small
   arroyo where they were well protected on three sides. On the open side
   stood a hackberry tree and the Indians took advantage of the
   protection afforded by the tree. So fierce was the gun fire that the
   tree was cut down. How long the battle lasted will never be known, but
   the ground was covered with shells. Mr. Ketchum and his companions had
   a good supply of ammunition, fine guns, and there were never braver
   men than those behind the guns.
   
   "After the men were killed, the Indians had thrown rocks until the
   bodies were almost covered. The "greenbacks" with which Mr. Ketchum
   had been paid for his cattle, were torn in pieces and scattered over
   the ground, the Indians evidently not realizing its value. The
   fragments of paper money were gathered up and brought to Mrs. Ketchum
   who sent them to the United States Treasury for redemption."

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