Tom Green County, TX - Bios: Mrs. M. L. Reasoner TX BIOS: Mrs. M. L. Reasoner 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. Page one [?] RANGE-LORE Mrs. M. L. Reasoner was born in 1841 in Illinois and came to Texas in 1847 with her parents. Their first settlement was made in Navarro County, then they moved to Young County, and later pushed on to Erath County where permanent settlement was established. At the age of 16 she was captured by the Indians and life was spared due to the color of her hair. Several years passed before her marriage. She reared a large family. Mrs. Zeffie Autry of San Angelo, Texas, is one of her grandchildren and tells an experience of her grand mother, Mrs. Mahuldah Lemley Reasoner who died four years ago at the age of 93 years. NOTE: C.12 2/11/41 - Texas "My grandmother Mrs. Mahuldah Lemley Reasoner, witnessed a terrible tragedy," says Mrs. Autry. "She with two sisters and a friend, Mrs. Lucinda Woods, were captured by the Indians. 00022One day the men had gone to cut logs to complete their house and the mother had stepped out for a few minutes. When she returned the house was in terrible disorder and the girls were gone. "The Indians carried the four captives to a spot near what is now Lingleville. They dismounted and helped their captives to the ground. Then, before the eyes of Mrs. Reasoner and one of her sisters, the Indians cruelly murdered Lydia Lemley and Mrs. Woods. The long, beautiful tresses of Mrs. Woods' golden hair was taken by the Indians but the hair of Lydia Lemley was not molested. "The surviving sisters, my grandmother and my auntie, were very happy over their raven tresses, as the Indians would not scalp any one with black hair. They were turned loose by the Indians and permitted to find their way as best they could back to civilization, or fall prey to the wild beasts. The girls wandered for hours, not knowing what direction their home or civilization might be. At last they came to wagon tracks. They still possessed enough reasoning sense to follow the tracks, knowing that they would lead to some kind of settlement, and sure enough they led them to a house in a clearing. It happened to be the frontier home of Will Roberts, the father of Mrs. Woods, one of the slain girls. The men had learned of the kidnapping and were in pursuit of the Indians. They came upon the bodies of Lydia Lemley and Mrs. Woods after long search. 00033"The family did not complete the house but moved to Young County, where the second tragedy occurred. "Twelve men went out on a cattle round-up. John and George Lemley, brothers of Mrs. M. L. Reasoner, were among the bunch. They were soon surrounded by Indians who opened attack as soon as their encircling movement had been completed. My great uncle, John Lemley, age 19, was killed during the fight and his brother George was wounded; Champ Carter was also killed but all the others escaped death. "Some years later my grandmother married, about the time the Indians made their last stand against the sturdy white settlers." 0004Range-lore Ruby Mosley San Angelo, Texas. BIBLIOGRAPHY Mrs. Zeffie Autry, San Angelo, Texas, interviewed, January 13, 1938. ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ Thanks to the Library of Congress http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wpaintro/txcat.html ***********************************************************************