Young County, TX - History - John Bottorff (Butoff) ************************************************************************************* This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Dorman Holub Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************************************************* John F. Bottorff John F. Bottorff lived within one and one-half miles of Uncle Archie Medlin[Medlan], on the Brazos River, about eight or ten miles west of Graham, and about six miles southeast of Newcastle and numbered among the first settlers in that section. During the fall of 1859, be started to Weatherford to mill; and was driving three yoke of oxen. He usually went unarmed, although William Marlin, his neighbor, often told him he would be killed by the Indians. On this occasion, Mr. Bottorff only had a very small six-shooter. When Dillingham Prairie, in Jack County, was reached, he was surrounded and quickly massacred by savages. The Indians also cut off an ox-tail and took it away. Uncle Billy Kutch and his brother from a considerable distance, saw twenty or twenty-five Indians commit this dastardly deed, and scalp their victims. The local citizens let Mr. Bottorff remain, in the wagon during the night and buried him the following day in a box made of scrap boards. He was buried near the edae of DillinghamÕs Prairie, at a place now known as the Van Houser Graveyard. Uncle Billy Kutch, Ed Ribble, and about seven others, followed these Indians to the Little Wichita. They were unable to overtake them however, but found where the Indians had eaten the ox-tail. Note:-The author personally interviewed W. A. ÒBillÓ Ribble, George, A. C., and L. L. Tackett, F. M. Peveler, John Marlin. Babe Williams, Henry Williams, Mann Johnson, Aaron Laster, James Wood, Joseph Fowler, Bud Ham, Mrs. H. G. Taylor, Mrs. Huse Bevers, and others who lived in this vicinity at this time; also interviewed Mrs. J. T. Bottorff of Denton. We spent several dollars than rode many miles to get Mr. Bottorff's correct name. The following story is from the book: The West Texas Frontier or a Descriptive History of Early Times in Western Texas Volume 2 by Joseph Carroll McConnell