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Redfield Georgia B. 3-19.37. 670 we.
INTRTIV
Rufus K. Dunnahee
(Ttms.sttattjraEightY-)
0 t R Pi
1 parent p pore T, r and Katherine Atkinpon Dunnahoo„ I am
eighty-etFht rare old, !Yes born in Nispirrinpi on Washington's
birthday February 22, lett9.
Op Hone of Cantain /futon W. Jett
4Tee thip ir the old 'Iotte of Captain Jspors V. Jane p and family.
They ltved bore in 1)191-94. That is Pat Correttpl ol0 home up the
road r couple Ilun(lrel yri ert. t!, have a -icture of Pat Cerrett
and John V. Poe, trelea ',bout the tire Pat larrett ktnee Piny the
Ctd in 18f.l.
live here with my laughter rally ahewning and her husbend
Henry Ihewning.
t.rrived in New !fexico 14t2
T left ran Natanio, Texas in a t'svo horse covered wagon and
arrived in New 'Amino in July, 1480.
"Judge %Ornsy C. Roc!cra the ftrrt school teacher in thir die.
trict rap one of t'le Nen ,ho care in qur nutftt.
Pecor, Telrlp r* truck a Caravan of immigrants, with pis.
teen covered vivonr anekq bundh of cattle. "ry brother.in.las
Oeorge Danner and I rent over 4"Irom -Tar olmr near them and talked
with them. They were quarreling and ooml)latnings. They were die-
eauraqed becwqre the csraming for the cattle was, all burned up be.
08M641 of long drouth. The cattle hal gotten weak and loar from
lask of water lnd food. They wnnted to turn back.
.Prollgbt Cattle to New Yexioo.
made them a proposition, and they took me up on it to
bring their stock through to Seven Rivers for them.
"I got through with them all right.
Oeronimole Band Indians
Stole Teams liorsee.
"We hadn't been at Seven Rivers long when Geronimo's
Apaches came and stole all the teamp.32head of their horsep.
"T bought the Old Beckwith Ranche and had ny horses in a
five foot hiRh anl two foot thick, adobe corral, near the house
so the Indians didn't get mine.
Iodkans Dievneared in Care
Another time Geronimo and eixteen other Indians broke out
of the Mescalero Reeervatinn one day, and the soldiere after them
thought they had them safe in a cave about two and a half miles
east, a little north of Fort Stanton, two hundred yards from the
Bonito River. The soldiers thought to rtaxve the Indians out,
but the Indians never came back, so the soldiers tracked them
through the cave down a river about l4 ranee.
The Indians went through the cave to south ride of Capitan
Mountaids and stole a bunch of horsep and drove them on down this
far,. They cAed right where the New Mexico Military Instituile
is located now. I think Pat Garrett and a posse captured the
Indians over in the Portalep country.
The cave those Indians and soldiers went in is not an large
or as beautiful ac Carlpbad Caverns, There ie one big room. An
underground river flows through all of the cave.
BinAwatith Sbon is Senn Rtirert
"I opened a blacksmith shop in fleven Rivers. Mile we
were living there, seven agone of us were going over to Lae
Vegas. When we got to the Hondo River.right at the entrant:lie
of Roswell we found the river woe tin and there wasn't any
bridge.
Ielpea by Cavtain Josenh C. Les
°Captain Josenh C. Lea and Buck luice came to ur on
horseback. Captain Lea sail he had some Tips (large bee)
and he would give ur some to make a crosring nith. He brought
us three. 449 out sone little underbrush and put aeross the
vigas anl Tranged to cross. Then "'ye came back from Lae Vegas
the river was down but our b:ridge was still there.
°Captain Lea strengthened it and )cent it un three years
for there was lots of traveling through here then to f'ilver
City and to ;Mite 2aks during the 701,1 seekers rurh during the
seventies and early eighties.
Opened Blek-emith chop
Roevell 1841
In 1881 I opened a black.emith shop in Roswell right
where the green Lantern is located now on the corner of Potrth
and !bain streets.
'ben I moved to Rosman Captain and IIrs. Ts, had a boy
and strl.Wilety and Elinor. My wife aril I had three children a
boy -George nunnahoo and two girls Ruth and gaud..
Famed for Vre. Joseph Cs Lea
dnughtero, Mts. Henry Chewning, the one live here
itith war born after re moved to Roswell. We named her rally
for Cartain Lea's wife Sally Wildy Lea.
Played Violin -John Chisum Home Christmas
Night 1880.
I was a musician and played for all the first dances anti
parties given in this part of the country.
"In 1S80 I played Violin and Will Iumbley played the banjo,
for the Christmas party at the John Chisum Ranche at South
Spring -six miles south of Roswell.
"Miss Sallie Ohisum and John Chisum liked to have young
people come for parties on holidays.
"Their house Ps a big eight or nine room adobe built around
a patio. There was a fine dining room and a table long enough
to seat all the settlers that lived in this districts at that time.
Every body La welcome at the Chisum Ranche and they had good times
there.
"Round dances -the old-time waltz -and quadrilles, or square
dances were lanced in those days.
Hunted Buffalo
intel.ope and Deer.
When
NT
we
was considered a good buffalo
sighted a bunch of buffalo we
hunter, I liked hunting.
tried to get so the wind
blew from them so they couldn't scent us, they were awful wild m2d
quick getting away. T guess T killed more antelope and deer than
any man in New Mexico.
"clime Jim Miller lied two years ago I am the oldest old-
timer here. He was two years older than T. We were good friends-
sorter like brothers. T don't think either of us had an
enemy.
I miss him. HS was a good man."
Given In Interview By; Rufus H. Dunnahoo03.16.37.
P.O. Roswell, New Mexico.