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Rangeslore
Nellie I. Cox,
son Angelo, Texas.
RANUNLORE
came from Yip"
pert of 1885.
He and his wife were both Carters
of "The Carters", being 7.7. V's
from Colonial days. Although mr,
Carter sorted in West Taxes, he
and Mrs. Carter seen not to have
lived in the manner of Westerners
or Texans but have been able to
surround themselves with the stoop
Owe of the antei4ellum days of
Virginia.
Page one
Ur. Carter tells, "I was farming in Virginia in 1681
SE. My wife and I had been married about eight months. She
was a Carter, too. Our cousin, Dr, Robert Zerter we station-
ed at Poll% Coneho arid another cousin, Cassius Carter, lived
here. Ir. Robert wrote and asked me to coma to Angela*
*San Angelo was originally named Santa Angela, in honor of
Mother Superior of the Uraline Convent in an Antonio.
and manage a ranch for him. To us Texas was a wild, half-
Page two
civilized country and I asked my wife what we should do.
'we'll go,' she said. 'There are too many Carters in
Virginia.' I sold my fine horses and cattle and left my
fields. We packed everything, our Virginia hams and
sausage, our oanned and preserved fruits, and everything
else for we thought we were foaming to a barren country.
Le traveled and shipped our goods by train from Virginia,
Fairfax County, to tit. Louis, Missouri and from there to
Abilene, Texas. At Abilene we found no way to traniport
our goods to Angela and it was two months before we did
get them but Mrs. Carter and I boarded the stage. Past
as we left Abilene a norther blew up. It was so cold
that my teeth °battered for the first time in my life.
wrapped my wife up and held her on the seat of that rough
old coach which wee drawn by four broncos. It was night
when we got to Rurnels. There nre. aa Schoonover got on
the stage with a small child. That child called for water
all the time and we all became very thirsty. Mrs. Schoon-
over finally sli-,ped down between the seats and slept- on
my feet. she was a very heavy women, too. I think I
never had a more miserable time. Cousin liobert took care
of us and made us colattaleble after we got here. Then we
went on to the ranch at the mouth of Dry Creek, The hauls
where we were to stay was an adobe* The front pert was
floored but the shed part Just had a dirt floor. There
was no fence and the sheep went around and around the
Page three
house. 'Lou', said 1 to my wife, 'let's go book home.
Vie can't live like this and it will be easy to sand our
goods book.' 'No', said Lou, 'they would laugh at us.'
"There was another cousin on the ranch but I didn't
take any orderc from him. He wee a very pious fellow. He
spent one whole Cundey dusk hunting then the next morning
shaved and dressed to go to town. 'Why are you going on
with your damned work on the sabbeth?' he said. I eRswer-
ed, 'This is monday,' but he had to come to town to find
out that it Wea not the sabbath.
"After my cousin sold his ranch, I worked for Werton
ond Darlington, the Indiana end Ohio Cottle Company with
headquarters on Grope Creek. The ear17 dnys were herd on
the men but I lied ranch work. However, :A's. Carter did
not like to live on a ranch so we moved into town. I was
then in the viol business buying ondiselling for twenty-
five years, beginning at the old wool -scouring plant.
"Aiy uncle, Moe Carter, was an officer in the United
6tates Army and was stationed in Texas before the Civil
War, to fight Indians. He was nounded by an arrow and
came home to see us in Virginia just before the war start-
ed. He would not desert his flag end fought with the
Union but wee killed at Lhurfrimmammv.
"I can remember the battles of ranessas and Lull Pun.
They were just eight miles apart. UoDowell and his soldiers
flanked Peauregard near the Henry house. Mien Cousin welby
Page four
Carter saw the Yankees he got on his black horse end rode
nine. miles to ,tell General Beeuregard that McDowell had
flanked him; and the Yankees never knew hot. the Rebels
found out their movements. The battles were fought on
twenty -.eight acres belonging to the Yenry family. The
home was Cemolished end old :I's. Eenry was killed in her
bed. Uy father was four years in 6tuart's Cavalry in the
Southern Army end surrendered at Appomattox. I remember
well that I was a small boy in the backyard playing with
the little negroes, when grandmother came to the little
porch, called the slaves and told them they were free.
'You may take the things from your cabins with you, she
said, 'but the plantation will have to be worked and if
you wish to stay, you shall be paid.' Most of the slaves
cried but thought if they were free they would have to
leave. bvery night when the sun would begin to get low
and the shadows grow long we would see them slipping beck
to their cabins. some who got away would write book, 'Dear
tAssus, send me money to coma home. want to die on the
old plantation.*
";Ir cousins in washington„ where I have visited many
times, knew John Tilkes Booth, the actor who shot Lincoln.
They were his friends. The story that he was e second -rote
actor is false. These cousins of mine were attending Ford's
Theater the night Lincoln wee assassinated and. tooth held
the audience spellbound. I have never believed booth was
Page five
executed. Two of ary young boy oousins had a smell skiff
on the Potomac for pleasure end late one afternoon two
mon approached them and asked them if they would take a
wounded confederate soldier across the river. The boys
did but when it became known, they came near getting into
very serious trouble. I have a picture of booth's brother
which he gave to my wife. Booth and his brother were hand,
some men. General Wade Hampton gave me a small mule which
I rode. The mule would pitch me off and ray elite end
better cakes would all be mashed together. I have seen
Virginia burning- homes, barns, fields, woody. set afire
by General Burnside.
"After Mrs. Carter and I moved beck to Angela from
the ranch we mode many friends, some or whom are still
here. Person Potter was wonderful fellow and a good
friend.
"On the ranches where t worked, I always rode good
horses but never any very wicked ones. Ltage robbers
were frequeot and furnished excitement. The robbers were
generally caught and tried."
hance-lore
Nellie L. Cox
son Angelo, Texas.
BIBLIOGBAPHY
Robert Carter, San Annelo, Texas, interne ode
February 10, 1938.