Document text
-4.0140ipotfiwg
}e -lore
Lellie Cox
Gan ‘,/velo,
RAliGL-LoRE
Alliam F. holt was one
of the earliest settlers at
Ben Ficklin. Es had many
years of adventure before
coming to the Lest. he says:
Page one
"1 was born in Baltimore, Ittrylaad, in 16b0 but
do not remember any thing of my parents. I was passed
around, it se, among friends and kinfolks. I have
never gone to school a dt-.4 in my life but I have learn-
ed to read and write. Alen I was about ten, a family
in Baltimore was going to send me to school and in re-
turn I was to wash (Ashes, look after the younger
children and to be generally useful. I carried out
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my part very well, I hope, but I didn't get to go to
school.
"Several years later I was living with some
relatives. They sent me to look up their cow, an old,
red cow. As I walked in the woods, I made up my mind
to leave, which I did and I suppose they are still wait
Inc for me to return NAth that cow.
"I made my way to an uncle In San Francisco, Cali-
fornia, joining with a wagon train of settlers bound for
that state. The Indians attacked us twice as we crossed
the Plains. The first attack was during the day. The
two scouts saw the band and we had time to form our
wagons in a. circle and fight the Indians off. It was
only a small bunch of Indians, evidently some who had
been on a hunting trip. They used bows and arrows and
even as a young boy, I marveled at their skill. This
attack was, I think, in Iowa and the Indins were of
the Dakota tribe.
"I don't re;:iember how many were in the wagon train,
but when the wagons all got under way,
inspiring sight. The hardships of the
passed over lightly, really were never
men and boys, California was a land of
it was to me an
journey were
mentioned. To the
gold and to the
women it meant tht: establishinL of homes away from what
they considered a crowded haat. Most of us larger boys
walked every day and all day, but what was the difference?
were in no hurry.
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"The Indians attackea our train at ni ht the next
time. They swooped down on us in a sudden attack just
as we were retiring. Every thing was thrown into dis-
order for a short time but our MOL were always on the
lookout, se it wasn't long before they were pouring
lead into the red rascals. v:41) didn't come out so
easily that time. One of our youn Trien was killed and
two more wounded, but we repulsed the Indians. Ve fully
expected another attack during the night and close watch
was kept. Clouds arosa and under cover of the darkness
the Indians carried away their dead. They must have
carried many arrows for there were lots of them left on
the ground.
"The young M114 who was killed was shot in the
abdomen. Even at this late day, the horror and terror
of this occasion renrain with me.
".4e stayed in camp the next day and sorrowfully
buried our dead and made the wounded as comfortable as
possible. Then we proceeded on our journey.
"hen I reached my uncle in Sun -.Vrancisco, I found
that he was captain of a whaling boat and was ready to
start on a voyage. he shipped me as cabin boy and I
followed the sea for four years. l have been in every
country in the world except parts of Europe. To me,
.a.ustrtilitl was tha most wonderful country w found. On
one island in the .eacific Ocean, the cannibals caught me
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and were goine to eat me. I know they had that inten-
tion. They felt of me, tested my flesh by pinching,
and showed tbeir pleasure in the fact that I was young
and tender. They becan to beat their drums to call the
others to come end see their next meal but some of the
sailors, hearing the drums, came to my rescue. On a-
nother occasion, I lees very iil and my uncle left Ae on
an island where the natives were friendly end I was
nursed to health by tfle queen of the island. If these
islands vere need at that time, did not learn any of
the mimes. e went around Cape horn several, times and
always in storms. On the ship the sailors cursed and
swore and I did likewise but in port and at my uncle's
home my aunt reprimanded ma severely for my language
and I vowed never to be guilty of foul words again and
I heve kept the vow all these years.
"The whelee we ceueht were divided, the captain
receiving one out of every three und the sailors getting
the other twu as their share. _e were paid at the end
of a veyage. hs we were returning home after I had been
on the see for over four years, I decided to try some-
thing else so another sailor and I left tfie ship (and
with it our profits from the whales) on the west coast
of Ilexisee. ee had only a little money and long pearl
handled knives but I made my way a -foot to fort Concho,
Texas. Alet became of my companion? He stayed drunk
Fage five
so I was conpelled to go off id leave iii. the
ex-
1oan were good te us and fed us but every where they
-eanted those knives that my companion and I had. e
lay do eo to sleep one night and the next morning our
knives were gone. 'All, I Was so glad to reach Fort
Concho that I have stayed here.
"1 married Liss allie Johnson. her father fur-
nished the soldiers in the fort with buffalo meat. I
had gone to California for some sheep for the Stinson
Ranch at the time of the Ben ficklin floed.
"I made several trips to California for sheep,
trailing them bacL threineh the Imperial Valley, deserts,
and mountains. In the spring of 1884, four men were
driving a herd of horses north to some ranch, possibly
the Goodnight Ranch. I was to come along and gather
up the stracglers. The men told me the exact place
they were to camp, on the edge of a small canyon in a
mott of trees.
reached the place where they were to camp just
before sun -down. fAleing the camp fire, I rode right in,
only to be seized by Indians. They had killed and
scalped the four men and were waiting for moonlight to
round -up the horses. 1 had only a knife, the only
weapon I have ever carried. By tneir motions and actions,
knew they theuOlt there was something queer about me.
They evidently expected a larce bunch of mon to follow
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but when no others seoeed up they took ee aeu the horses
and started to the north.
"I have never reesoned out elle tee lot me go, but
after keeping ne prisoner for two dy wi nihts they
uetied me end eeve me to understend that I was free. I
eventually made my way beck home.
"et one time in my travels, I think it was in ex
la, I cele to a vill-ee 14ere the people were dying of
a plague. The deed eere left as tley had died and others
who were alas were leeving their SiCA and dead and fleeing.
I stayed in an old church at ni=ht, as the dark cuught me
there. es I lee on ttle flour I could hear a peculiar,
ghostly noise somewhere in the building. The noise seem-
ed to cone fron the belfry. I never believed in ghosts
but with the thuudet of those dead ene eyine eeople all
around, I bean to wereer if I hadn't been mistaken a-
bout ghosts. Finally, I ot up couraee enough to climb
up into the belfry and there eat a big owl. He looked
at me eith his tic eyes us if to see ':'„en, do you see
ehet I see'' et the first peep of lieht, I k..LfD eone
from t.et place.
"I have eerved 46 Justice of eeece of the Knicker-
bocker district for mere than le years. 1 was one of
the first coreiseloners elected ehen Io ,3reen was first
organizer; as a county end heve held court durine hectic
tines. I or.enize the first 2unday echool at Ben Yicklin
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and also at Knickerbocker. The early days were not so
bad as they tare sometimes pictured.-
Range -lore
Nellie B. Cox
San Angelo, Texas.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
14 F. Bolt, San Angelo, Texas, interviewed,
January 13, 1938.