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Major, Lefties PR; Wichita Falls, Texas Page 1
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INDIAN ATROCITIES AND 11ILD FROWIER OF 1861.65 RECALLED BY
WICHITAN, Copied from Wichita Daily Times, Sept. 18, 1058.
Tales of Indian atrocities, tales to stiffen the nape of
your meek, are rarely told of Wichita County, but just such
wild frontier experiences are the earliest childhood memories of
Ws. M. E. Quisenberry, 1000 Bighhh.
Wichita, Clay and nontague counties from 1861 to loes were
strategic outposts against Indian attacks on the ueproteeted
settlements.—unproteoted beceuse the fighting men were enlisted
in the great civil strugcle.
"There were seven families of us inrichita County at the
close of the Civil lar at a camp sailed Red River Stations" Irs.
Quisenberry said. "The stations about half a mile frost the river,
was immediately abandoned, and the whole settlement moved into the
nore civilized territory of Collin county.
aNy father, William Gabriel, are six other soldiers formed
the river comp. Then there were other small companies int!2bntague
end Clay," she continued. "The names of the others are kind of
vague. There were Mr. Sparks, Mr. Jackson, !Ir. Roberts and Meek
amen,"
Mack Tlowenis name comes easily to her, because the horror of
his death has never left her.
"W. Bowen was riding back to the station after scouting
around when a party of Indians sighted him," she aid. "They spread
out end headed Mn off. is whipped up his horse to e gallop, but
Major, Jetties
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Wichita F -11s, Texts Page 2
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they knew whet they were doing. They crowded him, horse and all,
off a 30..foot bluff.
"The fall didn't kill him, so the savages shot him with
27 arrows and musket balls, she continued. "They slid off
their horses and dawn the banks to oalp him. Zfhen my father
and the others found him, they been alive even after he'd been,
scalped, by the bloody grass he clutched in his hands he'd pulled
up the grass in his agony and rubbed it tierces his heed."
After that, the soldiers tried another treaty with the
Intone. Durirg a peace Pow.waw, one of the soldiers spotted the
new slzit of clothes Bowen's rife had made for him and he'd worn
on the day of his death. The brave who wore Boren's clothes
completed the costume with Bowen's scalp.
"The Indians would promise to be good, but dome first full
moon when it was light, and they'd sneak into camp end steal the
soldier:0 horses and cattle," she said.
"Shortly after Bowen's death, a soldier named Snodgrass
was killed by the Indians.
*I never will forget that because his wife rolled around
in the yard and yelled and tore her heir out, Urs. QuisenberrY
said. "She was real your an) couldn't stend this country."
That is hardly surprising when you hear Ire. Quiserberry's
description. "There was plenty of wild game. The soldiers' families
had their cows, and that meant plenty of milk and butter. But breed
was a luxury. The nearest flour mill was in Collin county.
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"Mx! when you went from here to Collin county by ox team,
you had a right smart trip on your hands, she 71wolared.
She remembers distinctly that there were all kinds of wild
"vmrmints„" turkeys, buffalo end wild cattle. lften the soldiers
would (latch the wild calves and turn them into pens with their
own stock.
Several times the soldiers tried to build an earthen rampart
behind whlch the women could barricade themselves when the men
were out scouting The project was never completed.
"Some farmer probcbly came acress that short earth well
about 10 ;sore later and wondered if some Indian had tried to
build a dirt house." she said.
Quisenberry returned to Itichita county last year making
her home with her daughter, :Ira. Eatherine Sevin, 1009 Eighth.
Since 1836 she had li-ed in Collin and Cook counties.
"It was fumy, but as long as we lived in this county with
the excitement and all I =stet afraid," she smiled. "But after
we moved to the sefaty of "ollin county, the sir)* of a men in a
spotted beef —hide shirt the Indians used spotted 'eel' hides or
shields used to send ne screaming to the farm house."