Document text
r1:7-
Ronge..lore
Ruby Mosley
on Ancell
BANGis-Lunt
was born in the little town of Belton, Texas 84
years ego, it yes s very little town then," relates Ibs.
Missouri Borders:
0my father wee not selfish but longed for plenty of
range, se other old settlers did. Ile put the first worlfs
in Cceenehe then as people settled too elope around he
moved on out. -e then established o little town thot was
culled Donnie, whiel wee named for himself, i. L.
ixnnis4 fihieh is known today as (Aseo. te then :Dyed to
GrendbUrty where !other had an extensive range. c Little
W.se Assouri I learned to ride. I as t ie oldest child
and took my poaltion right by the side of my father when
I was seven years of age, we started out for the raw.
%Joon my daddy, my pal, was celled to war, he only
had time to say goodm.bye when he los called, we were left
behind as most other' families, in Godie care. (A) were
fortunate to have a grandfather end family a few miles
away. Grandfather sent a buok slave to help feed end
menage the stook. I could not stay *way from the barn
end horeesI bad acquired the love end appreelation of the
dumb animals, before my father was taken may. The old
bleak buok would shuck corn to the tune of old hymns that
he could sing and blubber so well with ri large black lips.
con recoil peeping ay heed with pirtelle on either side,
over the very tap rail of the fence until the last ear was
shucked. I just lived from one feeding time until the next,
so that I could get outside with life. Indians were runn-
ing wild cud we were not allowed out of the little one room
log cabin whish had one door and one window until the old
buck ems to feed the livestock.
"WI mother was a very breve women and proved it by her
daily life. vhen. my fnther had been array about three months
a baby brother was born. My grandmother played the doctor's
pert very niesly. My father was in Louisiana at that time
and was glad the additi-In was a boy. At the very first
chance he sent his welcound son a creole pony and blentret.
my fnther wee edueeted and known es Lr. L. Dennis,
he was made e lieutenant during his serviee in the Civil N5r.
"A Yankee Generel was wounded, my tether took him to his
quarters ond treated him, nevertheless death approached, end
the general knew that he must die. le often heard my father
speak of me and gave his Lible and ring to father to send to
roe.
"Home life was more disagreeable during that war than
Guy other that I have lived through. Um' food consisted of
whet we ()amid vele* at home, end emmetime INA ass destroyed
or taken. -i,AD bed corn mush and milk for supper regardless
of Loundey or eompany, always oorn mush end milk. Our 5amday
breakfast oonsisted of biscuits butter and honey, the noondey
meal wee beer end some vegetable if there wee one in season.
"One niOht while father was pone, we anent the nIpbt at
n7 grandfather's, when we returned the next Doming the Tndi•
and had killed two of our calves and cooked them in our yard;
the fire was still burning end fragments of the calves were
scattered over the yard. We were so happy that we spent the
night away and had escaped their deadly clutches.
"Soon the Mum If peeve =geed cid my father returned
safe and whole, whct o joyful reunion after the flur years
,or abeam's, e were among the fortunate as we had escaped the
es+.
Indians at home end father woe saved from star. The even-
ing end most oi" the nidit was spent reminieeenimg the
events of four years. rather was happy to caress his son
most 4 yearn old for the first tine. Ilene were made for
the.nezt morning. My father and mother were going to grando
father's to ahoy him whet a fine looking lieutenant his son
"Father and mother alerted out early on the war horse
end little creole pony that father had sent to %left brother.
As they started off father said that the Indians could easily
cateb them when riding the little creole. Mother thnurht of
two °owe that needed attention, soon they went to see about
r:om, end whilc windinr. their way in and out, rather act
siteen mlunted horses. Fe asked mother if ills r'ood friend
'eashbourne was still scoutinr ulth his nen. said, 'Look
thatva '.rishbourne, we will ride slow ond see him.' Lother
insisted that they go on, it could be Indians. They kept
their eyes on the riders and ear each of 'Lem get down and
tighten up on their saddles, then made e,two by two forma-
tion as a scouting or would. Oysy rode along, in an ordi-
nary pees to not arouse the suspicion of my parents. Indio
end were very clever and inmitated the whites. nil they
rode nearer my parents recognized then se Indians, and ran
for life. A89 Vs Indians rode in circles and gave their
war whoops, father fired into them just as long as his am-
munition lasted, rather wen knocked off of his horse end
lanoed through and through the upper pert of the riptt
side of bin chest. Mother wee knocked off of her horse
end they tried to capture her but they were more interested
in catching their horses end took in after them.
other took father's gun down in a little ravine and
reloeded it, at.e did not know thot father woe wounded until
ho turned sick.
"The horses ran home as fast se thay eould go, we
children were out in the yard, the old negro was shueking
corn and yelled, 'You ehillun get in det house, Injuns am
oomin°,0 we lost no time in getting inside, the negro
crawled under the shucks. The Lord took care of us again;
the Indians never stopped. They were only after the horses.
During their ahem after horses mother helped father to a
Teeent spot but where he stretched out deathly sick. re
tom mother he would die it he didn't rot some water. The
only thing mother mould think of to carry ester in wee her
shoes, vo she wont to the creek end returned with both of
them full or water and father emptied both of them.
told mother that he felt better and the went up the oreek
as fast ac the could for about two miles to father's
parents. Olen she pot there toy were finishinr a skirmish
with the same Indiana. UOther hid until the last Indian
had none. The family went with her to wy father es soon
as possible, wondering and hoping to find him alive. They
,plsoed him in o quilt and carried hi- home. They could
emt no doctor but finally found on old quack that removed'
the lance with. a pocket knife and bullet mold, he then drew
e silk hondkerehlef through his body; that procedure was
repeated every cloy' for a lonr tine.
"The citizens went on a hunt for the India= and found
them in a hole of water, There were 14 brores and 2 squawe
in the bunch. They were held there four days before onouelt
citizens eame to help eapture them. Uncle John blew the
bugle for more help and et that inatonoe they fired and
killed four of our men. our men welted no longer end diC not
oonsider capturing but fired aLd killed the 16 Indians es
soon ec they could pull the trigger. Uncle John out e dcad
squewie finger off end took her ring, whieh he kept for a
while but eon discarded if to try nnd forret the -snort...
Cfne of the nen took the eerlpe or the two *pews end pre•
wilted them to ny father. flc kept then end the spike that
was out out of hie chest until the hams/sees flood cape and
washed them away. Father wee en invalid for twelve years
after tie firht,
"The Ineions :raid° an attack on a family that lived
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near us, end killed and scalped the woman and put the baby
to her breast, burned the house, tore the feather beds
open and stole the little girl. I went with my grand-
parents to see the horrible sight. The Indians killed
and took the scalps of Uncle Luke Smith and his two sons.
"One time father went to Belton for supplies and was
gone two weeks; we two families stayed together and lived
on curd the entire time. We had no salt or any thing to
season it.
"We moved to Lampasas, when I we. about 15 years old.
The Indians Game through and killed some horses in the
yards of the old water mill end when they felled to get
them out of the pen they shot them to death.
"I married r. Borders when I wee 23 years of age and
we moved to Coleman and lived there until the World War
came an end we lost most of our holdings and my husband
died. I then came to San Angelo where I have lived since.
*4-*, *****4-*********
WERMICE: Mrs. Missouri Borders. san Angelo* Texas. In-
terviewed October 6, 1938.