THE HOME INSURANCE COMPANY

New York.

Organized 1853                CASH CAPITAL $24,000,000

Wilfred Kurth, President

F. C. Williams, Ageny
Hamilton, Texas

A. P. WHITE
SEPT. 27TH, 1932

We was stationed on Home Creek in Coleman County; we was up at the head of it and we moved down about 15 miles. We had the fight with them on the head of Valley Creek in Runnels County on the 24th of July, 1874. We killed four Indians, three or four, I think four, there was 9 Indians in the bunch and 7 of us. We followed the trail, we was out on a scout. We had to go to a certain place, be stationed there so that scouts could report back to where we was. We was to go to the Table Mountains. We left camp about sun up. When we got a mile from camp, the ground and grass was all wet with dew. We found an Indian trail, we followed it about 30 miles and got up by Table Mountain. The Lt. was a green fellow. The Indians had driven the horses from down in San Saba County, and in hot weather when you drive horses a long way and without water, the dung is dry. We saw dung that looked like it was 2 or 3 days old, but it wasn’t. So the Lt. stopped us said, "As ... what’s the use of keeping trailing them. We had 2 or 3 fires and we was eating supper. Some of the boys were growling about finding an Indian trail and quitting it and not following it. The Lt. heard them, and said, "If you are so ... ... keen about following Indian , why ... ... ... strike out." We aimed to go to Paint Springs (Fisher Co.)  Along about day light, none of us had ever been there but two men, the fellow that was in charge, said we will wait here until day light. When it got day light he walked out to untie his horse, and ... ... we was stopped right by the Indians’ trail. We had a little pack mule called Johnnie. We had some hard tack and bacon and coffee. Some fellow’s horse had grazed off. We was right by a ... some of the water ran into the Clear Fork of the Brazos and the other water into the Colorado. The fellows went out to get their hoses and one of them stooped down to untie his rope and he saw the Indians. He said, "Boys there they are." One of the boys said, "I don’t .. ... ... ... ... "It’s no joke, there they are." The fellow in charge said leap down in this swag and wait. We got our horses and couldn’t see a ... thing. Me and another fellow ran over to a place and could see them going down a hill. I don’t think they could tell but what we as a bunch of mustangs, if they saw us at all as the sun was in their eyes. When we got on to them, we run right into them. All we had was needle guns, rimfire pistols, and one Winchester. These old needle guns just shot once and then you had to load again. Indians found this out and they would runs us a while, then we would runt them awhile. They were better armed than we were. After that Capt. Waltby went to Austin and took me with him and drew pistols. We captured one Indian, "Old Jape" we called him. A fellow by the name of Bill Lowrance had him when we came up. Bill had a rimfire six shooter and would throw down on the Indian and the Indian was trying to fight his bow and Bill’s pistol would snap. Bill was a brother of this old man Lowrance that lives over here close to me. When we got up to them, Bill was setting on his horse cussing him. We kept him three or four days. We was going to take him up on a bluff and shove him off and kill him, but ... ... old Capt. Maltby put a stop to that. When he we got rid of him, two men took him and two more men were sent out to kill him. He was on the horse that he was captured on and they told him to run. The Indian knowed they was going to kill him. They came back and reported that he tried to escape and they killed him. ... ... In guarding him, of a night, I helped the first night, he was laying on his blanket. You couldn’t twist around but what that ... old Indian was awake. They had US blankets and tobacco and these old cap and ball six shooters.

The Indian could say some things, "steal horses" "get scalps," and a few things. When we carried him up to headquarters, the Capt. was a big fat man, not as fat as old Peck (L. O. Peck) and he always kept whiskey, when we rode up to his camp he walked out, and the Indian knowed he was the main cheese and walked up to the Capt. And said, "How, Big Chief" and stuck out his hand and the Capt. went and got a tin cup and gave him a cup of whiskey. The Indian drank it and said, "Wano, fire water."

We had a mare that was big fat that some of the boys had roped, when we brought her into camp she had a piece of buffalo hide tied around her neck, before they got to camp with the mare the Indian pointed at her and said, "mine, mine" and made her brand on the ground as good as I could. He sure knew the mare alright. The boys had roped her out of a bunch of mustangs and she was big fat then, but that Indian sure knowed that mare.

I helped hold the first election in Fisher County. This election was held down at the mouth of Cotton Wood at Rector’s ranch about 3 miles from where Roby now stands. We were attached to Nolan County for judicial purposes. K. K. Rector was presiding Judge. Me, Tom, Lowe, and Dave Taylor helped hold it. That was in 1882. Jack Gillstrap was running for Sheriff. I have forgotten who he was running against and I think there was 3 or 4-- one man by the name of Eidson, I think. The next time we voted at Newman’s ranch, that was about 5 miles below us, 18 votes was all that polled the first time.

Bardwell was ruining for Sheriff 1884. I was for Montgomery who was running against him. I said before the election, "... ... I wouldn’t let Bardwell arrest me, if he was elected Sheriff, and I was the first ... ... man he arrested.

One bad day, it was a cold rainy day, I was laying in the dug out (the one we went to) the dugout was on John Rector’s land. I saw a fellow driving sheep on the land. I went out and told him to get them ... ... off the land. He said well its  down hill and they made a run on me. I couldn’t help it anyway. He said this is my brother’s land. I said, I’ll be .. ... ... anyway that’s ... ... of a note me trying to run you off your brother’s land. He laughed but I felt like a . ...

John Rector was a Republican, K. K. a democrat, and one time at a Democratic convention, I thought K. K. was a Republican and he was in our convention . I said "Ain’t you in the wrong convention?" He looked at me and said what have I done to you? First you run me off my land and now you are trying to run me out of the Democratic Party. K. K. Rector was a mighty good man. Well, Felix, if you take me out to George’s, I believe I am ready to go.