Tracks along the Clear Fork

by Lawrence Clayton (Editor), Joan Halford Farmer (Editor)

Overview

"In a state as big as Texas, the various regions differ widely in their histories and identities, which makes the cultivation of regional history essential. This collection of stories recounts the colorful past of the Clear Fork country—the land along the Clear Fork of the Brazos River in present-day Shackelford and Throckmorton counties. The editors focus first on the area's military past—Camp Cooper, Fort Griffin, and the society they spawned. The second focus is on the pioneers—the people who made the Clear Fork country their home and helped to establish its character.

"The editors have masterfully blended the words of modern writers—folks steeped in the region's history—with those of the persons who made that history. Here, combined for the first time, are classic works by two great historians of an earlier era—Rupert N. Richardson and Carl Coke Rister—along with efforts by several noted local writers. Also included is a report from Capt. R. B. Marcy's 1854 expedition through the then-largely unexplored region as well as interviews with several Clear Fork pioneers.

"This medley of voices offers a truly unique and personal perspective on the Clear Fork country and its people. It has all the elements of a classic western: soldiers, settlers, Indians, outlaws, buffalo hunters, and cowboys. This is the stuff of which, quite literally, legends were made—not to mention novels, movies, and television shows."—Bob Green, from the Introduction

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781603447850
Publisher:	Texas A&M University Press
Publication date:	07/09/2012
Pages:	370
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

The late LAWRENCE CLAYTON was dean of liberal arts at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, and wrote extensively on the life and lore of the Clear Fork region.

JOAN HALFORD FARMER is a historian, archivist, and newspaper columnist in Albany, Texas.

Table of Contents

Preface v

Acknowledgments viii

Introduction ix

Fort Griffin Carl C. Rister 1

The Comanche Reservation in Texas Rupert N. Richardson 17

Camp Cooper and Fort Griffin, Texas Col. M. L. Crimmins 48

Lee's "Texas Home" Carl C. Rister 67

Notes Taken with Marcy Locating the Texas Indian Reservations W. B. Parker 84

Life in the Town of Fort Griffin Ben O. Grant 106

Explorers and Early Settlers of Shackelford County Ben O. Grant 125

The Frontier Adventures of John Chadbourne Irwin J.R. Webb 156

On the Cattle Trail and Buffalo Range Joe S. McCombs Ben O. Grant J. R. Webb 172

Forting Up on the Texas Frontier During the Civil War Marilynne Howsley 185

Sandstone Sentinels Joan Farmer 195

John Calvin Ledbetter/S. W. Wesley: One Indian Captivity Narrative or Two? Laurence Clayton Morris Ledbetter 214

The Frontier Life of Phin W. Reynolds J. R. Webb 226

Letter to Harry E. Crain from W.D. Reynolds 263

An Account of the Death of Glenn Reynolds Jess G. Hayes 268

The Hunt for the Fugitives and Recovery of the Gold watch and Pistol Bob Green 292

Letters Related to Reynolds' Watch and Pistol 294

Contemporary Biographies of Principal Figures

Sec. I: from Historical and Biographical Records 300

George T. Reynolds 300

W. D. Reynolds 312

J. B. Matthews 315

Sec. II: from Prose and Poetry of The Livestock Industry 319

William D. Reynolds 319

George T. Reynolds 330

A Parting Word 350

Further Reading 350