by LaDawn Garland, Bosque County News
Back to List Back to Index
During the Civil War between the years of 1861 and 1865 many men from Bosque
county served in the military. The majority of them served with the Second
Frontier District, the Nineteenth Texas Infantry, and Company H of Col. T. C. Hawpe's regiment. Both the 19th Infantry and Company H saw action in the
Louisiana and Arkansas campaigns. A few of the members fought with the Army of
Northern Virginia.
In the week of Feb. 2, 1862 in the Dallas Herald in an attempt to raise
Confederate Calvary units, Col. T.C. Hawpe published a warning, "Who will
defend Texas? Flock .... to our country's standard and we will make our enemies
bite the dust!" Many of the Bosque County soldiers however, stayed in the
area part of the local militia to guard against Indian attacks.
In Bosque and surrounding counties, with many men and soldiers away from home,
the neighboring Kiowas and Commanches had begun a strong campaign of raiding,
stealing horses and killing isolated settlers. This increase of attacks had many Texans nervous and expecting large Indian attacks at any time.
In January 1865 many Bosque County men fought in the famed battle of Dove Creek
in what is now Tom Green County. Captain N.Gillentine having discovered the
recent grave of a young Indian girl and the tracks of a large Indian party immediately sent a report to Ft. Belknap and Confederate Colonel
Buck Barry. He then headed to Meridian to report to Major Erath. Finding Major
Erath absent he made his report to Captain S. S. Totten. Totten then contacted
Colonel "Buck" Barry asking him to meet his militiamen on December 25
at Camp McCord. Colonel Barry turned the Confederacy's part over to Captain
Henry Fossett a native of Maine.
Under the leadership of Captain S.S. Totten, Captain Henry Fossett and the aid
of Captain Jack Cureton a disastrous attack was launched upon a tribe of
Kickapoos and a few Potowami who had been in the service of the Confederacy in Kansas. This tribe after growing tired of the war had chosen to migrate to
Mexico where a small band of their tribesmen lived.
The tribe led by the Kickapoo chiefs Papequah, Pecan and Nokowhat had been
moving slowly south, hunting buffalo along the way for winter meat .On January
1, 1865, the band found itself only a few days' march from the Rio Grande and the safety of Mexico. The chiefs decided after such a long travel and
no signs of threat to let the tribe halt for a much needed rest. With signs of
an approaching winter storm they chose a camp site on a flat divided by Dove
Creek, with a high bluff facing the wind to provide shelter. Their camp
consisted of 160 teepees.
On January 8, 1865, the Confederate force, mistakenly believing this was a large
war party, attacked. When the attack first began the Potowami warriors were
stunned, but soon recovered and retreated to ravines covered with brush located near their camp. From these locations they were able to fire straight
upon the advancing soldiers. In just minutes they were able to cut down dozens
of confederate soldiers. Within an hour of the attack, the Confederate line
broke.
Retreating to the safety of a distant ridge, the Confederate officers took stock
of their losses, counting 26 dead and approximately 60 wounded. Immediately
after the battle the tribe hastily packed and crossed the Rio Grande into
Mexico. They reportedly lost 15 tribal members in the attack. Feeling that Texas
had declared war against them by the attack at Dove Creek, in the spring of
1865, the Mexican Potowami and Kickapoo launched 20 years of fighting against
Texans
Queries
I am searching for the exact location of my great, great, great grandparents'
gravesite in Bosque County. Their names are Warren and Perlina McCullough and
they settled in Bosque County in 1868 after purchasing 250 acres on the west
bank of the Brazos River (part of the W.W. Daws Survey). According to the Bosque
County Cemetery Records, Volume I, p. 33, the description of the site states,
"A group of graves across the road from the old HANNA place in Wortham Bend
area, about 17 miles east of Valley Mills, copied 1980. About 20 graves - only
two with any kind of information: Waren McCullough, died in 1882. Perlina McCullough, wife." It's my understanding
that these grave sites are on private property, in the southeastern part of the
county near the McLennan County line. However, I would like to locate the exact
location of this group of graves, so that I can get permission from the property
owner to view the sites. Any help from your readers
regarding this "McCullough" grave site or any other information on
this family would be appreciated. I can be contacted at patmctexas@yahoo.com.
Thanks for your help! Pat McCullough Thomas
Thank you to all who help contribute to make this column possible.
If you would like to contribute a story about Bosque County, it's residents, or a query about your ancestors, send
them to: Bosque County News, P.O. Box 343, Meridian, TX 76665 or email: garland@htcomp.net
Back to List Back to Index