Often, stolen horses were located there, also leading the whites to believe that what they called wild and tame natives worked together on their raids in Bosque County. "We found them, dead, scalped and raped," repor ts came from Bosque County in 1857. A Mrs. Woods and Mrs. Lemly were kidnapped from their homes along with the Lemly daughters but the two girls were released unharmed a couple of days later. The day after the girls' release, two Monroe boys died from an attack by the same natives. So naive were the Indians, that they left a one hundred dollar bill of the boys behind, not understanding how much it would have bought them. That same night they murdered the young Knight boy and the next morning injured two Baptist preachers near the Bell County line. One of the two ministers was mortally wounded in the attack.

Locals followed as far as they could track and always noticed the trails headed toward the Indian reservation. Often, stolen horses were located there, also leading the whites to believe that what they called wild and tame natives worked together on their raids in Bosque County.

"You are greatly indebted to the reser vation Indians," the interpreter informed the whites. "They risked their lives by taking your stock away from wild Indians so you can have your stock back. They have done you a favor so you owe them $10 for ever y horse returned to you. "Good deal for somebody."

The whites suspicions were confirmed when Fred Gentr y found his

"Fight it out where you are!", Corporal own horse on the reservation now owned by Comanche. Captain Preston and his neighbors killed four of the thieves they caught red-handed.

The Reservation War began when Captain Peter Garland mistook some reser vation natives for unfriendly Caddo and attacked. Two of Garland's men died along with 10 Indians, some women and children. Shortly, 700 settlers and 400 soldiers proceeded up the Clear Fork of the Brazos River. Soldiers killed some natives outside the reser vation, which caused reser vation Indians to take part. After a fight of several hours, both sides had prisoners that they chose to execute rather than free or exchange. Soldiers recognized several dead beat whites who hung around the reservation fighting with the natives. Soldiers consolidated the natives of two reservations, for the Indians' protection, and moved them from Texas to Fort Cobb in the Chick a saw nation.

During the Civil War, this regiment of soldiers was stationed from the Red River to the Rio Grande. Some soldiers felt this Indian hunting a waste of their time, so they resigned. On a wagon escor t from Camp Cooper on the Brazos, to Gooch's ranch on the Red River, much native activity took place. Eight of Sergeant Erheuback's 10 men were seriously or mortally wounded. Eight of their 10 horses were also killed or wounded so the sergeant ordered "Retreat!". Miller shouted to his men. When the corporal called one man a coward, they tried to kill each other, but were prevented by their men. Miller's men fought four times their number, hand to hand, over/ five miles of open prairie.

Two days previous, twelve whites went out to locate runaway mules, only to encounter 100 warriors. Others heard the fight and raced to assist the twelve, just to witness the murder of three of them. Whites saw a chief whose headress consisted of feathers, stripped from the quills, tied to his hair. This ornamentation made his head, appear the size of a washtub, an easy target. Hair and feathers flew as the whites opened fire on the leader. Soon the native with the big hair was wounded and carried away by his men.

The next morning, the whites' horses were so stiff from so much fighting, they had to be helped to their feet, like old men. Before leaving the site of the battle, the whites buried their dead, using the only tools they had to dig with, butcher knives.

The last visits natives made to Bosque County, they stole many horses and raided several adjoining counties.

Source: Indian Depredations in Texas, J.W. Wilbarger, Eakin Press, 1888.