our history : INDIAN RAIDERS
The Captive Cousins
BY MEL W RHODES
JANUARY 2017 PARKER COUNTY TODAY
28
July 1862 : Indians snatch two 12-year-olds from the middle of the road down Nebo way
The sweltering heat of a July day in
1862 had begun to subside when 12-year-old William Wilson struck out for the Oliver Fulton farm some two miles distant . Fulton , William ’ s uncle , had just bought a sorghum mill and Hiram Wilson , the lad ’ s father , told him his son would come round to drive the steers that powered the mill . It was molasses-making time in the Spartan pioneer community some 12 miles south of Weatherford between Muddy Branch and Spring Creek . The Civil War raged back east and what Texans remained on the home front struggled to eke out a living for their families .
The boy traveled to his uncle ’ s place on Spring Creek the night before so he could get an early start , but the next day his uncle ’ s steers were “ wild ,” and he sent William back home to gather his father ’ s steers , which were gentler , better suited to being hitched to the wheel . A 12-year-old cousin , Anna Acres [ Akers ], accompanied him . Before they left for Hiram Wilson ’ s farm , they were admonished to stick to the open road and to avoid timbered areas where Indians often hid .
It was about 10 in the morning when the children began their trek , sunny and still tolerable temperaturewise as the sun had yet to climb high overhead . William and Anna chit-chatted about this and that , enjoying each others ’ company and the unexpected break they ’ d received . Then , about a half-mile from the Wilson homestead , they heard a loud thrashing and the sudden pounding of hooves as Indian ponies burst from the brush and timber on to open ground .
“ We took to our heels ,” William would later recount . “ The foremost of the Indians knocked me down with the but [ sic ] end of a lance .
Then riding on , he reached down
his hand , and motioned for me to get up behind him . I complied without very well knowing what I was doing . With me behind him , he rode back to the other six Indians , who were standing around Anna , who was crying and fighting them off with her bonnet . One of the Indians said something to the other and one of the Indians dismounted and set Anna behind one of his companions . When the same Indian spoke once more , and with their prisoners , the party whipped their horses into a run and headed for Mt . Nebo , three miles away . I expected nothing short of death , and that , perhaps , a horrible death , as soon as we could reach a place , where our capture would be safe .”
Indeed the Indians were headed for Mt . Nebo and spent the rest of the day there watching out over the valley below . From time to time , braves would shimmy up the tallest trees for a better vantage point . As evening fell , they spied a train of wagons trailing about 30 head of horses and were elated at the prospect of stealing the equine currency . The wagons stopped a mile or so from the Indians ’ perch and began to set up camp . The horses they turned out to graze . A couple of hours after dark , five of the seven Indians strung their bows and rode down Nebo toward the campers , leaving the other two to guard the captives , who were relieved the Indians were focused on thieving and not lifting their scalps . Upon hearing a “ hoot !” down below the guards hopped their ponies , dragged