The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 34, July 1930 - April, 1931 Page: 47
359 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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History of Fanin County, 1886-1843
for the first time since 1838 Fannin County was freed of predatory
raids from the south.16
The activity of these expeditions, however, did not furnish
absolute protection. William and Jesse Cox, brothers, were living
four miles north of Fort Inglish in 1841. On the afternoon prior
to the departure of Tarrant's force, William Cox sent his son and
his nephew, each of whom was twelve years old, to drive up the
cows. After a long wait for their return, the father became
alarmed and sent a runner to the fort to notify General Tarrant.
The commander sent out his scouts in all directions to search for
the missing boys and to warn the settlers to be on the alert. The
rangers, who carried the message to John P. Simpson, surprised a
small party of Indians as the latter were mounting some stolen
horses but, supposing them to be another detachment of scouts,
hailed the savages. The Indians rode across the prairie where
the city of Bonham now stands with the troops, who strangely did
not fire a shot, in close pursuit. But in the darkness the whites
became confused and permitted their foe to escape.
The main body of the Indian force then charged Fort Inglish
but were repelled by the sentries. The two boys, as they afterward
told their story, were compelled to ride behind the warriors as
they attacked the stockade. The only casualty in this tilt was a
squaw who was so severely wounded by the pickets that she died
during the night. She was buried the next morning near present-
day Orangeville. Not far from the same place the Indians am-
bushed a one-armed man who, it appeared from his actions, was
looking for a stray horse. After shooting and scalping the cripple,
the savages cut off the good arm at the elbow and threw the body
into the creek. At their next camp the Indians roasted and ate
the arm, intimating to the boys all the while by gestures that they
might be the next item on the bill of fare. So far as it has been
possible to determine, this is the only instance of cannibalism in
the history of north Texas Indian depredations.
The boys were carried by the Indians to their village, which
they reached after a march of six days. The little captives were
cruelly treated; their backs cut and lacerated; they were deprived
of their clothing and forced to go naked in the chilling Texas
"northers." Six months elapsed before they were ransomed for
"Brown, Indian Wars and Pioneers of Texas, 87. Also, DeShields,
Border Wars of Texas, 362, footnote.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 34, July 1930 - April, 1931, periodical, 1931; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101091/m1/51/: accessed May 22, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.