Little Salt Creek Raid, Cabin #12

Back to the Rates page

Around 1990 I was hunting quail in northern Young County near the town of Jean, Texas. It was a beautiful 55 degree Texas winter day and on a covey rise I managed to down a bob white which fell into a small fenced area surrounding an old monument on a small hill. As I retrieved the bird, I read the list of names on the monument and noted that several had been killed in an Indian raid in another era.

Since that day I have learned that on that very hill 57 Indians had conducted a six hour attack on twelve cattleman on a damp spring day, May 16, 1869. Twelve pioneers were moving 500 head of cattle that morning and 2 of the cowboys, W. C. Kutch and C.L. (Shap) Carter had left the rest of the group to round up strays. Indians spotted the two and attacked. The two could have made it to the cover and escaped but bravely chose to return to their group under heavy fire and join them in the fight.

Now, together the cowboys took refuge in a buffalo wallow on Little Salt Creek and began their courageous stand. Armed only with cap and ball six shooters they repeatedly held off the Indians, attacking from the aforementioned hill. No doubt they took a toll on their adversaries. William Crow, whose father John Crow was killed one year later in an Indian attack on what is now Wildcatter Ranch, was the first killed. John Lemley was wounded and would die later that evening. Carter was the next to be gravely wounded as the rest continued their valiant stand. In fact all but two of the twelve received wounds in this prolonged attack.

By 4 p.m. that afternoon, with ammunition running low, the cowboys knew they might be on their last leg. As the Indians met on the hill to discuss their next move, all of the cowboys that could stood and yelled wildly at the Indians. This must have confused the attackers as they left the battered cowboys who waited for help which finally arrived by evening.

Two years later a fourth cowboy, Jason McClaine, would die of causes contributed to wounds received in this battle. The Indians succeeded in stealing over half the cattle but would not receive the satisfaction of routing this outnumbered band. Truly this stand by this brave group of cowboys would go down as possibly the bravest in North Texas pioneer history.

The Little Salt Creek Raid is well documented in several books in our library. Directions to the state Historical Marker are included in our information book. The monument I spoke of is on private land but can be visited at certain times of the year by appointment with Wildcatter Ranch staff.

Ken Haggart, General Partner, Wildcatter Ranch