John Morris Truelove, and about seven others, followed an Indian trail in 1859. Mr. Truelove's wife was dead, and he left his children at home alone. So he decided to leave the scouts and return to his residence. When within a mile or two of Mrs. McFarlan's home, he suddenly came upon a number of Indians killing a small boy. This child was the son of William Davis of Grayson County, Texas. The boy whose name was Henry, had been to the home of Mrs. McFarlan, to play with her children. Since his father instructed him to go to the home of William Trylor to feed some stock, about two o'clock in the evening, he obeyed his father's command, and was walking leisurely along the road, when he saw a band of Indians. During his excitement, little Henry ran down a step bank into a pond of water, but successful made his way out, only to be killed and scalped by the Indians as he ascended the opposite bank. Just at this moment, when Mr. Truelove came riding along, he, too, was charged by the Indians, who tried to whip him from his horse with their bows. Mrs. McFarlan heard the screaming and came with her rifle. Her appearance was so sudden, the Indians became frightened and rapidly rode away. Little Henry Davis, brutally whipped and murdered by the barbarians far out on the frontier, was buried on the W.B. Savage farm, adjoining Denton Creek, seven miles south of Montague. Note: The author personally interviewed W.A. (Bud) Morris, and Joe Bryant of Montague, who were living in this vicinity about the time of this occurrence. Further Ref.: Hist. Of Montague Co., by Mrs. W.R. Potter. The above story is from the book, The West Texas Frontier, by Joseph Carroll McConnell. |
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