January 25, 1851; Freer, Texas: In 1850 Texas Rangers under Capt. John S. "Rip" Ford established a temporary camp at Los Ojuelos (Little Springs), about thirty miles east of Laredo, a site of good water, wood, and grass in an otherwise barren plain. Rangers at Los Ojuelos could cover both roads from Laredo, one going east to Corpus Christi and the other going south to San Antonio Viejo and Ringgold Barracks.
In January 1851, while Ford was getting medical treatment in Laredo, Lt. Andrew J. Walker led an eighteen-man scout. Along Gato Creek, about thirty miles north of Los Ojuelos and about twenty miles west of present-day Freer, Texas, he discovered a Comanche campsite. Finding hobbled horses and stores of supplies, Walker deduced that the Indians had cached items there before going out to raid in Mexico, and he was sure they would come back. He positioned his rangers in a covered spot on a rise about two miles away, from which point they could observe the Indian camp. Among Walker's men were Robert Rankin, David Steele, Andrew Gatliff, Marvin and Wallace McNeill, John E. Wilson, Alfred Wheeler, Albert Gallatin, Volney Rountree, and Sgt. David M. Level.
Walker waited a few days. When no Indians appeared, his men began grumbling, saying that the Comanches had probably taken a different route, but Walker was convinced they would return. At 4 p.m. on 25 January, the sixth day of their vigil, the Indians came in sight. Two advance scouts led the way, but Walker let them go by. Fifteen more Comanches soon followed, driving 50 horses and 150 mules. Seizing the moment, Walker's rangers charged the unsuspecting Comanches, A chief blew on a bone whistle, and half his warriors tried to form up in a line to face the Texans, but the rangers burst through the line, firing left and right as the Indians broke out. The chief again blew his whistle, and his warriors tried again to form up. Again the Indians' line did not hold, and a bullet knocked the chief off his horse, but the Comanches kept fighting nonetheless.
A knot of warriors attacked Walker, Level, Wilson, Wheeler, and Wallace McNeill. Walker shot the closest Comanche while another one charged him with a long knife. Wheeler shot the charging warrior through the head. McNeill shot another one then stripped him of his weapons and rigging. Level, dismounting, was holding onto his saddle-horn with one hand when an arrow hit his hand and pinned it to the saddle. Another arrow killed the horse, and Level fell, trapped. A warrior charged him. "Boys," Level called out, "don't you see that infernal Indian coming to lance me?" Running to Level's aid, Wilson fired a ball into the charging Indian's side.
Meanwhile, as Rountree leaned over in his saddle to avoid an arrow, his stirrup broke and he tumbled to the ground. His horse ran off, taking his weapons with it, so Rountree found a mule and climbed on. As he rode to catch up with his companions, he passed a seemingly dead Comanche who suddenly sprang to life and shot arrows at him, forcing him to abandon his mule and run for cover. The Indian caught the mule and rode off.
During the fight, a captive Mexican boy of about thirteen sat on his mule and cried out, "Estan Buenos Americanos!" Most of the Indians finally dispersed and escaped into the chaparral. Four were killed, their bodies left on the field, and about six were wounded. Walker lost one man killed and one wounded. The rangers recovered about seventy mules and horses, as well as the Mexican boy.
Walker turned the recovered livestock over to the U.S. quartermaster at Fort Mclntosh. A month later, a lawyer called on Rip Ford, stating that his client had lost thirty-five mules, but he got back only twenty-eight--he was going to file suit for the other seven animals. The angry Ford told the lawyer, "I consider your client a very lucky man. If I were in Lieutenant Walker's place, and you were to bring any such suit against me, I would cut off your ears." The lawyer's client decided not to sue.
