Charlie Grant and Others

Charlie Grant and Others Fight on Red River

During 1867, twenty-six Indians passed the home of Jimmie Ward, who made molasses on the share, and who had considerable syrup on hand at the time. It was all emptied by the Indians, who were stealing horses as they advanced. The warriors went east into Cooke County, and after reaching the Loran Ranch turned north toward Red River. On Brushy Elm they came across John Hort and Dan Brunsen, and a mail-carrier who carried the mail from Montague to Gainesville. Brunsen took the mail-carrier's horse and started toward the head of Elm for firearms. Short and the mail-carrier retreated into the thicket. When Dan Bunsen came back to the wagon, the Indians were still there. In a short time, two or three different groups of citizens arrived on the scene, and among the crowd was Charlie Grant, Dick Long, Jim Corsey, Alex Loran, Ben Nixon, Dr. McCall, and others. When the Indians reached Red River they stopped to eat the lunch stolen out of the wagon. Here they were charged by the citizens, who succeeded in killing two or three of their number.

Note: Author interviewed Charlie Grant, who was in the fight.

The above story is from the book, The West Texas Frontier, by Joseph Carroll McConnell.