T.H. Majors Fight

T.H. Major's Fight on Buck Creek

During 1869, T.H. Majors, and wife, Mary and four daughters, Lareca, aged fifteen, Sarah and Nep, twins, aged about thirteen, and Emerlin, aged about eleven, lived about six miles southeast of the present town of Santo, in Palo Pinto County. One day about noon, while Mr. Majors was at the house, his wife and four daughters were washing on Buck Creek, about 150 yards to the west. He heard them screaming, so he grabbed his Spencer rifle and ran to their assistance. Five Indians were approaching in the distance, and before Majors could hardly shout to his family to hurry toward the house, the Indians were upon them. T.H. Majors, however, shot seven times, forcing the Indians back, and he met his wife and daughters about seventy-five yards from the house. As the Indians went away, they circled down by the creek, and took all of the unwashed clothes. Majors, late during the same day, hitched up his oxen, and took his family to the home of Frank and Alex Hill, about 10 miles to the southeast. Local citizens followed the Indians for about 50 miles, but were never able to overtake them.

Note: Author interviewed W.A. Herring, who then lived in that section.

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