Smith Brothers

Indians Capture the Smith Brothers

During 1872, H.M. Smith lived on the Sewilla, near the Kendall, Comal, and Bexar County line, and about twelve miles east of Boerne. About ten o'clock one Sunday morning in February, C.L. and J.D. Smith, sons of H.M. Smith, were out herding sheep, about one half mile east of their home. The boys, about thirteen and nine years of age respectively, were captured by twelve Comanche Indians, who took them to Oklahoma. In making their retreat to the Northwest, before the Indians left the settlements, they killed two citizens, but the second man was killed a considerable distance from the first. The savages did not hardly stop however, until they reached the Wichita Mountains, where they rested eight or ten days. To test the vitality of the boys they had captured, they roped a buffalo yearling, and tied the Smith brothers on him. The buffalo bucked himself down, and then the Indians took the boys off. C.L. and J.D. Smith remained with the savages approximately four and a half years, and their father was compelled to pay an enormous price to secure their release.

Note: Author interviewed: J.D. Smith, who was captured; also interviewed F.C. Kaiser; and others, who then lived in that section.

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