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Indian Fight in the Northwestern Part of Burnet County

Michael has a BA in History & American Studies and an MSc in American History from the University of Edinburgh. He comes from a proud military family and has spent most of his career as an educator in the Middle East and Asia. His passion is travel, and he seizes any opportunity to share his experiences in the most immersive way possible, whether at sea or on the land.

Burnet County, Texas

    During 1873, W.W. Brooks, James Taylor, B. Eubanks and about five others struck the trail of Indians, who were on a horse stealing raid, and overtook them about nineteen miles northwest of Burnet in Burnet County. The nineteen Indians were barbecuing a beef and the time was about ten o'clock in the morning. When the charge was made, several of the boys surrounded the horses that were being guarded by two Indians and started them in a run toward Burnet. The remaining citizens wedged themselves between the ponies and Indians, who were armed with Springfield rifles, and had better weapons than the whites. In the fight that followed, B. Eubanks was seriously wounded and J. Jordan's horse was killed. When his horse fell, Jordan was pinned underneath and while in this predicament, an Indian rushed up and emptied his pistol, but the bullets missed their marks. His eyes, however, were filled with dirt. A few boys then rallied to his rescue. Some held the Indians at bay while others released him from his predicament. The whites then retreated and were followed by the Indians for about three miles. The Indians' casualties were never known but several savages were seen to fall during the fighting. The citizens recovered all of their horses. B. Eubanks recovered from his wound.

    Note: Author interviewed T.E. Hammond of Burnet.

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

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