Captured By the Apaches, Forty Years with this Savage Band of Indians

By Thomas Stringfield

"According to...'Captured by the Apaches'...Stringfield grew up...rubbing shoulders with the likes of Geronimo and Quanah Parker." - Mavericks: A Gallery of Texas Characters (2008)

"Just before Geronimo died he told 'Two Braids' that he

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bookcrop
• Release date: Apr 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781087949628

Book preview

CHAPTER I.

Thomas Wesley Stringfield was born in Springfield, Illinois, October 16, 1837, came to Texas about the year 1848 and settled on the land where Austin now stands, and later moved to what is known now as Mason county, there all taking up land, his father and mother moving back to Austin where they died. Thomas Stringfield later came to Frio county and other frontier counties and met Miss Sarah Jane Mills at Talman Hobbs. They were married in Guadaloupe county, August 2, 1860, and moved to McMullen county on the San Magal, where the first child was born April 16, 1862, and named Ida Alles Stringfield, then moving back to Guadaloupe county. Dolfus M. Stringfield was born Feb. 28, 1864. They then moved back to San Magal for a short time, then moved to Pleasanton, the county seat of Atascosa county, where Tommy Stringfield was born May 8, 1866, from which place they moved to McMullen county in 1868 and remained there until massacred by the Indians in 1870.

PLACES OF RESIDENCE AND OCCUPATION OF THE STRINGFIELD FAMILY.

Mr. and Mrs. Stringfield were married in Guadaloupe county, August, 1858 or 1859. They moved to McMullen county on the San Magal six miles from a little place on the Frio called Dog Town. There they lived three or four years, moving back to Wilson county about the time the Civil War broke out, where they remained most of the time during the war, afterwards moving to the old home on the San Magal with his stock as he had a great many cattle. There he remained a year or more. Then they moved to Pleasanton, Atascosa county, where Tommy Stringfield was born May 8, 1866. They remained at Pleasanton something over a year, going from there back to the old home on the San Magal where they stayed for a while before they were killed. They moved to a place called Leon Gita where there were large lakes in a prairie country. They next started a ranch thirty miles west of the San Jose ranch, and on their way home from this new place at the San Jose ranch, McMullen county, they were killed about September 28, 1870

WHY MRS. ARA C. BURRIS IS CERTAIN THAT TWO BRAIDS IS TOMMY STRINGFIELD.

The first that impressed me that the man is Tom-my Stringfield is a scar on the back of his neck caused by a bad rising, also the family resemblance. I can see a favor of his mother in the shape of his eyes, eye-brows and mouth and ears. He has the Stringfield voice and complexion. Besides the resemblance he also has the family mark the little finger being bowed or crooked, and lastly he told me of little incidents that happened in his childhood that I know are facts as I lived with my sister Mrs. Stringfield off and on from the time of Tommy's birth at Pleasanton until a year before the terrible tragedy.

Signed, Ara Burris Mills.

MRS. NANCY HOBBS' STATEMENT TO THE AUTHORITIES IN CROCKETT COUNTY, at Ozana the county seat and at Eagle Pass, the county seat of Maverick county.

She was asked how she knew Two Braids was Tommy Stringfield and she said: Because he has the family was asked how she knew Two Braids was Tommy Stringfield and she said: Because he has the family resemblance and marks and the Stringfield voice and movements, and the scar on his neck caused by a rising when he was an infant and the crooked finger on the right hand, nose, mouth and eyes, there can be no mistake about him being Tommy Stringfield. It was a great pleasure for me to lay eyes on him for the first time since he was taken away. I can see him now as I used to see him when his parents lived with us. Mr. Hobbs spent lots of time and money searching for the little Stringfield boy, but failed. Once he went to Old Mexico, where a Mexican said a chief had a white boy. After paying the Indian a sum of money the Indian said he would bring him in the next week. The next week came and so did the Indian but no boy, he wanting more money, and that was the way every clew turned out. I always thought he would come home someday. I have for many years kept his parent's belongings. I am so glad to have him with us and to be able to give him back his parents belongings. The feather bed on which he now lies is the one he was born on. The family record which I gave him is the one his father wrote in my presence, and many other things too numerous to mention. He has been with me several days and yesterday as he bade me good-bye with tears streaming down his cheeks, he promised me he would never leave me very far unless the Indians took him away."

, as I used to see him when his parents lived with us. Mr. Hobbs spent lots of time and money searching for the little Stringfield boy, but failed. Once he went to Old Mexico, where a Mexican said a chief had a white boy. After paying the Indian a sum of money the Indian said he would bring him in the next week. The next week came and so did the Indian but no boy, he wanting more money, and that was the way every clew turned out. I always thought he would come home someday. I have for many years kept his parent's belongings.

VERDI SISTER'S ACCOUNT OF THE STRING-FIELD MASSACRE.

One of the most bloody massacres ever committed in McMullen county was in September, 1870. This account of the dastardly affair was related to the Sifter by the late Judge M. F. Lowe, who was judge of the Thirty-Sixth Judicial District. The father of Judge Lowe, James Lowe, was one of the best known cowmen in Southwest Texas. During the year above mentioned Mr. Lowe sent his son, the late Judge Lowe (who was just fourteen years of age at the time) in company with a Mexican and Negro to the San Jose Ranch, after a bunch of saddle horses, some seventy head. They were to deliver the horses to Mose McLean, who was an employe of Mr. Lowe. The horses were to be driven to Alligator Lake where McLean would be to take charge of them.

Young Lowe and the negro boy whose name is Sam Heritage arrived at the ranch late in the evening. The ranch house was nothing but a small picket affair and stood on rising ground, overlooking a mesquite flat across a small draw or ravine, with rising ground on