A. H. Fortenberry
Slidell, Wise County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In the 1850s, A. H. ("Sevier") Fortenberry and his second wife Jane (Odell) moved from Arkansas to the wilderness then existing in this section of Texas. Living as a farmer and stock raiser, Fortenberry joined neighbors in warding off Indian raids which endangered the settlements. On October 30, 1868, at a site 3/4 of a mile northwest of this marker, he was intercepted and killed by Indians while trying to join a defensive posse. He was buried in the Pollard Cemetery, Denton County. It is thought that he was the last fatality in the Indian Wars in this vicinity. (1977)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In the 1850s A. H. 'Sevier' Fortenberry brought his family from Arkansas into what was then raw Texas wilderness, farming and raising stock while joining his neighbors to fend off raids on the scattered settlements. On October 30, 1868, he was intercepted and killed by Indians as he rode to join a defensive posse, and was laid to rest in Denton County's Pollard Cemetery. He is remembered as likely the last person killed in the Indian conflicts of this vicinity.
Why it matters
His death marks the closing chapter of the frontier Indian wars in North Texas, when the line of Anglo settlement was still contested ground.
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Related people
- · A. H. Fortenberry
- · Jane Odell Fortenberry
Themes & tags
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