Little Salt Creek Indian Fight
Olney, Young County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Duel between a cattle roundup crew and Indians, on May 16, 1869. Cowboys attacked at their work were Shapley Carter, Bill Crow, and Henry Harrison, all of Palo Pinto County; crew captain Ira E. Graves, J. W. Gray, W. C. Kutch, and Jason McClain, of Jack County; George and John Lemley and Rube Seachrist, Young County; Dick, the cook from Tarrant County. All day the crew held at bay 57 Comanches, who left that night. Nine cowboys were wounded--Carter, Crow, and John Lemley died. Texans never forgot the unprovoked attack.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
On May 16, 1869, a cattle roundup crew was attacked at their work and forced into an all-day fight against some fifty-seven Comanches. The twelve cowboys—drawn from Palo Pinto, Jack, Young, and Tarrant counties—held the raiders at bay until nightfall, when the Comanches withdrew. Nine of the crew were wounded, and three of them died of their injuries.
Why it matters
The clash is one of countless violent encounters that marked the contested Texas frontier, where the westward push of settlers collided with the Comanche resistance defending their homeland.
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Related people
- · Ira E. Graves
- · Shapley Carter
Related events
- · Little Salt Creek Indian Fight
Themes & tags
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