Stringfield Massacre
McMullen County, McMullen County, Texas
Marker Inscription
On Sept. 28, 1870, the Thomas W. Stringfield family was ambushed by Indians and bandits raiding from Mexico. Overtaken in their horse-drawn wagon, the victims ran for a nearby house, but did not reach it. Thomas and wife Sarah Jane were stabbed and shot to death. Six-year-old son Adolphus was also murdered, but the fate of Thomas, 4 years, was never known. The survivor, 8-year-old Ida Alice, fought to avoid capture. She was then speared 7 times, trampled by the raiders' horses, and left for dead. She was later rescued and lived until 1937. 1968
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
On September 28, 1870, the Thomas Stringfield family was overtaken in their wagon by raiders striking north from Mexico. Thomas and his wife Sarah Jane were killed, as was young Adolphus, while four-year-old Thomas vanished without a trace. Eight-year-old Ida Alice fought her captors, was speared and trampled and left for dead — yet she survived, rescued and living on until 1937.
Why it matters
The Stringfield tragedy testifies to the brutal insecurity of the Texas–Mexico borderlands in the years after the Civil War, and to the endurance of those who survived them.
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Related people
- · Thomas W. Stringfield
- · Sarah Jane Stringfield
- · Ida Alice Stringfield
Related events
- · Stringfield Massacre
Themes & tags
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