Vicinity of Indian Fight
Merkel, Taylor County, Texas
Marker Inscription
On New Year's Day, 1871, Indian raiders who had stolen horses in Coleman County were pursued and overtaken here by 18 Texas Rangers and cowboys. Leaders of the group were Captain James. M. Swisher and rancher Sam Gholson. The Indians took refuge in the heights west of Mountain Pass. The ensuing battle lasted all day, and at nightfall the raiders left the horses and fled. Of the fewer than one dozen Indians, one was killed, several wounded. One cowboy was wounded and another, J. M. Elkins, recorded the battle in his book, "Indian Fighting on the Texas Frontier." (1968)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
On New Year's Day 1871, a party of 18 Texas Rangers and cowboys overtook Indian raiders here who had driven off horses stolen in Coleman County. The raiders took cover in the heights west of Mountain Pass, and the running fight lasted all day before they abandoned the horses and slipped away at nightfall. One of the pursuers, J.M. Elkins, later recorded the clash in his memoir of frontier fighting.
Why it matters
The skirmish marks the violent contest over land and livestock on the Texas frontier, one episode in the long displacement of Native peoples during westward settlement.
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Related people
- · James M. Swisher
- · Sam Gholson
- · J. M. Elkins
Related events
- · New Year's Day frontier fight (1871)
Themes & tags
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