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CATTLE DRIVE FROM TEXAS TO ROUND VALLEY - 1874
George Hindman had come from Texas in 1874 with a herd of cattle owned by a Mr. Jordon and others bound for Arizona. They stopped at our place a week or so to rest the herd and men. Hindman disliked summer weather and dreaded the heat of Arizona. He also heard of depredations by the Apaches there, so decided to stay and work for Robert Casey. Bill Humphreys, part owner, was with the herd and he abused George Hindman for quitting them during the drive. Hindman declared he had not agreed as to how long he would work, and in anger he jerked his pistol. He and Humphreys fired simultaneously, and Humphreys got a scalp wound from a bullet-that penetrated his hat. Humpreys' bullet struck the cylinder of Hindman's pistol and battered it so that it would not revolve. Humpreys fell, and Hindman, out of ammunition, started to run. He jumped a ten-foot bank, ran across a meadow, and dashed up to our house. The bullet that struck his pistol had split it into several pieces, some of which imbedded themselves in his hand. Mother said "Come in under shelter. You're wounded and unarmed." She told me to bring a pan of water and when I came with it, I helped her dress Hindman's hand. As soon as Bill Humphreys regained consciousness, his brother John rode to their father. The old man jumped on his horse and started to the aid of Bill. By the time he reached his son, Hindman was halfway across the meadow. The old man jerked his gun and commenced shooting at Hindman. He charged Hindman, then turned his horse and rode toward his son's body. He repeated these tactics several times and lost his chance of killing George. Because the bullets came toward our house Mother was alarmed and sent a man to tell Humphreys that he might hit one of the children. Humpreys replied, via the messenger, that if she did not run Hindman out of her house he would come over and get him if he had to burn the house in doing so. Hindman heard the threat and said, "Now, Mrs. Casey, I don't want you to have any trouble on my account. I'll just get out and hit for the hills." There was no further trouble. When father got home that evening he rode over to see Old Man Humphreys. The son who had fallen was not badly hurt and Humphreys agreed to pay Hindman and let him go, but did not keep that promise when Hindman followed the herd in an attempt to collect his wages. He returned and worked for us a long time. He was a good quiet, inoffensive person and I do not recall of one instance in which he got into trouble. I regard his being shot from ambush by a cowardly aggregation concealed behind a corral wall at Lincoln as a dastardly act. The Republican Review Albuquerque, New Mexico, Saturday, November 21, 1874, Page 2 Col. 2 Difficulties of a Deputy Sheriff On the 22 ult., a Deputy Sheriff and posse returned to Belen after an unsuccessful pursuit of a herd of cattle which were levied on in a suit in the hands of Messrs. Stevens, Rousseau and Clancy. Mr. Rousseau being present at the time of the party's arrival, had himself appointed a Deputy Sheriff immediately and left with a party of five men the same night at 10 o'clock, to pursue the wild cowboys and herd and if possible capture enough cattle to satisfy, when sold, the claims of the plaintiff and costs of the suit. Mr. R. and party rode all that night and the following day, all day Saturday and Sunday, and on Sunday night arrived in sight of the camp fires of the flying herdsmen. Here they camped, being about a mile and a half from the herd, which in another day's drive would have passed the Colorado Chiquito, the supposed boundary line at this point between the Territory and Arizona, and distant from Belen something over 200 miles. During the night, four of the horses strayed away, that of Mr. R. and another man being the only ones to be found. Nothing daunted at this mishap. Rousseau sent the mounted man to hunt up the remainder of the stock and mounting his own wearied charger rode alone into the mist of the dangerous Texans, then and there reading his warrant and claiming the cattle. He was met as might be expected by derisive remarks and clear hints to the effect, that the back trail was the healthiest one he could travel: but Rousseau being a man who contains a large amount of "clear grit" in his composition, told them he had not rode that far for nothing and he was bound to have them steers or "bust". "The sight of his party which now came dashing into camp, having found their horses, cooled down combativeness of ye eight cowboys, and after some threats and wholesome advise being administered to them, they not only concluded to give up the required amount to stock, but, on Monday morning assisted in cutting them out from the remainder of the herd. Thus did brains backed up by coolness and bravery, over come the noted braggadocio and brute force of the terrible Texans. Mr. R. got back to Socorro on the 2nd inst. And the captured stock is peacefully grazing in this vicinity, awaiting the time of their disposal by public auction, for which, see notice in another column. WEEKLY NEW MEXICAN SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1874, PAGE 1 Rosseau, the young attorney, recently located at Albuquerque, is recorded as showing a considerable tenacity and clear grit as Deputy Sheriff, in following up and making a levy on a herd of cattle out near the Arizona line, where the cattle were being driven to avoid execution. Rosseau was met with derisive remarks and hints that the back trail was the healthiest one for him. He informed the parties that he "had not rode that distance for nothing and was going to have those steers or bust." We noticed a legal notice in the columns of the REVIEW at the suit of Hindman vs Jordan offering 200 head of cattle for suit at Albuquerque and signed Lovel H. Rosseau, special commissioner. THE REPUBLICAN REVIEW ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1874, Page 4 LEGAL NOTICE PUBLIC SALE OF CATTLE AT ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. NOVEMBER 30, GEORGE W. HINDMAN: vs ATTACHMENT IN ASUMPAIT A. JORDAN By virtue of an order of the Judge of the Second Judicial District Court, the undersigned will expose to public sale, and sell to the highest bidder for cash, commencing on Monday, November 30, 1874 at 10 o'clock a.m. , and continuing from day to day (Sundays exempted) until all be sold, on the Public Plaza of Alburquerque, or the principal street westward of said Plaza, about (200) two hundred head of cattle, consisting of cows, calves, beeves and yearlings, attached as the property of said Defendant at the suit of said Plaintiff.
The following is a statement by Julius W. Becker, about the highways leading to and from Springerville: The Beginning of Travel Through the Springerville Area In 1874 Julius Becker and his brother Gustav were employed by the State Coach Operators from the end of the Santa Fe Railroad in Las Animas, Colorado to El Paso, Texas. The stage coach passed through Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Belen, Socorro and other towns enroute. One night while waiting to change horses at Belen, while the stage coaches waited for the mail, two men dropped in who had been out into Arizona. They began to tell of a valley which the Spanish settlers called Valle Redondo and of the wonderful grazing on the plains and adjacent mountains. They fired the imagination of the two Becker brothers so that one of them, Julius, soon after saddled his horse and rode west to what is now Springerville and Eagar. His brother Gustav followed in 1876. The Becker brothers came out on horseback, passing a few scattered wagon caravans coming westward, following no particular trail. Later they learned that their enthusiastic cattlemen friends had actually gone back to Texas, gathered the cattle and started westward when they were apprehended on the Texas-New Mexico border by the Texas Rangers, they were cattle rustlers.
From the files of Jack A. Becker, local historian. |