Squaw Creek Indian Fight, 1864

Squaw Creek Indian Fight, 1864. . , Civil War frontier victory, near this site. About 25 raiding Indians jumped a fox hunter, Rigman Bryant, killed him, shot his dog, stole his horse. That afternoon the Indians and stolen horses were seen by a minister, Silas Scarborough, W.C. Walters and a negro bringing home a turn of meal from the gristmill. Scarborough and Walters headed into a cedar brake. The Indians urged the negro to join them, shot him full of arrows when he refused. In a few hours the cavalry attacked the Indians, recovered the horses, killed one Indian, chased the others away. One settler was shot. In a week the wounded negro died., Many of the 1848-1861 settlers on the Paluxy and Squaw Creek were away in the Confederate Army. Very young boys and elderly men joined defense forces. Some drew military duty for 10 days, were off 10 days to look after mills, cattle, horses and farms., For safety, women dressed as men while their sons, husbands and fathers were away. At times 50 to 100 tents were used in hasty "forting up" of families., During the war, Alex McCammant established county's first tannery, using cedar leaves in processing hides. For cloth making, county's first cotton was grown.