| Notes |
- Confederate Veteran.
Scalped & Killed by the Comanches.
From: “History of Parker County”:
The late Mrs. M. C. Herrick died at the same place on Sanchez Creek, six miles south of Weatherford, where she lived in March 1866, when she saw, from her door, a band of Indians driving away settlers' horses across the prairie in front of her house. Hearing a disturbance, she soon followed on about one mile to a neighbor's house where she found they had killed and scalped Bohlin Savage, an ex-Confedereate soldier in the field. His daughter, 12 or 15 years old, had seen the Indians coming, and had run to her father with a double-barreled shot gun, reaching him just as the Indians charged. Savage succeeded in killing one of the Indians, but as he fired, he received a deadly blow. The Indians seriously wounded the oldest Savage boy, and were preparing to carry away little Sam and Jim, 5 and 8 respectively, and a smaller child, into captivity. They also had taken a fine horse from the lot. The daughter who had rushed to her father's aid, jerked the youngest child away from the Indians and made her way safely to the house, receiving only a lance wound across her chest, which soon healed. Mrs. Savage had saved herself and smaller child by a brave bluff with a gun.
The Indians then crossed the divide to Patrick Creek, where they killed Jim Savage, a brother of Bohlin, and carried off his little girl. They next met Judge Hunter, who was then County Judge of the county. He fled on horseback, the fleetness of his horse saving his scalp. Nothing is calculated to give more speed to horse or man than a bunch of Comanche Indians after him, giving their yell and shooting arrows at him. One of those cruel Indians would have felt greatly honored at the war dance near the government agency with the scalp ofthe County Judge of Parker County dangling at ;his belt.
People who saw them as they rushed across the county with stolen booty, could hear the screams of the three children as they were carried into brutal captivity. Indian crulty knew no bounds.
The two brothers were buried about five miles southfrom Weatherford, both in one grave which is surrounded by a few stones from the prairie. On a flat limestone rock at the head of the double grave is dimly scratched:
IN MEMORY OF JAMES SAVAGE
Born October 28, 1826 -- Died March 2, 1866
BOLIN SAVAGE
Born May 16, 1833 -- Died March 2, 1866
Little Jim Savage tried to run away from the Indians when they camped the first night, but the Indians caught him and lascerated the bottoms of his feet, making it impossible for him to walk. They also cut nicks in his ears as identity marks.
Retribution came to one of the thieves the next morning after a long and tiresome run. The Indian who had led the Bohlin Savage horse with a long rope, decided to ride the new animal. He placed a halter over the horse's head and tied the surplus rope around his body and mounted the dashing charger. Not pleased with the new arrangement, the spirited horse ran away, threw the Indian and dragged him by the neck through trees and underbrush until he hung on a rock and tore his head entirely from his body, all happening in the presence of the other Indians andthe captive children. The horse, when freed took the back track and went home.
It is the custom of Indians to carry the bodies of their dead to a safe place for burial. They strapped the dead Indian's body on a horse and had a squaw carry the detached head in her lapj on horseback, and little Sam was forced to ride on the samew horse with the squaw and dead Indian's head. What a horrible ride for that five-year-old child, with that gaping mouth, exposed teeth and lolled toung, but he was helpless.
They carried these captive children to Arbuckle Mountains in Oklahoma. They were almost starved to death and were forced to eat raw meat. They were kicked and cuffed about more brutally than if they had been dogs. How these children, with weak stomachs and tender bodies, and almost no clothing, lived through such treatment is beyond comprehension.
After they had been in captivity about eight months, an Indian trader from McKinney, Texas, by the name of Fields, saw them and secured their liberty by giving ponies to the old Indian who had them. He arranged with a family at Fort Arbuckle to care for them until he could locate their people. The children had forgotten who they were and could not establish their identity. When Mr. Fields got back to McKinney he advertised them, not by name, but by description, and located their people, who sent for them. I do not know what became of the girl, but the boys grew to be useful men. Sam now lives two miles north of Mineral Wells. Jim died at Childress in 1935.
The scene at the return of these children to their widowed mothers cannot be described. It is strange how soon wild life can be instilled into the human family. In less than nine months time these children, in savage habitation, fed on raw meat, had forgotten their language, did not know their own people and were as wild as rabbits.
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1833 - 1866 (32 years)
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