The rest of the company returned to,
headquarters, but went by way of the Davis ranch to assist in
burying the bodies of the old gentleman and the two sons. Lieut.
Jackson told me that when he arrived at the ranch and saw the dead
bodies and heard the sad story of the wife and mother and of her
daughters, he said it was more than he could stand. He made a
detail of six men to dig the graves and he returned to
headquarters and moved the entire command down there and they all
attended the funeral.
After the funeral was over Mrs. Davis called me to one side and
said: "There is one more favor I wish to ask of you before you
leave." I asked her what it was. She said as she was keeping a
boarding-house she would have to keep travelers, and that she
would like to have us leave a man to look after the stock until
such time as she could get some one to work for her. I told her
that if the Lieutenant did not object I would leave a man with her
that would take as much interest in the stock as if they were his
own, and that she would find him a perfect gentleman at all times.
I called Lieut. Jackson aside and mentioned the matter to him. He
told me to leave a man and that he would also detail a man to
stay, which he did then and there. I asked George Jones to stay,
which he was willing to do.
Mrs. Davis asked us to send her a good, trusty man and she would
pay him good wages, and she said she would write to her brother,
who, when he came out, would close up her business there as
quickly as possible, and they would return to the East.
Pages:
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462