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Fleeing to the Hills from Chamal Mexico about the First of May, 1916, quite a lot of our people who had repeatedly heard the bad news of extra invasions by the soldiers, also that we might at any time expect the so-called South Western Bandits, we began by laying our heads together and planning for the best way to elude the expected troubles. We were right In the middle of armed men; practically surrounded. Some riding around over the valley daily; some horses disappearing, by theft at times and by force at others. I'm not so sure as to the exact dates, but about the 15th to 20th of May, the first families left for Lonesome Cove, situated say 20 miles North of Chamal in the Mountains. G. T. Ingram, Ben McElroy, W.W. Snell and Robert Derr were the first who carried their families there. Too cold up there for Bennie, so he came out in a few days, and took passage for Texas with others, some of which had not been in the mountains. The trail led through a rough, rocky and mountainous country with many steep ascents; was considered a rough place to get to camp. Later as news began coming in thick and furious and colonists becoming more expectant, we did more planning. Those who had made the first move seemed to be the most successful in getting their packing done, for later we learned that many milling pack trains had warning from their people or from pure cussedness had left us without help. In that line, we continued going up by families, not too many going at once so as to create suspicion or excitement; many of us holding back hoping for another way or remedy, possibly a chance to get to the Station and then to Tampico; for news was rife that no American need try to make their get-a-way by going North. Our mountain climbing may not be interesting to the readers of this article but it was an earnest climb for us. For three or more weeks, there was continuous movement on the trail, either coming or going. The first ones up there did the most of the freighting for those of us who got there later had less opportunity to do so. About the 5th of June, we had Consular advice that seemed to say, "for your safety move, for I shall not tell you again." On June 6th, at High Noon we had some stuff loaded on the wagon -- Prince and Buster hitched to it. The two little mules and a young horse of Miss Daisy Adams of Brownwood, that I had tried to save for her. All these we packed, mostly with light packs and with children, it being rather warm and dry, will have to acknowledge that I and Zack (that being the young horses name) were the first two animals to fall by the wayside, both completely played out the first half day. We did not dare to get too far from water, Taylor's Spring -- there being none at the time from there until high up into the mountains. With all the stomachs full of water and all the vessels we could get full, we started on the 7th with the two old horses and two little mule packs, 15 of us ranging in age from one year to near 64 years of age. We did very well on the first few ascents- and even at nooning time which was early with us. We were not so bad fagged as one might suppose and had gotten into what was known as Paradise Valley - it having once been a prosperous farm. While nooning there, we were passed by Srs. J. H. Johnson, wife and two little girls, W.R. Derr and G.T. Ingram - the two latter having been back on a foraging expedition. They looked into our water supply, and warned us that we were up against it and that they had no relief for us; but would travel on and would try and meet us on the trail that night (for you must understand that one traveling over dangerous trails generally camps where night catches him) with water -- even Mr. Ingram was to get a pail of water from a wayside gulch that he knew and set in the trail for me to find, but it was afterward found that a Mexican got it. On we tottered with children crying, women looking pale and men and boys badly worried, when we came to the foot of Hell's Hill.
My wife says "No, I can never climb that hill, too steep, rough and too much of it." With a rest, a new start, much sweat and persuasion, we, Just before the sun set, reached a plateau and then my wife said "no further will I go" and there were some of the rest of the crowd who did not feel disposed to even venture on in the hunt for water. The Madam tried her hand at locating water in rocks and crevices. No water. Then we lay down to pass the night as best we could, having trooped about 15 miles into the mountains and were then about five miles from the camp. While we lay there gazing up at the stars and little clouds that we re passing; the condition of affairs having scouted the idea of sleep -- what should I hear except the sound of hoofs in the mountains on the mountain trail. Nearer and nearer it drew until a flicker of light was viewed. Then and not until then did we know it was a white man and soon to learn that he, W. R. Derr, was coming to our relief; never was a man more graciously received; I seem to taste that first swallow of water yet, tho a thousand miles and more from it. Our thirst alleviated to some extent, we rested until morning; ate our meal and built to the trail. Slowly, very slowly, we got to the outpost of Lonesome Cove and were then soon at our intended camp. There were continual trips being made at some risk, into the valley after stuff to survive on and there were forties coming up rather regularly, until about the 25th of June when every white woman on the ranch, except Mrs. Kinnard. She, her husband and step-son Albert are yet there so far as I know and were claiming to be Germans. Our camp, at one time, had 80 men, women and children. We had some grub and did not care to have that taken from us and therefore had closed the trails to the Mexicans, at least after the soldiers had run the Americans out from their homes. Mr. George Blalock, who had been in camp a few days concluded to go back into the valley and look out for his ranch interest; when passing J. W. Proctor's place, it seemed to be under the Soldiers tender care and keeping, when suddenly he hears the challenge, "alto, alto." He "no sabe" but whirled his horse and out ran three shots that were fired at him. Will add that we remained in the mountains until an offer of quietude and peace at home was made to us. Our living was none the best, yet we did not suffer while there on quantity yet I have been acquainted with a different quality of grub and some I liked equally as well. The middle of each day when the sun was coming straight down between those mountains on you, seemed rather sweltering yet each and every night called for all the covers we could afford. We had the finest of water to drink cold enough to make your teeth ache and yet some of those mountain girls would bathe in it and call it fine. We had quite a quantity of different classes of game up there, but our instructions were to shoot nothing except a tiger, a lion or a deer - to save the balance of our shots for special purposes, which never showed up -- Thank God. We stayed on and watched the only two trails that led into our place of hiding until about the 20th of August. Prior to that time, we had been ordered by two factions to surrender and we were polite enough to answer them "No", that we were not there in war and had nothing to surrender. Health generally good while there and about the only amusement and past time we had was when reciting how they done us and in improving our camps. It was quite, a hair elevating tale some had to tell -- all of which would be funny to some one, if not to the one who experienced it. |
