Let’s revisit the Battle of Dove Creek

Edited by Jim Fish

The Battle of Dove Creek took place on Jan. 8, 1865, along Dove Creek in what is now southwestern Tom Green County, Texas. Confederate Texas soldiers under captains Henry Fossett and S.S. Totten mistakenly attacked a tribe of peaceful Kickapoo and Potawatomi Indians, believing they were hostile Comanche or Kiowa and were soundly defeated by an organized Kickapoo/Potawatomi defense.

The following comes from a participant, the late John C . Cureton dated Jan. 8, 1926.

“The latter part of December 1864, my father, Captain J.J. (Jack) Cureton, started on a buffalo hunt from Palo Pinto County, Texas. My brother, Wm. E., and myself were permitted to go. A few days after leaving home, news came that a large party of Indians were passing through West Texas from North to South. Hurriedly gathering what men he could, he pushed on to the West. He sent my brother back home as he did not want to risk the two of us kids.

“He was disappointed. We met Captains Joe Curtis and Henry Dillahunty with their companies. We passed old Fort Phantom Hill and went to the Colorado River where we found the Indian trail. Here Curtis and Dillahunty returned home with their companies for some reason. Captain Cureton elected to go on as he wished to know where the Indians were going. The Indians were travelling leisurely for they were a large party and unafraid. Our company consisted of only 17 men, two of them were 14-year-old boys and I was one of them.

“We had only two pack horses, which was evident that we were travelling light. We had to live on the game that we killed and that consisted of buffalo as the Indians were killing the deer and antelope ahead of us. And they had the pick of the buffalo as they were not numerous along that route. We were West of the cattle section.

“Coffee, we had accustomed ourselves to do without as the war between the North and South was not yet ended. No trouble to follow the trail as they had a large number of horses, and the drag of their tent poles was distinct. We knew that they were using guns for we saw evidence of marksmanship at their various camps.

“At length, we fell with the Texas foot. We kept to our horses. Captain State Rangers, one hundred and fifty strong under the command of Captain Henry Fossett. Right here, we entered into good living as they had both salt and flour. We had been eating tough buffalo meat without salt. Eating meat alone without salt makes one's teeth become very sore.

“We camped on one of the Conchos while waiting for the militia to join us. We sent scouts ahead and into their camps at night. Wash Delong was of our company and Joe Byers of the Rangers. Byers was a picturesque figure as he was dressed in a fine buckskin suit well beaded. The scouts rode barefooted horses and wore moccasins so that the Indians would not know that spies had been in their camp. They reported that it was a very large party and that they had many horses staked in and around their camp.

“Their camp was on Dove creek in a bend and well protected with thickets. This spot is located to the southwest of San Angelo, years before the town was built. We broke camp and had lunch. The militia had not come and no news from them. But while we were there, Captain Gillentine with an escort came to us and said that his men were at the camp we left that morning. He implored us not to bring on the fight until his men came. He sent runners back after them. It was he who had first found and reported the Indian trail.

“Late in the afternoon we moved on, traveling at night. We stopped short of the enemy and there impatiently waited for the militia to come up. They lost their way and did not reach us until the sun was up. It was Sunday and Texas never had a finer day. Our plans at first were to attack at daylight but they had to be changed, and it was decided that the militia, three hundred and fifty strong, under Captain Totten, were to enter camp on the rangers on the west. They counted off their horse holders as they expected to fight on. Fossett made a short talk to us, telling us that it was the anniversary of Gen. Jackson's victory over the British at New Orleans, Jan. 8, 1815. We younger fellows did not need any enthusiasm injected into us for then the world was our oyster. Older and experienced men may have harbored misgivings, but not us.

“Our company was ordered to swing to the right of the main column and kill escaping Indians and round up horses. Order came to mount, and we moved off double file in a walk. The militia to our left traveling the same. Finally reaching a ridge that led down to their camp we began to yell and gallop. But the yelling was premature because we were too far away to hold out. We had no breakfast.

“I shall never forget the reports of the first gun as we were crossing Dove Creek, a deep place, and steep banks beyond. The firing was slow at first and intermittent but soon it was a continuous rattle. Then I realized that men were dying but had no doubt of the result. We followed orders, rounded up many horses, and killed a few Indians, but they were not running from the fight but going to it.

“It was estimated that we had collected five hundred horses. That accomplished; we hurried on to get to where the fighting was good. It was too, for as we went in men came back, some of them wounded and others trying to keep from getting wounded.” – (The Battle of Dove Creek continues next week in Part 2)