The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 34, July 1930 - April, 1931 Page: 40

Southwestern Historical Quarterly

The Indians tried to shoot Yeary with arrows but the pioneer, a
man of powerful physique, laid about him so furiously with his
heavy eye hoe that his assailants were unable to take careful aim,
and began beating him about the head with their unstrung bows.
Meanwhile the negro and Yeary's small son were not inactive.
The mother and daughter now threw open the door and marched
into the fight, each bearing a loaded rifle. The older woman
sustained a deep wound in the thigh from an arrow, but un-
dauntedly carried the gun to her husband who hurdled the fence
to meet her. At the same time the boy obtained a rifle from his
sister, whereupon the Indians took alarm and fled, leaving the
settlers completely victorious. Ycary then sent the slave to Elbert
Early's place, some five miles to the eastward, for assistance. Wil-
liam Bourland, who was visiting Early, rode to Yeary's rescue,
but found that except for Mrs. Yeary's wound and Yeary's badly
lacerated face the situation was well in hand. Bourland in com-
menting on the affair said:
Captain Yeary was strongly solicited by his family and friends
to leave the frontier, but he refused and said that he felt that he
could succeed every time even if double the number should attack
him.'
Early in April, 1841, Indians massacred the Ripley family on
the Cherokee Tract in Titus County. While this outrage was not
perpetrated within the confines of Fannin County, it led to the
organization of the most important of Fannin's four punitive cam-
paigns, namely, Tarrant's first expedition. On May 4, citizen
volunteers began to assemble on Choctaw Bayou eight miles west
of Warren. On the following morning the company perfected its
organization by electing James Bourland captain; William C.
Young lieutenant; Dr. Lemuel M. Cockran orderly sergeant; and
by placing John B. Denton and Henry Stout each in charge of a
few scouts. Edward H. Tarrant accompanied the party without
command, although his position as general of militia and his ex-
perience as an Indian fighter caused him to be accepted as actual
4W. H. Bourland: "Captain J. Yeary's Fight With the Indians," The
Lamar Papers, IV, 235 ff. The above is the only authentic account of
Yeary's fight with the Indians. Various garbled accounts have been
written, but none are founded on Bourland's recital, which is undoubt-
edly correct, as he was at the Ycary place within an hour or two after
the battle. Even the usually reliable Rowlett seems at fault in his
details of the fight.-The Lamar Papers, IV, 220.