The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 34, July 1930 - April, 1931 Page: 55

History of Fannin. County, 1836-184S

selves, had their horses cared for," as John H. Simpson says, "they
would indulge in drinking, and engage in recitals of the dangers,
narrow escapes and combats with the Indians."
Sowell owned a fine stallion that he kept securely locked in a
stable, while the horses of the guests were permitted to run free in
the corral that surrounded the barn. During the early part of
the night Indians cut through the door jambs and secured the
stallion. Mounting him, one of the thieves began to drive the
other horses through a gap that his companions had laid in the
corral fence. The neighing and tramping of the frightened ani-
mals attracted the attention of the revellers who ran out to ascer-
tain the cause, but in the confusion most of them forgot their guns.
Scott and Sowell were foremost; they reached the gap in the fence
where Sowell fired his pistol at the savage astride his horse. The
shot went wild, whereupon the marauders loosed a volley of arrows
at him, one of which pierced his body. Calling to Scott to shoot
the Indian, Sowell dropped dead without a groan. His friend
shot the rider off the horse. This turn of affairs so frightened the
Indians that they fled in every direction. It was afterward
learned that they had collected on the road near Brushy Creek
and prepared an ambuscade to intercept any possible messenger
to Fort Inglish, but no one was so unwary as to attempt the
journey. From the number of moccasin tracks the settlers esti-
mated the number of Indians to have been twelve.9
The settlers were always on the alert to revenge themselves on
their relentless foes. Sometime after the death of Daniel V. Dugan
and William Kitchens two hunters rode into the settlement to re-
port that they had observed an Indian sentry on a high place on
the prairie eight miles west of Choctaw Bayou. George C. Dugan
and six companions at once departed in search of the Indians.
They located their camp easily and killed one of the savages. Be-
sides capturing a number of horses, the party brought in a quan-
tity of bows and arrows and several great cowhide shields. From
these the settlers concluded that the marauders were wild Indians,
Creek at a location still known as Sowell',s Bluff. His oldest son, John,
was captured by Indians about 1837 and held as a prisoner for eighteen
months, after which he was ransomed by Sam Houston and returned to
his father. Sowell was a native of South Carolina. Lusk, A History
of Constantine Lodge, No. 13, Bonham, Texas, 3. Sowell, A. J., Texas
Indian Fighters, 791.
0Carter, History of Fannin County, 48-49.