TELLS ABOUT BOB ROBERTSON

W. B. Hardeman of Devine, Texas

R. W. Robertson was a soldier under General Shelby of Missouri. On receiving his discharge here in Texas, he and a number of others went to Mexico expecting to join General Maximilian's army. On reaching Mexico they discovered Maximilian's cause was was a hopeless case. They then tendered their services to the Mexican government and were offered only a dollar a day and they bear their own expenses. Being disgusted, he sold his gun and pistol for $43.00, mounted his weary cavalry horse and came back to San Antonio, after having purchased some pretty fair clothing in Mexico. He then went to the Menger Hotel and asked for a bed, where he understood many Confederate soldiers had been given free beds. The clerk remarked, "You are dressed very well and we are not giving away free beds any more." General Tarver, a brother-in-law of the late General Ham P. Bee, having overheard part of the conversation stepped up and said, "What's the trouble?" Bob Robertson stated his case. and Tarver said, "Give the man a bed; I'll pay for it." The next morning he went to Sapplington's Livery Stable, mounted his horse and pulled out for San Marcos, where he knew a comrade by the name of Breeding resided. On reaching San Marcos neither he nor Breeding could find any work for him. There was to be a picnic the next day and a dance that night which he attended, and the next morning he went down the San Marcos River and landed at Prairie Lea. Shack Jones coming out of a groggery hailed him saying: "Where are you going?" his reply was "I am hunting work." Shack, being a big-hearted fellow and an ex-Confederate soldier replied, "Well let's go in and get a drink, then you come on home with me to my mother's," which he did. The next morning at the breakfast table Mrs. Jones said, "Johnnie,"

(speaking to Shack) "I don't want you to leave, I need you here to help run the farm," so he gave his job of cow punching, down near Gonzales, to Bob Robertson.

Bob Robertson settled in Guadalupe county and married Miss Mary Lancaster, daughter of a pioneer Methodist preacher. He became deputy sheriff in that county and did efficient service. He afterwards drove cattle to Kansas with Will Jennings and Jake Ellison as partners. His wife died many years ago. Sid Robertson, a prominent business man of San Antonio, owning the White Star Laundry, was his son and died during the war with flu. There were five brothers, Bob Robertson being the oldest, who had not been together in twenty years. They all met in Pearsall in 1883 and five finer looking specimens of manhood I don't think I ever beheld.

"DOC" BURNETT

Mr. C. Burnett, better known as Doc Burnett, was born in Harris county, Texas, April 19th, 1835, and died in Gonzales county, January 12th, 1915. He was one of the first to drive herds to Kansas in the late '60's and has the credit of driving the last herd out of Gonzales county to the northern markets. No man was better or more favorably known in Texas, on the trail, and on Northern markets than Doc Burnett. His many good deeds and the part he played in developing Texas was surpassed by very few

men.

DOC BURNETT

BEN C. DRAGOO

Herewith is presented a likeness of Veteran Ben C. Dragoo, who lives at Eden, Texas. Mr. Dragoo is now nearly ninety years old, but is still active. He was a scout and trailer for Sul Ross' Rangers, and was at the Battle of Pease River when Cynthia Ann Parker was taken from the Indians after a captivity of twenty-eight years. When a little boy, Ben Dragoo was a playmate of Cynthia Ann Parker, his father living near Parker's fort, and by strange chance the young ranger was present and assisted in the identification of the unfortunate girl when she was recaptured. Mr. Dragoo relates many thrilling incidents of early days, and did his full share in making

UNCLE BEN DRAGOO

the frontier safe for the present generation. His son, A. J. Dragoo, lives at Whiteland, in McCulloch county, where he is manager of a large ranch.

AN OLD TRAIL DRIVER

Captain William Carroll McAdams was a native of Tennessee, being born April 3, 1825, a son of Douglas and Sarah McAdams who emigrated to the United States from Scotland on account of religious differences existing in Scotland at that time. They were related to Queen Mary of Scotland by blood. Douglas McAdams, his father, constructed the first macadamized road in the United States.

Captain McAdams, at the age of seventeen, ran away from home and joined General Taylor's command on the Rio Grande. Before annex

CAPTAIN MCADAMS

ation he had become famous along the Rio Grande as "Mustang Bill." He was employed by the president of the Texas Republic and afterwards by the commander of the United States troops as a scout. It was a time of bold outlawry. Incidents of thrilling character were frequent on the border. Captain McAdams was concerned in several raids on robber strongholds, and when war with Mexico began his services were needed, for he knew all about the region General Taylor had mapped out for his campaign. He was in the battle of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma. He crossed the Rio Grande and fought and scouted for the American army. At Buena Vista he saw the brigade of Mexican lancers repulsed by Col. Jefferson Davis and next witnessed the rout of Santa Anna's army. By order of General Taylor he reported for duty to General Scott and was sent by the latter commander to rescue three prisoners of war under death sentence. The men, natives of Mexico, joined the American army and were captured by General Santa Anna's cavalry near Cerro Gordo. A kinsman of one of the doomed men deserted and informed the Americans, offering to assist a rescue party. Time was precious. It was past midnight and the men were to be shot at sunrise. Captain McAdams, with fourteen Texans and the Mexican deserter, entered the lines of the enemy, captured all the sentinels, killing the soldier who was on guard over the doomed men, and before daybreak he was back within General Scott's lines with

the rescued men, having accomplished the task given him without loss to his own party. For this service he was honored by General Scott with special mention, and from that time to the close of the war he was the trusted scout of the commander-in-chief of the American army in Mexico. After an honorable discharge by General Scott, he returned to North Texas and married Miss Ann Alexander of Parker county, who was also from Tennessee, and settled in Palo Pinto county and commenced raising cattle.

He immediately joined Jack Hays' Rangers and served with them until the Independence of Texas was acknowledged, and in a battle with the Comanche Indians he was wounded with an arrow and the scar went with him to the end as a decoration on the breast of the old veteran of three wars.

He was one of the original organizers of the Masonic Lodge of Palo Pinto, and was a great Mason. Later on in life two of his daughters, Mrs. D. C. Kyle, now of Saco, Montana; formerly Molly McAdams and Mrs. W. B. Slaughter of San Antonio, formerly Anna McAdams, joined the Eastern Star. Mrs. Kyle being eighteen and Mrs. Slaughter sixteen at the time of joining. Mrs. Slaughter is now a past worthy matron.

Captain McAdams had a disposition to make everybody his friend. His wife, during his absence, dressed in the garb of a man always went with her six-shooter belted around her and a gun on her shoulder for the purpose of making the Indians think her husband was at home. He reared a family of eight children, two boys and six girls, namely: David McAdams, Molly McAdams, Anna McAdams, Lizzie McAdams, Louie McAdams, Quinne McAdams, Webb McAdams and Collie McAdams. Only four of them are now living namely: Mrs. D. C. Kyle, of Saco, Montana; Mrs. W. B. Slaughter of San Antonio; Mrs. Louie Harrison, of Hansford, Texas.

In 1863 he drove a herd of cattle to old Mexico and