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591
and Sherman and crossed at Talbot's Ferry, which, I believe, is the present site of Denison.
Our cart drivers consisted of myself, two stepbrothers, R. C. and M. K. Farmer, and a nephew, Cyrus Robinson. The hired hands were Neal Barefield, Dave Hall and Watkins, also a Confederate soldier, C. C. Gibbs, and a man who called himself Porter. When we reached Waco, we camped on a little creek, at which time we had a fight with a negro band in which my stepfather was badly cut. After this nothing of particular importance happened until we crossed the Red River ; it was very much swollen on account of recent rains. The herd ahead of us belonged to Millett, Lane and Colonel Meyers. Their cattle would not take to the water under any circumstances, but when we came up with our cattle they crossed the river as if it were a little brook. The cattle of Millett and Lane were placed right at the heels of our herd, as well as Colonel Meyers', then they passed over without any trouble. Since the negro would not ferry the people across, they were left stranded on the banks of the Red River. Several of us cowboys tried to swim across, the stream being about three hundred yards wide, with very high waves, but none were successful except R. C. Farmer and myself and I only upon second trial, as my first horse drowned and I was forced to another. We two had our hands full, as we had to sing to about six thousand head of cattle in order to keep them together. It was midnight before any of the others could cross over. This was a pretty cold job, as it was in the early part of April and was rather cool, and we had on only our shirts. After spending two or three days there we had no trouble until we reached the Kansas and Missouri line, wherE we found Mr. Daugherty tied to a tree after being whipped by some people of Kansas and Missouri. They claimed our cattle would give their cattle the Texas fever ; this was the first time we had ever heard of this. My stepfather was well acquainted in Newton and Jasper