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Parson Hoover Dismisses Church to Fight the Indians

Michael has a BA in History & American Studies and an MSc in American History from the University of Edinburgh. He comes from a proud military family and has spent most of his career as an educator in the Middle East and Asia. His passion is travel, and he seizes any opportunity to share his experiences in the most immersive way possible, whether at sea or on the land.

Llano County, Texas

    During 1863, Parson Hoover, then conducting a Methodist camp meeting in Llano County, dismissed his congregation to fight the Indians. Inasmuch as the savages made it almost impossible for the citizens to have horses, practically every one came to the meeting in ox-wagons. As a consequence, few horses could be found. Nevertheless, G.B. Cowen, Jr., C.A. Davis, John Burns and about six others, all of whom were largely commanded by Parson Hoover himself, rode the ten available horses. When the citizens followed the trail of the natives for eleven miles, the Indians were overtaken and a running fight followed. John Burns was wounded and G.B. Cowen, Jr., accidentally shot his own horse in the head.

    Note: Author interviewed Ike B. Maxwell, who lived in that section at the time.

The above story is from the book, The West Texas Frontier, by Joseph Carroll McConnell.

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