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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.

Gillespie County, Texas

    February 22, 1870, A. Walker and D.E. Moore, who lived in Legion Valley in Llano County, started to Fredericksburg with a load of bacon. When they had driven their oxen about six or seven miles and were about four or five miles north of Willow City, they heard an unusually loud and perplexing gun in the distance. While traveling on an exceedingly rough road, about three-fourths of a mile further, the two were ambushed by Indians. Moore escaped but was wounded in the left arm. When Walker was found, the citizens discovered he had received a mortal wound, gone about 10 yards, and built a fortification in a mott of live oak timber, but he died before assistance reached him. He was buried on Crabapple Creek in Llano County.

    Note: Before writing this section, the author personally interviewed A.W. Walker, a brother of R.A. Walker, mentioned above; Capt. Dan W. Roberts and three of four others who were living in that section of the state at the time.

    Further Ref.: Vital Statistics of the U.S. Census for 1870.

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

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