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Larry Francell
“Deeming it my duty, I camped directly in their line of march [the Apache Chief Victorio and his band], and at the only water for a long distance north. I had with me only First Lieutenant William H. Beck, Tenth Cavalry, one non-commissioned officer, five privates – two of whom were teamsters – and my son Robert K. Grierson, who, just through high school, was out in search of adventure and suddenly found it.”
Thus, Colonel Benjamin Henry Grierson, Tenth Cavalry, describes the stand he made at Rattlesnake Springs in July 1880 during that summer’s campaign. Accompanying his father was son Robert, a bright, articulate young man who, in search of adventure, documented that summer with his father chasing Victorio through West Texas.
During the Victorio Campaign in 1880, Colonel Grierson was tasked with pursuing the Apache Victorio and his Apache warriors across West Texas, Mexico, and New Mexico. This book covers the history of the campaign from several viewpoints including Fort Davis historians Barry Scobee and Larry Francell, Colonel Grierson’s own report to the Secretary of War, the field journal of his son, Robert Grierson, as he accompanied his father and the troops, as well as a description of the campaign by First Sergeant John F. Casey.
The first-hand account of Robert Grierson, written from July 1880 to September 1, 1880, includes the day-to-day travels and interactions along the trails and canyons through Fort Davis and the Chihuahuan Desert region, the Sierra Diablo Mountains, and the Guadalupe Mountains. He documented everything: the desert sights, hunting expeditions, sleeping arrangements, travel companions, weather conditions, trail meals, the newspapers and books he was reading, and letters he wrote to his friends and family back home in Jacksonville, Illinois. This account of a young man on his search for adventure is truly a fascinating look at some of the real people during a period of United States history that is sometimes swept up like the desert sands in a summer storm.
Now available at Bookshop.org, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and in local stores like Javelinas & Hollyhocks and The Paint Box in Fort Davis, Texas.
Author Larry Francell digs into his own family history to share the stories of two men from different backgrounds who were impacted by the events of their time. First, the story of Samuel Percival Greene, or S.P. Greene, who rises in ranks in the Confederacy during the Civil War and then moves to the early city of Fort worth to practice law and become a judge in Tarrant County. Then the story of John Alfred Torney Evans who pursued the call of quick riches during the Klondike Gold Rush before returning home to his family in Texas.
Larry explains their stories and histories in an effort to pull apart the myths and reasoning that they used for their endeavors. While pointing out that although this is family history, he does not stand by the same beliefs his ancestor used to justify fighting in the U.S. Civil War, and that the same person later helped shape some of the community of early Fort Worth. Overall, both accounts are a fascinating look into two individual people who participated in big moments in history.
Now available at Lulu.com, and in local stores like Javelinas & Hollyhocks and The Paint Box in Fort Davis, Texas.
Take a trip around The Scenic Loop that begins and ends in Fort Davis, Texas and imagine the history threading through the mountains. Cyclists and travelers have long enjoyed the meandering ride through Davis Mountains State Park and local ranches, and past the McDonald Observatory and campmeeting sites. Author Larry Francell explains how the Scenic Loop began and the history of travel development in the Fort Davis region from both tourists and locals alike.
Now available at Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, and in local stores like Javelinas & Hollyhocks and The Paint Box in Fort Davis, Texas.
Fort Davis, Texas is nestled in the Davis Mountians in Jeff Davis County, out in West Texas. With a name that has caused some concern in recent years, some people queston why it’s never been changed.
Local author Larry Francell looks into the history of how the fort was named, the history of the fort itself, and the history of the people involved in naming Fort Davis.
Now available at Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, and in local stores like Javelinas & Hollyhocks and The Paint Box in Fort Davis, Texas.
Legends, myths, and ghost stories have long roamed the rugged West Texas towns – and one legend has intrigued story-tellers and researchers for generations.
West Texas author Larry Francell digs into the legend of Indian Emily in this new journalistic critique. Covering stories and histories gathered over the past century, Larry asks, and tries to answer, questions about the young woman known as Indian Emily. Did she really save the soldiers at Fort Davis? Where was she buried? How was she portrayed in different stories over the years?
Now available at Barnes & Noble, and in local stores like Javelinas & Hollyhocks and The Paint Box in Fort Davis, Texas.