The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 34, July 1930 - April, 1931 Page: 50
359 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
In July Dugan's son, Daniel V. Dugan, who expected to be
married soon, engaged William Kitchens to assist him in cutting
logs for the construction of a house. The young men carried with
them enough provisions to last them for a week with the addition
of such game as they might kill. The place where the woodsmen
busied themselves was on the banks of Choctaw Bayou some two
miles west of the main settlement. Two days after their depart-
ure, John Kitchens went above Choctaw on business and there
learned that eleven Coushattas had crossed Red River west of
Coffee's Station. He returned immediately to warn the settlers.
He passed the young men's camp, but finding it deserted he con-
cluded that they had been apprised of the danger, and so rode on
homeward. At Dugan's he was informed that the young men had
not yet returned. Runners were dispatched to Warren for the
Rangers, but they were found to be absent on Tarrant's second
expedition. Volunteers gathered at once but night having fallen
nothing could be done until morning.
At daybreak of July 28 search began. Its results may be easily
surmised. At nine o'clock William Henderson brought the news
to the anxious mothers that Kitchens's body had been found near
the site of the camp, but as yet that of Dugan had not been dis-
covered. Kitchens had been shot from ambush and scalped. Later
Dugan's mutilated body was located three hundred yards from
that of his murdered companion. Evidences of a terrific struggle
were apparent. From all appearances he had been attacked while
he was some distance from his gun. The savages had missed him
at their first fire, and then closed about him with their knives
and tomahawks. He defended himself with his axe, retreating
toward the timber. When at length his arms had been so hacked
that he could no longer hold his bloody axe, he turned to flee.
He then was shot twice and scalped. Their bloody work finished,
the Indians had ransacked the camp and fled. The bodies were
brought to the Dugan home, and buried on a knoll just east of the
present site of Dugan Chapel. The Rev. Mr. Spivey performed
the last rites of respect over the dead.
On Sunday following (August 1), the Kitchens family returned
home after having spent the day with the Dugans. The chores
having been finished, Kitchens, his son Dan, and a young man
named Stevens sat outside in a state of constant watchfulness
with their chairs tilted against the cabin and their guns between
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 34, July 1930 - April, 1931, periodical, 1931; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101091/m1/54/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.