The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 66, July 1962 - April, 1963 Page: 40

Southwestern Historical Quarterly

Even though some accounts refer to the Germans being properly
armed (Williams reports the first guard killed carried a Jiger
rifle and sixshooter) ,0 their fire-power under the prevailing con-
ditions must have fallen short of the Confederates' capability.
Following the battle, trooper Williams administered to the
wounded Germans. He dressed their wounds, gave them water,
and pulled one helpless unionist from the camp fire where he had
fallen from a Confederate bullet. When Williams returned to the
mott from the river with the water for the wounded, he found
that they had been moved to "a shady spot." Gun fire attracted
Williams' attention and he ran in the direction of its origin only
to be stopped by a trooper who related to Williams, "You needn't
be in a hurry, it's all done; they've shot the poor devils, and
finished them off." "It can't possibly be they have murdered the
prisoners in cold blood," Williams asked in disbelief. "Oh, yes;
they're all dead, sure enough, and a good job, too," was the reply.
According to Williams it was Lieutenant Luck who was respon-
sible for the shooting; Luck was interested in gaining a reputation
and upon Williams' objections to the methods used, Luck as-
signed Williams an extra day's duty. McRae was exonerated in
connection with the massacre by Williams who records that the
commanding officer had been wounded in the intial stage of the
battle and was unaware of Luck's treatment of the German
wounded."1
McRae's first act after the victory was to send to Fort Clark for
medical aid. Assistant Surgeon Downs and D. H. Brown arrived
and administered "kind attention to ... [McRae] and ...
[his] command."82 The Confederate dead were provided a common
grave, but the Germans were left unburied, "prey to the buzzards
soWilliams, With the Border Ruffians, 247.
slIbid., 249-250. McRae's wound is verified in his official report of August 18.
Kuechler returned to the battle site after August 1i to find the wounded "mur-
dered and mutilated." Ransleben, A Hundred Years of Comfort in Texas, 97.
asWilliams, With the Border Rufians, 250; report of Lieutenant C. D. McRae,
August 18, 1862, Oficial Records, Series I, Vol. IX, 615. According to Schwethelm,
who hid in a ranch house after the battle, Duff arrived after the massacre with
Dr. Downs and related to the owner of the ranch that a battle had just been
fought with "a bunch of damned abolitionists." Another version associates Duff
with the battle proper after which he instructed Downs not to dress the wounds of
the Germans ["Never mind, we will take care of them."]. Ransleben, A Hundred
Years of Comfort in Texas, 98.