In 1868, a battle between native Plains warriors and American settlers took place along White Creek where Cooke, Denton, and Wise counties meet in Texas.
Fortenberry Road stretches north of Slidell between northwestern Denton, northeastern Wise, and southern Cooke County in Texas. The road passes over the dripping springs of White Creek where, in 1868, a skirmish between white settlers, Kiowas, and Comanches took place.
The settlers were outgunned and outmanned, and in the melee, Sevier Fortenberry was killed. An unnamed Native American combatant was killed as well. His body, I believe, may have been placed inside Cogburn Cemetery near the Leo Community in southern Cooke County, with a simple tombstone that commemorates the "Indian Grave."
Fortenberry was buried at Pollard Cemetery, which is now on private land. According to Texas law, all cemeteries should be public access from sunup to sunset. It's interesting how many cemeteries in Texas are inaccessible, and how many communal resources are inaccessible as well.
Even without tracing the battle, Dripping Springs should be visited. The springs begin on an elevated prairie, and the water plunges over a roadbed into a deep gulch. Fortenberry Road (at one point, known as County Line Road) crosses over this spring. You can trace it here:https://maps.app.goo.gl/W3xYwXquiRq4pbcP8 or 33°25'50.7"N 97°22'57.5"W.
Just a bit further southwest from the 1868 battle is the site of the Keep Ranch Fight, where in 1871, several hundred Comanches and Kiowas fought Texas Rangers who were stationed at Thompsonville near Alvord, Wise County. I'll post about this historically significant battle soon!
