Hello list, While looking for another item I came across this article. I thought others might enjoy reading it as well. It was from The Weatherford Democrat, dated July 19, 1951. ____________________________________________________________________ Titled "GRAVE IN WILLOW SPRINGS CEMETERY HELPED MAKE HISTORY BACK IN 1860" Jay Pritchard of Ranger has picked out a grave as one that helped make history in Parker County over 90 years ago. Pritchard grew up near Willow Springs Cemetery, east of town on Highway 80, and according to family tradition, he helped clean out the graveyard once a year. His mother told him to take special care of this one grave. "The other people buried here have relatives to take care of their graves," she told him, "This poor soul had no one. They're all gone." So Jay Pritchard took care of the grave when he made his lonely visits to the cemetery, In November, 1860, the cemetery and unmarked grave drew the attention of all Parker County. Even Gov. Sam Houston was interested. Even the Texas Rangers. Even the marauding Indians. Wagons came from miles around when the body of young Martha Sherman was lowered in that grave. Her four small children were there. So was her husband. They had brought the body of Martha Sherman from the western part of Parker County because her dying wish was that she be buried by a church. Martha Sherman had lingered for three days after she had been ravished and scalped by the raiding Indians. The Sherman's had lived on an outlying farm. The Indians surprised them, forcing Mr. Sherman and children to walk away from the house. The usual scalping technique did not work on the flowing locks of Martha Sherman. The Indians cut a deep gash completely around her head, just below the hair line. Then they pulled the hair but the scalp wouldn't come off the way it did with most of their victims. Angrily they tied her hair to the tail of a horse and dragged her about the farm yard. Finally, the scalp came off and the Indians rode away. This was only one incident of Indian depredations but it was the one that aroused the most interest. Governor Houston changed his policy of dealing with the Indians because of it. He sent Capt. Sul Roll and company of Rangers to trail the Indians. This hunt ended up with the capture of Cynthia Ann Parker and her return to civilization. She had been kidnapped as a child and had been reared by the Indians, finally marring Chief Peta Nocona. It was Chief Nocona who had led the raid into Texas. It cost him his wife. It also brought on a fierce retaliation by the Texans. _________________________________- Shirley in TX