Index

The following excerpt was taken from the book "The Hobson Family Lineage -- Descendants of George and Elizabeth Hobson", 1994, Compiled by Jay W. Hobson from The Hobson Family Data Exchange.

THOMAS C. WALL

In 1836 my maternal grandfather, Thomas C. Wall, and family emigrated from North Carolina over the Cumberland Gap route thru Tennessee and Kentucky to Missouri. On reaching the Mississippi River late in the afternoon they crossed the mighty river by ferry landing on the Missouri side where the then trading post of St. Louis now is. Nightfall was upon the pioneers ere a suitable camp site could be located. It was winter, the ground was frozen, a snowstorm was raging. Hastily pitching his tent, Thos. Wall and his eldest son, Henry C. Wall, disposed their oxen for the night. Before morning in the tent my mother, Martha Jane Wall, was born. Next morning it was discovered the tent had been erected on the snow which covered a small ice frozen pond. Emigrants crossing the plains at night placed men on guard around the camp and herds of cattle in order that they might be protected from possible attack by Indians. The redskins had a bad habit of creeping among the sleeping herd and frightening them causing a general stampede of the animals. Thus frightened the cattle bolted, blindly following the leader over any obstacle that chanced in their path.

One dark night in 1852 while the train in which my grandfather, Thomas C. Wall and family were crossing the plains his son Henry C. Wall was doing guard duty over the sleeping herd of cattle. Late at night the herd became frightened in some mysterious manner. With a single impulse and a great snort the animals sprang to their feet and were off in a body at full speed in the direction of Mr. Wall. No tree or rock was at hand behind which to seek protection. To attempt to run out of the way of the thundering herd was out of the question. His only alternative, a slim chance at that, in order to save his life from being trampled out by the pounding hoofs of the maddened fleeing animals as they bore down upon the lone man was to grab one of the steers by the long horn and run at his side in the middle of the fleeing herd and take a chance. This Mr. Wall did, gradually steering the animal toward the outside of the moving herd which he finally succeeded in doing after what seemed an eternity to the almost exhausted young man.

W.J. (LUCKY) BALDWIN:

It seems almost miraculous that a man might survive when caught in the midst of a cattle stampede when the crazed animals are running like mad in a closely packed herd. They stop for nothing in their way tearing thru tents, wagons, human beings or any movable obstruction that might be in their way, continuing their mad career for miles over the trackless prairie until exhausted. The maddened animals following the leader be it bovine or horse in the lead. When a cattle stampede started on the plains the emigrants if possible started a horseman out ahead of the running herd. He at first ran his horse straight ahead directly in advance of the charging animals until they became accustomed to the horse as a leader. Gradually the rider would circle his mount describing a wide ever lessening circle until the circle became smaller and smaller until at last the milling confused cattle stopped of their own account. A noted plains man said, "Aside from Indian menace the greatest danger in a buffalo hunter's life came when the herds stampeded after a stand. " No man could guess in which direction the animals would run. As a rule the hunter worked up on his game from downwind, and had his saddle horse picketed just back of the rise from which he shot out of sight and scent of the herd. When the buffalo started to run the hunter made for his horse. In the saddle he was safe. Sometimes his horse would catch the excitement and break away before the hunter could reach him. Then if the herd headed for the man on foot was doomed unless some ruse could split the herd changing its direction or he being lucky enough to get out of its path.

He said that Lucky Baldwin told him of his experiences in early days on the frontier. among other things Baldwin told him that he got his real start in life from a poker game. He was stranded with his wife and child in Iowa. Seeing a poker game in session with heave stakes he decided to risk the few dollars he had just borrowed for food on the chance for a stake that would carry his family thru the winter. He left the table with all the money in sight enough to warrant a move to California where he became wealthy. Before that Baldwin hunted buffalo for their hides which in those days was a profitable occupation. Baldwin said that he was the first white hunter to abandon the Indian style of running the herd on horseback in favor of the stand on foot. Baldwin recounted an incident when his horse broke loose and left him on foot so close to the charging blood-crazed buffalo that he could do nothing to divert them. Being strong and quick, as a huge bull was leading the stampede and as the animal reached him, Baldwin in desperation grabbed the old bull by the horns, vaulting to his back where he clung for his life while the herd charged over the trackless plains. The maddened animals headed for a cottonwood grove. The bull on which Lucky was riding led his followers to the grove. As the animal passed under a low hanging limb, Baldwin let go of the bull's horns, seized the overhanging bough and drew himself safely to the friendly limb of the tree. Other similar happenings of hunters being caught in the rush of buffalo stampedes and riding out on the backs of the animals are on record.

GRANDMOTHER CHASES A MEXICAN

My grandfather, Thomas Wall, who arrived in San Jose with his family in 1852, drove his ox team to the Santa Cruz Mountains for the purpose of getting a load of redwoods to be used in fence building, being away for several days and leaving the family at home in the log cabin. During the night grandmother was awakened by the sound of horses hoofs and the tinkling of spurs outside. Grandmother softly called her daughter, Jane, to get up as the outlaws were outside and would soon, no doubt, endeavor to force entrance to the cabin (Jane Wall later became my mother). Mother arising and arming herself with the ax while grandmother did likewise with the rifle. The bandit chief called out, "Open door lacasa machio frio." Grandmother answered saying, "If you attempt to force the door we will kill you." Thinking there was nothing to be gained by the attempt and much to lose after a short conference, the marauders rode away.

FRIENDLY MEXICANS

My grandfather, Thomas C. Wall, and also my father were very friendly with the Mexicans around San Jose. They found the upper class of Mexicans very fine people who, when they slaughtered a steer, usually divided the kill with them. My uncle, George Hobson, and wife arrived in San Jose in 1847. The brother, Hadley Hobson, who with his wife crossed the plains with George Hobson, settled in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. George Hobson's train came via Donner Lake and saw the remains of the ill fated Donner party who perished on the Lake during the winter of 1846-47. My aunt, Mrs. George Hobson, informed the writer that unburied skeletons of those who had perished were strewn on the ground. One of the women with long black hair.