Loyal Valley: The Hill Country Ghost Town

Captured by Indians!

Photo: wkcurrent.com

In 1880, a band of Lipan Apaches took 10 year-old Hermann Lehman and his 9 year-old brother, Willie, captive. They were pursued by a group of 10 buffalo soldiers from Fort McKavett, and in the confusion, Willie escaped.  Sergeant Emanuel Stance became the first black regular in the U S Army to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor as a result of this battle. Hermann went on to live with the Apaches, then left them to eventually live with the Comanche and Quanah Parker on a reservation in Oklahoma. His mother never gave up hope of his return, and, because of her efforts, was eventually returned to Loyal Valley by the U.S. Army in 1878.  His incredible story is told in Nine Years Among the Indians, and more is told by the descendants of the Apache warrior who captured him in Chevato.  Hermann had difficulty in adjusting to white culture; there is much to be learned from these two books.  In the photo, Hermann is shown greeting a Texas Ranger who he had fought against near Fort Concho.  Hermann is buried in the cemetery in Loyal Valley.

The Mason County Hoodoo War.

In 1875, conflict between German and American settlers in the area broke into what is called the Mason County War, and, locally, the Hoodoo War, referring to the masks combatants wore.  All told, 12 men were killed, and there is still animosity between rival families to this day. This story is told more fully in another Texas Hill Country post; it is too long to tell here, but some of the killing took place in Loyal Valley. The man pictured above was an active participant named Johnny Ringo, who went on to find infamy in Tombstone, Arizona.

The one- room schoolhouse is a lonely reminder of what once was.