“Louisa Naomi Kent Billings” Pt. 8
Mar 18, 2022
About ten years after the Stockman family and Louisa arrived in La Luz and the Fresnal Canyon, it happened again. Like a thunderbolt, Young Hardy Stockman became anxious about La Luz and their Fresnal Canyon home and decided it was time to explore new areas. The record seems to be about as unsure as I am as to the reason why, but at least it gives a hint. The record shows that a strong possibility was that Young Hardy was beginning to hear stories about the grand grazing and browsing for the goats in the forests on the western side of the state. That could be, and it would have been a good reason, except I personally think something more cynical may have been part of the decision and I will take liberty to explore this other possibility.
The Sheep Wars, or the Sheep and Cattle Wars, were a series of armed conflicts in the western United States which were fought between sheepmen and cattlemen over grazing rights. Sheep wars occurred in many western states though they were most common in Texas. There were many battles over grazing rights along the Texas – New Mexico border, much of it in the famous Goodnight range, which would have put our Stockman family right in the middle, not only by location but the date also. Generally, the cattlemen saw the sheepherders as invaders who destroyed the public grazing land, which they had to share on a first-come, first-served basis. Between 1870 and 1920, approximately 120 engagements occurred in eight different states or territories. At least 54 men were killed and some 50,000 to over 100,000 sheep were slaughtered. So, in my opinion, the grazing wars taking place all around the Stockmans would have certainly been heavy on their minds. Not only for the security of their sheep but also for bodily harm. So, putting myself in their place, I would have strongly considered selling the sheep to the highest bidder, if a bidder could be found.
There were several reasons why the Cattleman didn’t like sheep, one reason was that sheep were not cattle. The cattleman saw the sheep as a butcher of the ground because of its little sharp hooves. But that’s not all, there was the supposed issue of the sheep urinating on the grass. They supposed that no upstanding cow would eat grass where a sheep had urinated. And probably another issue was fencing. By this time the Rancher had begun to build fences. Maybe to intimidate the sheepherder. So it is, that sheep, grazing in concentrated herds needed to be on the move. When the sheepherder came to a fence he cut a way through for the herd to pass. Another irritating issue for the rancher and the sheepherder was that the Open Range was free to use on a first come first serve basis, so there was always this competition. But I would put money on this being the biggest issue. The sheepherder came along with the herd in a wagon pulled by draft horses. If he had to ride, he would ride one of the draft horses, probably bareback, with his dogs doing the herding. You can imagine how ridiculous this must have looked to the cowboy all dressed up in his stetson hat, fleece out leather chaps, silver spurs with chiming rowels, perched on a tall well-fed horse. Right off they judged each other. So I’m speculating that this is the reason that Young Hardy Stockton came to the Gila River with no sheep.
But, it is correct that raising goats in the Gila River area must have been a good idea. Today, you will still find quality goat farms along the Gila.
The trip is better explained in the rest of the document than some of the past trips, so here we go. A herd of goats, (butter, cheese and milk), probably a pig or two, (bacon, fresh side and lard), chickens in crates, hanging on the sides of the wagon, (their daily eggs), a milk cow being dragged along behind the wagon, (more milk and cheese), and in front and back, kicking rocks out of the wagon road, were the rest of the family. And, as I have read in the accounts, Louisa was probably one of the walkers as she was acclaimed to have walked all the way from east Texas to West New Mexico.
When you think about it, no matter where they camped, all of their needs were camped there with them.
The rest of the trip to the Gila River is pretty well explained. So, let’s go.
The record says that the family loaded up and took off. No big deal, this was not their first adventure. They left La Luz traveling south down the Tularosa Basin to Anthony Gap, which we know as the pass through the Franklin Mountains to El Paso. Down to the Rio Grande and up to probably Radium Springs. From Radium Springs they headed west following water to the Mimbres River. “Following Water” is a new way of defining a trail to me, but it only makes sense that having water along the trail is a good thing. As they were trying to connect to the Mimbres River and surely looking for the safest route, where water would have been assured would have once again put them on the Butterfield Southern Overland Mail route, which would have been an almost direct route to the Mimbres River Crossing and then on to Cow Springs, another stage stop with water, and from there they would have been looking at the well-defined Burro Mountains. From there they could have traveled north but it would have been rough way to go, so, I am projecting that they could have continued along the Butterfield Southern Mail Route, skirting around the foothills of the southern end of the Burro Mountains, and then leaving the Trail and going north to enter the upper reaches of Swan Canyon. Then traveling down Swan Canyon until they finally at last reached our beautiful Gila River just a few miles upstream from present day Redrock.
“And That's My Opinion”
