Menard County Texas

Tull B. Smith

Below is what I know about Tull B. Smith......which comes from articles, conversations and records. This is NOT my family line, so I cannot provide additional information beyond what is found here and I cannot guarantee complete accuracy since I haven't extensively researched the Smith line. -(A Brown)

Tullos B. Smith was one of thirteen children born January 14, 1833 to Saul G. Smith and Talitha Dobson.

"Tull" Smith married Cynthia B. Russell, April 11, 1857 in Fannin County, Texas.

We find this family in Menard County, Texas in 1870 where Tull is listed as a "store-keeper". Living in his household were his wife Cynthia, two daughters: Lucilla A. & Brooklin? , two sons: Robert S. & Alijah?, and his father, Saul G. Smith.

Other references to Tull's life in Menard County include:

Smith was a partner of Pat Mires before he opened his own store....at one time he "kept his goods in a side room of his dwelling house. The house in which he lived was a one-room log wall, covered with four foot boards split from the big oak trees which were plentiful all along the San Saba bottoms". Tull also ran a "post office".

Tull Smith had worked for Peter Robertson at one point. Robertson relayed the following story: "Tull Smith, the last named being a young man who before that had worked for me and had been severely bitten by a wolf. We were in camp one night and while he was asleep, the wolf came prowling around and approaching his pallet, seized his hand and mangled it badly before he could get loose. He said he could have shot the wolf but was afraid Indians might hear the gun and hurt him worse than the wolf."

Robertson also stated that Tull Smith was incarcerated at Fort McKavett by General McKenzie for suspicion of helping "Humpy" Jackson escape the soldiers.

Tull was killed January 10, 1871....and there are many stories about how his death came about.

12 years ago, when I became interested in this solitary grave, I asked some of Menard's "old-timers" what they knew about Tull Smith. The general consensus was that the Indian story was a "cover up". The tale passed down in Menard was that Tull Smith closed up his store that night and left with a bag of money. He was then ambushed by robbers who shot him and put "arrows" in the bullet holes to make it look like he was a victim of an Indian attack. This belief was "backed up" by the fact that when Tull's body was found, his boots and money bag were missing.

The account of his death per "West Texas Frontiers" by Joseph Carroll McConnell, tells of Tull Smith's death as follows:

"Tullos B. Smith was returning late in the evening to his home in Menard, from the Wilkerson Ranch, about sixteen miles away, was mounted on a large black pony, and was leading about two other horses. As he passed a cluster of bushes, a few miles from his destination, Tullos B. Smith was ambushed and killed. Late in the evening the stage going from San Antonio to El Paso came along and found him. Since he was not scalped, some local citizens thought perhaps he may not have been killed by Indians. Searching parties soon found moccasin tracks, however, and other Indian signs. Wm. Templeton, Lewis Wilson and David Thorp brought Tullos B. Smith's body to Menard in a spring wagon."

McConnell's Note about this story: "Author interviewed: J. F. P. Kruse, who intended to accompany Tullos B. Smith to the Wilkerson Ranch but was unable to find his pony; Mr. and Mrs. Ben Ellis and Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Carlisle, who were early settlers in that section."

Of interest to me when I found the above article, was the fact that Mr. McConnell interviewed J.F.P. Kruse. Mr. Kruse was either Tull Smith's partner or employee.......and would marry Tull's widow, Cynthia E. (Russell) Smith, in Menard County, Texas on August 26, 1872..

See Kruse-Smith marriage license

Tull Smith Burial

NOTE: While I strive for accuracy in all transcriptions, please be advised that typing errors may be present. I would suggest you always verify my online information with a copy of the actual record.

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Saturday, March 22, 2008 11:00 AM