Private, Troop D, 1st Regiment, Texas Cavalry, Confederate States Army.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Wiley Martin Kuykendall was born in Fort Bend County, Texas on October 22, 1839, to Robert H., Jr. and Electra Shannon Kuykendall. He was named for the family friend and prominent colonist, Wiley Martin. Robert H., Jr. failed to return from a trip and was presumed killed by the Indians sometime in 1846. Wylie went to live for a while with his great-uncle, Joe Kuykendall. When he was eleven years old, he went to Matagorda County to live with his grandmother, Susan K. Tone.
Kuykendall entered the ranching business at an early age. He was driving cattle when only ten years old and at twelve he was trailing cattle to Missouri. Bill Hurnden, the owner of the herd of 700 head, paid him $25 per month. When Quincy, Illinois, was reached, 600 head were marketed. That was in 1857, nearly twenty years before the big drives to the North from Texas. The land between the coast country of Texas and Missouri was a wilderness, infested by hostile bands of Indians. Buffalo and deer were to be seen by the thousands. Since history states that most of the great drives took place after the Civil War--not before--Wylie obviously was making long cattle drives much earlier than most.
In 1858 Kuykendall began ranching in Matagorda with 5,000 head of stock. When the Civil War erupted in 1861, he enlisted in the Confederate army, serving throughout the conflict in Texas and Louisiana. After the close of this struggle, he spent several years rounding up ownerless cattle of the plains as the nucleus of his herd.
Wiley M. Kuykendall joined the Confederate army on August 10, 1862, at Camp H. E. McCulloch, Texas, in Captain James C. Borden's Company (also known as "Company D"), Yager's Battalion, Texas Mounted Volunteers. His name appears on the company Muster Report for March, 1863. If there is a record of where he served, it is unknown.
In late 1865 or early 1866, Wylie went to work for Abel Head "Shanghai" Pierce as a trail boss. When he first heard that Wylie was courting his sister, "Shanghai" stated that he wanted a trail boss not a brother-in-law and that sister Susan better watch out because "Mr. Wylie" occasionally had "Kuykendall fits." These "Kuykendall fits" were probably caused by the fact that "Mr. Wiley" was a heavy drinker. In the minutes of the Trespalacios Baptist Church, Wylie was admitted and thrown out--depending on the mood of the elders--and the sobriety, or lack of it, of himself. He was excluded from the church on March 4, 1860, because he refused to make reconciliation.
On April 22, 1869, Wylie Kuykendall married Susan E. Pierce, daughter of Jonathan D. and Hanna Pierce of Little Compton, Rhode Island. Susan was the sister of Abel Head "Shanghai" and Jonathan Edwards Pierce.
Wylie and Susan began their married life on a 400-acre ranch near Deming's Bridge, Tres Palacios River. Susan, like all women of the period, kept the place running and tended the children while Wylie was on the many cattle drives "up the trail."
With the opening of the northern markets in the early 1870s, Matagorda County cattlemen saw an unusual opportunity to make good money. Prior to that time, thousands of head of cattle in that section were killed for their hides and tallow only--not for meat. Kuykendall trailed cattle to Kansas and Missouri and made a profit on every trip. In 1886 he began raising registered stock, purchasing a herd of registered Herefords for this purpose. In later years he dealt solely in Brahman cattle breeds.
In 1887 Wiley and Susan bought one-half of the Cox League on the Colorado River, now known as the Buckeye Ranch. They had four children: Robert Gill, May 15, 1870-December 19, 1905; Isaac B., October 15, 1874-June 23, 1875; Isaac G., June 19, 1876-December 1, 1896; and Ella M., dates unknown. In 1901, because of Wylie's health, he and his son, Robert Gill, decided to move away from the coastal climate. They bought 11,000 acres west of Buda, Hays County, on Onion Creek. Wylie bought 5,000 acres just south of it on the Blanco River in Hays County and a small place on the river just outside of Kyle. "Mr. K.," as he was called, and "Miss Susan," kept a home in San Marcos and stayed there most of the time.
Wylie Kuykendall died in San Marcos on January 31, 1920, and Susan died September 26, 1920, around either Ashby or Blessing. Both were buried in the old Hawley Cemetery next to their three children.
Mr. Wiley M. Kuykendall is a native of Fort Bend county, born on the Brazos river 77 years ago. His parents, the Kuykendalls who were among Austin's first colonists in 1822, died soon after getting the farm home improved, leaving one of Texas' first natives to hustle for himself at the tender age of 6 years. At about the age of seven years the lad drifted into Matagorda county and worked his way among the hardships of western life, until fortune threw him in with that veteran ranchman, A. H. Pierce, better known all over South Texas as Shanghai Pierce, from which time on Fortune dealt kindly with the young Texan–very kindly when in 1869 he woed and won Miss Pierce, the only sister of A. H. and J. E. Pierce.
Miss Pierce was something of cow-rancher herself. Educated at her home town in Rhode Island, she came to Texas in 1867, following her brother A. H. who came in 1853 and J. E. in 1860. Her friends tell us her first years in Texas was the life of a genuine cow-girl as picturesque as any of the heroines of the magazines or movies. She could ride and shoot equal to the cow-boy, invested her first earnings in land on which Buckeye now stands, paying 10 cts an acre for it, and then she bought calves to grow and multiply on the fine grass, and she looked after her own branding and roundups. But it is presumed stopped those activities when in '69 she took from her brother the best ranch boss in all this country. Mrs. Kuykendall certainly doesn't appear to have passed through as many winters on the range as she admits (75), and then they must have been very mild ones or mostly summers. She is full of life, vivacious and a charming conversationalist, always entertaining.
Mr. Kuykendall, not only has served a full half century of activities on the range, but seasoned his young manhood with four years of service for the Confederacy in the civil war, most of the time in Yeager's North Texas regiment and Gen. Buchell's brigade in the Louisiana campaign.
Mr. Kuykendall relates an interesting incident of his first drive of cattle to northern markets, along in the early seventies. It was the custom of the Indian tribes to exact toll of the herds crossing their reservations, and where their demands were refused, they would stampede the herd during the night. Mr. Kuykendall says that as they were crossing the Comanche lands and just about time they were stopping for the night he saw standing on their horses 20 figures silhouetted against the sky, and these figures cautiously advancing proved to be a score of Comanche braves, with a demand for ten beeves. Mr. Kuykendall played "no understand," and remembering that "the surest way to a man's heart (or head) is through his stomach," he called his camp cook and took him to cook plenty of supper; and he saw to it that the braves were well filled, refusing all the time to understand the chief's desires. After the feast, however, Mr. Kuykendall told the chief he could not talk Comanche and asked if one of them could talk Spanish, and finding among them one who could he opened negotiations through the interpreter. Having been well fed and feeling lazily comfortable the chief soon fell from ten to eight, and then reduced his toll exaction to six, and still the cow-man argued it was too much. Then to four, three and two the chief fell, and finally a worthless jack traveling with the herd caught the eye of the chief and he proposed to compromise on the jack and a heifer. "All right," promptly responded Kuykendall, "the jack and the heifer are yours," and the braves went away perfectly satisfied".
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txmatago/family_kuykendall.htm
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Wiley Martin Kuykendall was born in Fort Bend County, Texas on October 22, 1839, to Robert H., Jr. and Electra Shannon Kuykendall. He was named for the family friend and prominent colonist, Wiley Martin. Robert H., Jr. failed to return from a trip and was presumed killed by the Indians sometime in 1846. Wylie went to live for a while with his great-uncle, Joe Kuykendall. When he was eleven years old, he went to Matagorda County to live with his grandmother, Susan K. Tone.
Kuykendall entered the ranching business at an early age. He was driving cattle when only ten years old and at twelve he was trailing cattle to Missouri. Bill Hurnden, the owner of the herd of 700 head, paid him $25 per month. When Quincy, Illinois, was reached, 600 head were marketed. That was in 1857, nearly twenty years before the big drives to the North from Texas. The land between the coast country of Texas and Missouri was a wilderness, infested by hostile bands of Indians. Buffalo and deer were to be seen by the thousands. Since history states that most of the great drives took place after the Civil War--not before--Wylie obviously was making long cattle drives much earlier than most.
In 1858 Kuykendall began ranching in Matagorda with 5,000 head of stock. When the Civil War erupted in 1861, he enlisted in the Confederate army, serving throughout the conflict in Texas and Louisiana. After the close of this struggle, he spent several years rounding up ownerless cattle of the plains as the nucleus of his herd.
Wiley M. Kuykendall joined the Confederate army on August 10, 1862, at Camp H. E. McCulloch, Texas, in Captain James C. Borden's Company (also known as "Company D"), Yager's Battalion, Texas Mounted Volunteers. His name appears on the company Muster Report for March, 1863. If there is a record of where he served, it is unknown.
In late 1865 or early 1866, Wylie went to work for Abel Head "Shanghai" Pierce as a trail boss. When he first heard that Wylie was courting his sister, "Shanghai" stated that he wanted a trail boss not a brother-in-law and that sister Susan better watch out because "Mr. Wylie" occasionally had "Kuykendall fits." These "Kuykendall fits" were probably caused by the fact that "Mr. Wiley" was a heavy drinker. In the minutes of the Trespalacios Baptist Church, Wylie was admitted and thrown out--depending on the mood of the elders--and the sobriety, or lack of it, of himself. He was excluded from the church on March 4, 1860, because he refused to make reconciliation.
On April 22, 1869, Wylie Kuykendall married Susan E. Pierce, daughter of Jonathan D. and Hanna Pierce of Little Compton, Rhode Island. Susan was the sister of Abel Head "Shanghai" and Jonathan Edwards Pierce.
Wylie and Susan began their married life on a 400-acre ranch near Deming's Bridge, Tres Palacios River. Susan, like all women of the period, kept the place running and tended the children while Wylie was on the many cattle drives "up the trail."
With the opening of the northern markets in the early 1870s, Matagorda County cattlemen saw an unusual opportunity to make good money. Prior to that time, thousands of head of cattle in that section were killed for their hides and tallow only--not for meat. Kuykendall trailed cattle to Kansas and Missouri and made a profit on every trip. In 1886 he began raising registered stock, purchasing a herd of registered Herefords for this purpose. In later years he dealt solely in Brahman cattle breeds.
In 1887 Wiley and Susan bought one-half of the Cox League on the Colorado River, now known as the Buckeye Ranch. They had four children: Robert Gill, May 15, 1870-December 19, 1905; Isaac B., October 15, 1874-June 23, 1875; Isaac G., June 19, 1876-December 1, 1896; and Ella M., dates unknown. In 1901, because of Wylie's health, he and his son, Robert Gill, decided to move away from the coastal climate. They bought 11,000 acres west of Buda, Hays County, on Onion Creek. Wylie bought 5,000 acres just south of it on the Blanco River in Hays County and a small place on the river just outside of Kyle. "Mr. K.," as he was called, and "Miss Susan," kept a home in San Marcos and stayed there most of the time.
Wylie Kuykendall died in San Marcos on January 31, 1920, and Susan died September 26, 1920, around either Ashby or Blessing. Both were buried in the old Hawley Cemetery next to their three children.
Mr. Wiley M. Kuykendall is a native of Fort Bend county, born on the Brazos river 77 years ago. His parents, the Kuykendalls who were among Austin's first colonists in 1822, died soon after getting the farm home improved, leaving one of Texas' first natives to hustle for himself at the tender age of 6 years. At about the age of seven years the lad drifted into Matagorda county and worked his way among the hardships of western life, until fortune threw him in with that veteran ranchman, A. H. Pierce, better known all over South Texas as Shanghai Pierce, from which time on Fortune dealt kindly with the young Texan–very kindly when in 1869 he woed and won Miss Pierce, the only sister of A. H. and J. E. Pierce.
Miss Pierce was something of cow-rancher herself. Educated at her home town in Rhode Island, she came to Texas in 1867, following her brother A. H. who came in 1853 and J. E. in 1860. Her friends tell us her first years in Texas was the life of a genuine cow-girl as picturesque as any of the heroines of the magazines or movies. She could ride and shoot equal to the cow-boy, invested her first earnings in land on which Buckeye now stands, paying 10 cts an acre for it, and then she bought calves to grow and multiply on the fine grass, and she looked after her own branding and roundups. But it is presumed stopped those activities when in '69 she took from her brother the best ranch boss in all this country. Mrs. Kuykendall certainly doesn't appear to have passed through as many winters on the range as she admits (75), and then they must have been very mild ones or mostly summers. She is full of life, vivacious and a charming conversationalist, always entertaining.
Mr. Kuykendall, not only has served a full half century of activities on the range, but seasoned his young manhood with four years of service for the Confederacy in the civil war, most of the time in Yeager's North Texas regiment and Gen. Buchell's brigade in the Louisiana campaign.
Mr. Kuykendall relates an interesting incident of his first drive of cattle to northern markets, along in the early seventies. It was the custom of the Indian tribes to exact toll of the herds crossing their reservations, and where their demands were refused, they would stampede the herd during the night. Mr. Kuykendall says that as they were crossing the Comanche lands and just about time they were stopping for the night he saw standing on their horses 20 figures silhouetted against the sky, and these figures cautiously advancing proved to be a score of Comanche braves, with a demand for ten beeves. Mr. Kuykendall played "no understand," and remembering that "the surest way to a man's heart (or head) is through his stomach," he called his camp cook and took him to cook plenty of supper; and he saw to it that the braves were well filled, refusing all the time to understand the chief's desires. After the feast, however, Mr. Kuykendall told the chief he could not talk Comanche and asked if one of them could talk Spanish, and finding among them one who could he opened negotiations through the interpreter. Having been well fed and feeling lazily comfortable the chief soon fell from ten to eight, and then reduced his toll exaction to six, and still the cow-man argued it was too much. Then to four, three and two the chief fell, and finally a worthless jack traveling with the herd caught the eye of the chief and he proposed to compromise on the jack and a heifer. "All right," promptly responded Kuykendall, "the jack and the heifer are yours," and the braves went away perfectly satisfied".
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txmatago/family_kuykendall.htm
Private, Troop D, 1st Regiment, Texas Cavalry, Confederate States Army.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Wiley Martin Kuykendall was born in Fort Bend County, Texas on October 22, 1839, to Robert H., Jr. and Electra Shannon Kuykendall. He was named for the family friend and prominent colonist, Wiley Martin. Robert H., Jr. failed to return from a trip and was presumed killed by the Indians sometime in 1846. Wylie went to live for a while with his great-uncle, Joe Kuykendall. When he was eleven years old, he went to Matagorda County to live with his grandmother, Susan K. Tone.
Kuykendall entered the ranching business at an early age. He was driving cattle when only ten years old and at twelve he was trailing cattle to Missouri. Bill Hurnden, the owner of the herd of 700 head, paid him $25 per month. When Quincy, Illinois, was reached, 600 head were marketed. That was in 1857, nearly twenty years before the big drives to the North from Texas. The land between the coast country of Texas and Missouri was a wilderness, infested by hostile bands of Indians. Buffalo and deer were to be seen by the thousands. Since history states that most of the great drives took place after the Civil War--not before--Wylie obviously was making long cattle drives much earlier than most.
In 1858 Kuykendall began ranching in Matagorda with 5,000 head of stock. When the Civil War erupted in 1861, he enlisted in the Confederate army, serving throughout the conflict in Texas and Louisiana. After the close of this struggle, he spent several years rounding up ownerless cattle of the plains as the nucleus of his herd.
Wiley M. Kuykendall joined the Confederate army on August 10, 1862, at Camp H. E. McCulloch, Texas, in Captain James C. Borden's Company (also known as "Company D"), Yager's Battalion, Texas Mounted Volunteers. His name appears on the company Muster Report for March, 1863. If there is a record of where he served, it is unknown.
In late 1865 or early 1866, Wylie went to work for Abel Head "Shanghai" Pierce as a trail boss. When he first heard that Wylie was courting his sister, "Shanghai" stated that he wanted a trail boss not a brother-in-law and that sister Susan better watch out because "Mr. Wylie" occasionally had "Kuykendall fits." These "Kuykendall fits" were probably caused by the fact that "Mr. Wiley" was a heavy drinker. In the minutes of the Trespalacios Baptist Church, Wylie was admitted and thrown out--depending on the mood of the elders--and the sobriety, or lack of it, of himself. He was excluded from the church on March 4, 1860, because he refused to make reconciliation.
On April 22, 1869, Wylie Kuykendall married Susan E. Pierce, daughter of Jonathan D. and Hanna Pierce of Little Compton, Rhode Island. Susan was the sister of Abel Head "Shanghai" and Jonathan Edwards Pierce.
Wylie and Susan began their married life on a 400-acre ranch near Deming's Bridge, Tres Palacios River. Susan, like all women of the period, kept the place running and tended the children while Wylie was on the many cattle drives "up the trail."
With the opening of the northern markets in the early 1870s, Matagorda County cattlemen saw an unusual opportunity to make good money. Prior to that time, thousands of head of cattle in that section were killed for their hides and tallow only--not for meat. Kuykendall trailed cattle to Kansas and Missouri and made a profit on every trip. In 1886 he began raising registered stock, purchasing a herd of registered Herefords for this purpose. In later years he dealt solely in Brahman cattle breeds.
In 1887 Wiley and Susan bought one-half of the Cox League on the Colorado River, now known as the Buckeye Ranch. They had four children: Robert Gill, May 15, 1870-December 19, 1905; Isaac B., October 15, 1874-June 23, 1875; Isaac G., June 19, 1876-December 1, 1896; and Ella M., dates unknown. In 1901, because of Wylie's health, he and his son, Robert Gill, decided to move away from the coastal climate. They bought 11,000 acres west of Buda, Hays County, on Onion Creek. Wylie bought 5,000 acres just south of it on the Blanco River in Hays County and a small place on the river just outside of Kyle. "Mr. K.," as he was called, and "Miss Susan," kept a home in San Marcos and stayed there most of the time.
Wylie Kuykendall died in San Marcos on January 31, 1920, and Susan died September 26, 1920, around either Ashby or Blessing. Both were buried in the old Hawley Cemetery next to their three children.
Mr. Wiley M. Kuykendall is a native of Fort Bend county, born on the Brazos river 77 years ago. His parents, the Kuykendalls who were among Austin's first colonists in 1822, died soon after getting the farm home improved, leaving one of Texas' first natives to hustle for himself at the tender age of 6 years. At about the age of seven years the lad drifted into Matagorda county and worked his way among the hardships of western life, until fortune threw him in with that veteran ranchman, A. H. Pierce, better known all over South Texas as Shanghai Pierce, from which time on Fortune dealt kindly with the young Texan–very kindly when in 1869 he woed and won Miss Pierce, the only sister of A. H. and J. E. Pierce.
Miss Pierce was something of cow-rancher herself. Educated at her home town in Rhode Island, she came to Texas in 1867, following her brother A. H. who came in 1853 and J. E. in 1860. Her friends tell us her first years in Texas was the life of a genuine cow-girl as picturesque as any of the heroines of the magazines or movies. She could ride and shoot equal to the cow-boy, invested her first earnings in land on which Buckeye now stands, paying 10 cts an acre for it, and then she bought calves to grow and multiply on the fine grass, and she looked after her own branding and roundups. But it is presumed stopped those activities when in '69 she took from her brother the best ranch boss in all this country. Mrs. Kuykendall certainly doesn't appear to have passed through as many winters on the range as she admits (75), and then they must have been very mild ones or mostly summers. She is full of life, vivacious and a charming conversationalist, always entertaining.
Mr. Kuykendall, not only has served a full half century of activities on the range, but seasoned his young manhood with four years of service for the Confederacy in the civil war, most of the time in Yeager's North Texas regiment and Gen. Buchell's brigade in the Louisiana campaign.
Mr. Kuykendall relates an interesting incident of his first drive of cattle to northern markets, along in the early seventies. It was the custom of the Indian tribes to exact toll of the herds crossing their reservations, and where their demands were refused, they would stampede the herd during the night. Mr. Kuykendall says that as they were crossing the Comanche lands and just about time they were stopping for the night he saw standing on their horses 20 figures silhouetted against the sky, and these figures cautiously advancing proved to be a score of Comanche braves, with a demand for ten beeves. Mr. Kuykendall played "no understand," and remembering that "the surest way to a man's heart (or head) is through his stomach," he called his camp cook and took him to cook plenty of supper; and he saw to it that the braves were well filled, refusing all the time to understand the chief's desires. After the feast, however, Mr. Kuykendall told the chief he could not talk Comanche and asked if one of them could talk Spanish, and finding among them one who could he opened negotiations through the interpreter. Having been well fed and feeling lazily comfortable the chief soon fell from ten to eight, and then reduced his toll exaction to six, and still the cow-man argued it was too much. Then to four, three and two the chief fell, and finally a worthless jack traveling with the herd caught the eye of the chief and he proposed to compromise on the jack and a heifer. "All right," promptly responded Kuykendall, "the jack and the heifer are yours," and the braves went away perfectly satisfied".
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txmatago/family_kuykendall.htm
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Wiley Martin Kuykendall was born in Fort Bend County, Texas on October 22, 1839, to Robert H., Jr. and Electra Shannon Kuykendall. He was named for the family friend and prominent colonist, Wiley Martin. Robert H., Jr. failed to return from a trip and was presumed killed by the Indians sometime in 1846. Wylie went to live for a while with his great-uncle, Joe Kuykendall. When he was eleven years old, he went to Matagorda County to live with his grandmother, Susan K. Tone.
Kuykendall entered the ranching business at an early age. He was driving cattle when only ten years old and at twelve he was trailing cattle to Missouri. Bill Hurnden, the owner of the herd of 700 head, paid him $25 per month. When Quincy, Illinois, was reached, 600 head were marketed. That was in 1857, nearly twenty years before the big drives to the North from Texas. The land between the coast country of Texas and Missouri was a wilderness, infested by hostile bands of Indians. Buffalo and deer were to be seen by the thousands. Since history states that most of the great drives took place after the Civil War--not before--Wylie obviously was making long cattle drives much earlier than most.
In 1858 Kuykendall began ranching in Matagorda with 5,000 head of stock. When the Civil War erupted in 1861, he enlisted in the Confederate army, serving throughout the conflict in Texas and Louisiana. After the close of this struggle, he spent several years rounding up ownerless cattle of the plains as the nucleus of his herd.
Wiley M. Kuykendall joined the Confederate army on August 10, 1862, at Camp H. E. McCulloch, Texas, in Captain James C. Borden's Company (also known as "Company D"), Yager's Battalion, Texas Mounted Volunteers. His name appears on the company Muster Report for March, 1863. If there is a record of where he served, it is unknown.
In late 1865 or early 1866, Wylie went to work for Abel Head "Shanghai" Pierce as a trail boss. When he first heard that Wylie was courting his sister, "Shanghai" stated that he wanted a trail boss not a brother-in-law and that sister Susan better watch out because "Mr. Wylie" occasionally had "Kuykendall fits." These "Kuykendall fits" were probably caused by the fact that "Mr. Wiley" was a heavy drinker. In the minutes of the Trespalacios Baptist Church, Wylie was admitted and thrown out--depending on the mood of the elders--and the sobriety, or lack of it, of himself. He was excluded from the church on March 4, 1860, because he refused to make reconciliation.
On April 22, 1869, Wylie Kuykendall married Susan E. Pierce, daughter of Jonathan D. and Hanna Pierce of Little Compton, Rhode Island. Susan was the sister of Abel Head "Shanghai" and Jonathan Edwards Pierce.
Wylie and Susan began their married life on a 400-acre ranch near Deming's Bridge, Tres Palacios River. Susan, like all women of the period, kept the place running and tended the children while Wylie was on the many cattle drives "up the trail."
With the opening of the northern markets in the early 1870s, Matagorda County cattlemen saw an unusual opportunity to make good money. Prior to that time, thousands of head of cattle in that section were killed for their hides and tallow only--not for meat. Kuykendall trailed cattle to Kansas and Missouri and made a profit on every trip. In 1886 he began raising registered stock, purchasing a herd of registered Herefords for this purpose. In later years he dealt solely in Brahman cattle breeds.
In 1887 Wiley and Susan bought one-half of the Cox League on the Colorado River, now known as the Buckeye Ranch. They had four children: Robert Gill, May 15, 1870-December 19, 1905; Isaac B., October 15, 1874-June 23, 1875; Isaac G., June 19, 1876-December 1, 1896; and Ella M., dates unknown. In 1901, because of Wylie's health, he and his son, Robert Gill, decided to move away from the coastal climate. They bought 11,000 acres west of Buda, Hays County, on Onion Creek. Wylie bought 5,000 acres just south of it on the Blanco River in Hays County and a small place on the river just outside of Kyle. "Mr. K.," as he was called, and "Miss Susan," kept a home in San Marcos and stayed there most of the time.
Wylie Kuykendall died in San Marcos on January 31, 1920, and Susan died September 26, 1920, around either Ashby or Blessing. Both were buried in the old Hawley Cemetery next to their three children.
Mr. Wiley M. Kuykendall is a native of Fort Bend county, born on the Brazos river 77 years ago. His parents, the Kuykendalls who were among Austin's first colonists in 1822, died soon after getting the farm home improved, leaving one of Texas' first natives to hustle for himself at the tender age of 6 years. At about the age of seven years the lad drifted into Matagorda county and worked his way among the hardships of western life, until fortune threw him in with that veteran ranchman, A. H. Pierce, better known all over South Texas as Shanghai Pierce, from which time on Fortune dealt kindly with the young Texan–very kindly when in 1869 he woed and won Miss Pierce, the only sister of A. H. and J. E. Pierce.
Miss Pierce was something of cow-rancher herself. Educated at her home town in Rhode Island, she came to Texas in 1867, following her brother A. H. who came in 1853 and J. E. in 1860. Her friends tell us her first years in Texas was the life of a genuine cow-girl as picturesque as any of the heroines of the magazines or movies. She could ride and shoot equal to the cow-boy, invested her first earnings in land on which Buckeye now stands, paying 10 cts an acre for it, and then she bought calves to grow and multiply on the fine grass, and she looked after her own branding and roundups. But it is presumed stopped those activities when in '69 she took from her brother the best ranch boss in all this country. Mrs. Kuykendall certainly doesn't appear to have passed through as many winters on the range as she admits (75), and then they must have been very mild ones or mostly summers. She is full of life, vivacious and a charming conversationalist, always entertaining.
Mr. Kuykendall, not only has served a full half century of activities on the range, but seasoned his young manhood with four years of service for the Confederacy in the civil war, most of the time in Yeager's North Texas regiment and Gen. Buchell's brigade in the Louisiana campaign.
Mr. Kuykendall relates an interesting incident of his first drive of cattle to northern markets, along in the early seventies. It was the custom of the Indian tribes to exact toll of the herds crossing their reservations, and where their demands were refused, they would stampede the herd during the night. Mr. Kuykendall says that as they were crossing the Comanche lands and just about time they were stopping for the night he saw standing on their horses 20 figures silhouetted against the sky, and these figures cautiously advancing proved to be a score of Comanche braves, with a demand for ten beeves. Mr. Kuykendall played "no understand," and remembering that "the surest way to a man's heart (or head) is through his stomach," he called his camp cook and took him to cook plenty of supper; and he saw to it that the braves were well filled, refusing all the time to understand the chief's desires. After the feast, however, Mr. Kuykendall told the chief he could not talk Comanche and asked if one of them could talk Spanish, and finding among them one who could he opened negotiations through the interpreter. Having been well fed and feeling lazily comfortable the chief soon fell from ten to eight, and then reduced his toll exaction to six, and still the cow-man argued it was too much. Then to four, three and two the chief fell, and finally a worthless jack traveling with the herd caught the eye of the chief and he proposed to compromise on the jack and a heifer. "All right," promptly responded Kuykendall, "the jack and the heifer are yours," and the braves went away perfectly satisfied".
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txmatago/family_kuykendall.htm
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