The United States
Western District of Texas

Personally before me Alex W. Robertson U.S. Commissioner in and for the Western Dist. of Texas came W.B. Field who being duly sworn deposed and says that on or about the 10th day of April 1873 I crossed the Red River into Indian Territory at Colbert’s Ferry. I had proceeded about two hundred yards from the river on the Smith Road. I then turned up the river on a (illegible) leading to the widow Colbert’s farm. Just as I turned into said road, I heard someone yell something, which I supposed to be in the Indian language. I turned my horse round to see what it was. I saw an Indian on horseback who unexpectedly fired at me with his pistol. He fired at me three times. His first or second shot took effect in my right arm, breaking it. The third shot did not take effect. At his second shot I ran. At the third shot I was running as fast as I could make my horse go. The first two shots were fired in rapid succession. There was an interval of about one half minute between the second and third shots. I never saw the Indian before or since. Have been told that his name is Robinson Kemp. Don’t think I could recognize him. It was about sunset when I was shot.

W.B. Field

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 20th day of August AD 1873
A.W. Robinson
U.S. Comm. W.D. Texas

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Colbert Station C.N. August 9th 1873


Sir the facts of this case are these. This man Fields was coming up the bank from Colbert’s Ferry on Red River and (Robinson) Kemp and another party come riding up behind him. Field looking round saw them and loped his horse off to keep out of the way of these men who seemed to be drunk. Seeing them have pistols in their hands after he started to run they commenced firing at him fired two shots.
Assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and murder W.B. Field a white man and not an Indian by birth marriage or adoption and I pray a writ (illegible)

Subscribed and sworn to before me this Aug 9th 1873

W.R. Ayres

Witnesses
W.B. Field
Henry Armstrong

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Robinson Kemp was a Choctaw man married to my gggg-grandmother, Julia Merritt, a Chickasaw woman. They lived at Robbersroost, just north of Silo, in the Chickasaw Nation. Julia arrived here as a child in the 1830's removal of the Chickasaws from Mississippi-------- Mark