Hi James, this link : http://www.history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs62x/tncwmb/webbbs_config.pl?md=read;id=10485

will take you to a couple of photos I posted in 2015. The large photo is three brothers from Monroe County, TN and distant cousins of mine. On the left is Ellison Land Confederate 31st (39th TN). On the right is James Land Confederate 59th TN. Another brother not pictured, William Land served in the 62nd TN. All Three were paroled home from Vicksburg but never rejoined the Rebel Army. James and William soon left for Texas. Ellison was the only brother to live out his days in Tennessee.

The brother in in the center of the photo is Howard Tillman Land. He began the war as a Confederate in the 59th TN but deserted in December, 1862 and ended the war a Union soldier in the 7th TN Mounted Infantry. The "story" handed down in the family was that a Confederate Lieutenant made an "inappropriate remark" to Howard's Cherokee wife and Howard shot him. Soon after the war, Howard joined his two brothers in Texas. One of Howard's sons became a Texas Ranger in the early 1900's

Ranger James Noah Land on the left, and brother, Tillman Prior Land :

And a story about James :

The following article (paraphrased) was published in the Prescott, Arizona Newspaper; titled “Stopping By” by Alice Fenenga (date unknown). The story took place around 1910 when James Noah Land and his wife Naomi Josephine and two sons, Rufas Tillman (Bill) Land and Galvin H. Land made a trip from Cleburne, Texas to Grand Saline to see Noah’s father, Tillman Howard Land. The story was told by Bill Land, a neighbor of his.

In the frontier days, Bill’s family (his father and mother, and younger brother) were traveling through Texas with a wagon and team of horses around 1910. After a half day’s travel over dusty roads with bumps and gullies, they were all exhausted from riding since early morning. They had run out of drinking water for themselves and their horses. It was high noon; the sun shone ever so hot on the bare plains and on their uncovered wagon; they were covered in dust and sweat. The little boys were flushed and querulous, and the mother fanned their red faces with her sun bonnet. Horses also suffered, yet they dutifully plodded on along the old road.

“Now, stop your fussing,” the father said to the boys. “There ought to be a water hole around here soon.”

They drove on for several miles, but only found all the water holes and the nearby river bed dried up. Finally, in the middle of the treeless prairie, they encountered three men who had just finished digging a shallow well. To draw water, the men had two buckets attached to a pulley. These three were tough looking characters and looking similar enough to be brothers. They all had piercing black eyes, black beards, and big black felt hats. They said nothing and did not show a smile.

Bill’s father, Noah Land called, “whoa” to the horses as they approached the well.

“Got any water?”, he asked out loud.

“Yep”, said the tallest of the three.

“Could we have a drink?”

“Nope”, said the man closest to the well.

Bill’s father, James Noah Land, gripped his curled, handle-bar mustache and rose from the wagon seat, all six foot – four inches tall, and seven feet with his big hat perched on top; a Texas Ranger’s star shone on his broad chest.

Slowly and deliberately, James reached under the wagon seat and carefully buckled on his gun belt with two 44-40’s in its holsters. He also picked up a bucket from under the seat, and jumped lightly off the wagon.

The three tough’s backed away from their newly dug well, their eyes popping out and looking like saucers. Big James Land, Texas Ranger, went casually over to the well, grabbed their bucket and dropped it into the well; drew it back up, and filled his own bucket.

First, he gave his wife a drink; then the boys, and then took a long drink himself. The horses finished the water with loud, appreciative gulps.

The three men were speechless as the big Texas Ranger unbuckled his gun belt, climbed back in his wagon, and placed the bucket and Colt persuaders back under the front seat. In a soft voice, James said, “Thank you”, gave the horses a flip of the reins, and the wagon rattled on again in a cloud of dust.

Too bad, when people don’t know how to share, especially during times of need. Incidentally, Bill Land and his kin, are known to have been some of the most caring people around. Rufas (Bill) Land also went on to become the life long sheriff of Parker County, Texas, and like his father before him, a Texas Ranger.