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Santa
Anna, May 10 - Funeral services were conducted Friday at the Rocky
Cemetery for John Watts, ex-Ranger and one of the first white children
born in Coleman County. His death was due to injuries received in
an automobile accident tow weeks ago and to pneumonia.
Mr. Watts was born in one of the Camp Colorado residence buildings when his father was stationed there as a private soldier about 1859 or 1860. Tow of his uncles, Lem and John Watts, settled on a creek flowing into the Jim Ned, the branch later being called the Watts Creek. Spending his boyhood in the old fort, Mr. Watts was taught by a school teacher whocse duties included guarding his pupils from Indians to and from school. When a child, the ex-Ranger witnessed a fight in which his older brother opposed single-handed six Indians. Camp Colorado occupants guarded their horses outside the fort in daytime and the boy was standing guard. The Watts boy shot on Indian, the others fleeing with the wounded man and the horses. Joining the Rangers, Mr. Watts was badly wounded in the hip by an Indian arrow during his first fight and was honorably discharged. Mr. Watts is survived by the grandson with whom he resided. (Coleman Democrat-Voice, Coleman, Texas, May 13, 1937;
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