GOODNIGHT, CHARLES | The Handbook of Texas Online| Texas State Historical Association (TSHA)

When I first saw your discussion my thoughts drifted to Goodnight Moon the class children's book SGT John " Mac " McConnell
Thanks for sharing a fascinating account of Charles Goodnight (1836–1929). The details of his life provided in the referenced article are very interesting. I found the following paragraph especially interesting about his part in the rescue of Cynthia Ann Parker from the Comanche.
"As Indian troubles in Northwest Texas increased, concurrent with heated conflict over the reservations on the upper Brazos and Clear Fork, Goodnight and his neighbors joined forces with Capt. Jack (J. J.) Curetonqv's rangers, with whom he served as a scout and guide. It was Goodnight who found the trail leading to Peta Nocona's Comanche encampment on the Pease River in December 1860 and brought word of it back to Cureton and Capt. Lawrence Sullivan (Sul) Rossqv. He guided the rangers to the Indian camp and took part in the attack on December 18 in which Cynthia Ann Parker was recaptured. With the outbreak of the Civil War, Cureton's rangers, including Goodnight, were attached to the Frontier Regiment. Goodnight spent most of the war chasing marauding Indians and border toughs while ranging from the Canadian to the Colorado and Brazos headwaters with the likes of James E. McCord, James B. (Buck) Barry,qqv and A. T. Obenchain. The intimate knowledge he gained of the vast rolling prairies and Llano Estacado later proved useful."

Very good history of Texas and how ranching was started. His idea of breeding his cow and buffalo together is probably the reason we still have buffalo today.

Going to celebrate TX Independence Day today with the family. Thanks for the post SGT John " Mac " McConnell