A Confederate patrol stationed at Camp Verde, during the Civil War intercepted a group of eight well-mounted and well-equipped men from Williamson County about 10 miles South of Hondo. Thinking they had nothing to fear, they surrendered their weapons and rode with the soldiers toward Camp Verde to clear things up with the authorities there. As civilians, they were, of course, free to travel. They were relieved of the cash they carried which collectively amounted to nearly $1,000. This considerable sum may have had something to do with the events that followed. While they were camped near this tree on the trip back to Camp Verde, one or more of the Confederates suggested that the men should be hanged for “evading Confederate service” This pretext might have been accepted by the other soldiers or it is possible that some of them thought it was just a prank. Horsehair nooses were made and, if it was a scare, the Commanding Officer, one Major Anderson, turned a blind eye and did nothing to stop the “prank” once it turned serious. The men were lynched one at a time while the other victims watched and waited their turn. One man asked to be shot rather than be slowly strangled and one of the killers complied. The ramrod was left in the musket and it pierced the man’s body - pinning it to the ground. When the bodies were found the next morning the ramrod was at first mistaken for an arrow and the killings were thought to be the work of Indians. A boy accompanying the men managed to escape, but was never heard from. After the war, the atrocity was remembered and referred to a tribunal. But the soldiers had all left Texas and none, including Major Anderson, could be located for trial.