Richard Henry Gray was born on August 20, 1858 in Rio Grande City, Starr County, Texas. He died at age 15, on November 30, 1873, on the La Gloria Ranch in Duval County, Texas. His family knew him as "Henry". He was murdered by a band of Mexican Indians who rode their horses from Mexico into several South Texas counties, killing and destroying anything in their path. On November 30, 1873, Henry was in their path. Henry's father, Edward Nixon Gray, filed a lawsuit with the U.S. government for damages sustained in the raids by the Indians, including the loss of life by his son, Henry, and the loss of life of thousands of lambs, sheep, and goats.
One of Henry's sisters, Antoinette, gave a statement to the U.S. government about the death of Henry, saying, "My brother Henry Gray went to the shepherd's ranch a few miles from the family residence to take the weekly supply of groceries for the shepherd and the cook, a young boy about Henry's age. When he failed to return my father became uneasy and gathered all the men on the place to go in search of Henry, who was found with several arrows in his body and in a very critical condition. He was brought back to the ranch house, living several hours afterward. Before the arrows were removed Henry talked to my father and Judge O. Luby, of San Diego, Texas, making the following statement: 'The band of Indians, he believed was composed of Mexicans and Mexican Indians as they all spoke Spanish to one another, which he understood. He, Henry, was with the cook, who was preparing supper, when he first noticed the band approaching. The cook became paralyzed with fear, so after hiding him, Henry tried to go down by a ravine that ran by the cook's place to give warning to the shepherd, who was a mile or so distant. The Indians evidently saw him for when he got to the place he found the shepherd murdered, flocks scattered, and property damaged, and they immediately came upon him, captured him, and prepared to torture him. After shooting him several times with arrows they left him for dead and proceeded on their way.' Later my father joined other ranchers of Duval County in seeking protection from these marauders from the U.S. Government, which was eventually granted."