Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1845-07-11
From the Democratic Review.
THE SHOT IN THE EYE.
TRUE STORY OF TEXAS BORDER LIFE
by c. WILKINS EIM1.


by c. WILKINS EIMr.
My word for it, reader, should never
have ventured to construct a professed no.
nance out of incidents so wild and strange as
those of this narration. 1t is only with the
hope that you will accept in good faith the
assurance, given in the same spirit, that these
things really did occur while | was in the
country, and most of them within my perso-
nal knowledge-tha1 venture to relate them
at all. Remember, the scene is laid in a
frontier county of Texas, and If you have
ever remote conception Of the history of
that Republic, and the general character of
its social elements, you will be prepared for
a good DEAL But, though you might even
have visited its cities and older settlements,
you would still find it difficult 10 realize all
tina, is true of frontier life, unless by extern
ded travel and experience your faith should
DO fortified. When you can have to say, as
| can, "what mine eyes have seen and ears
heard" on that ground alone you will be
fiji audience though few" to receive, as
matters Of course, relations would, doubtless,
for the moment, shock others as monstrous
in mprobability. if not, indeed, impossibili-
ty. The man of high civilization will find
great difficulty in understanding how such a
deed as | am about TO relate, requiring
months TO consummate, could have been car
ried through in the open face of law and the
local authorities but the man who knows
this frontier will tell him that the rifle and
bowie knife are all the law and local au-
thorty recognized, Witness the answer
President Houston gave, when application
was first made to him for his interposilion
with the civil force to quell the bloody Reg
ulator Wars" which afterwards sprang up
IN this very same county: Fight ii out
among yourselves, and be ID to you ~
a speech entirely characteristic of the man
and the country, as it then was. 1t was in
the earlier stages of the organization of this
same Regulator association that our story
commences.
Shelby county, lying in Western Texas,
on the border of the Red Lands was ra.
Their thinly settled in the latter part of 80.
What population it had was generally of the
very worst caste of border life. The bad
and desperate men who had been driven
over our frontier formed rail- ing ground
and head quarters here-seemingly with the
determination TO hold the county good against
the n,rusions of all honest persons, and as
sort of Alsatia of the West, for the pro-
lection of outlaws and Williams of every grade.
And, indeed, 10 such an extent had this pro-
scrIpiion been carried, that 1t had become
VIGOROUSLY as much mans life or con-
science was worth who settled among them
with any worthy purpose in view; for he
must either into their confedcracy-leave
or die This was perfectly understood ;
and the objects of this confederacy may be
readily appreciated, when il is known that
every now and then party Of men would
sally ont from this settlement, painted and
equipped like Camanches, with the view OF
carrying off the horses, plundering or muir
dering some marked man of a ncighboring
county then returning with great speed,
they would re brand their plumber, resume
their accustomed appearance, and defy pur-
suit or Investigation. Not only did they
band together for their operations in this way,
but single man would carry off fine horse,
or commit a murder, with the most open au-
dacily, and if he only succeeded in escaping
here, was publicly protected do not mean
to have 1t understood that the whole popu-
lation at this time were men of such stamp
avowedly.
There were some few whose wealth to a
degree protected them in the observance OF
a more seemly llfe-though they were COM
PEELED to at least wink at tie doings of their
ruflianly and more numerous ncighbors s.
while there was yet another, but not large
class, of sraig ht-forward emigran,s, who at.
tracted solely by the beauty of the country,
had come into it, settled themselves down
wherever they took fancy, with character
istic reckessness, neither caring nor inquir
ing who were their neighbors, bnt trusting in
their own stout arms and hearts TO keep "A
footing. OF course all such were very soon
engaged in desperate feuds with the horse
thieves and plunderers around them; and as
they were not yet strong enough TO make
Roadway ef1icently--were one after an
other, ousted or shot. 1t was to exterminate
this honest class that the more Law less and
brutal of the other associated themselves, and
assumed the name of Regulators They
numbered from eight TO twclve-and under
the organization of rangers, commanded by
beasty wretch named Hinch, they profess
sed to undertake the task of purifying the
county limits OF all bad and suspicious char
acters; or in other words, of all men who
dared refuse TO be as vile as they were-or
if they were, who chose to act independents
ly of them and their schemes. This prec-
ious brotherhood soon became the scourge OF
all that region. Whenever an individual
was unfortunate enough to make himself OBJ
nOxous to them, whether by successful
villainy, the proceeds of which he refused to
share with them, or by the hateful contrast OF
the propricly of his course-he was forth
with surrounded, threatened, had his stool,
driven off or killed wantonly-and il these
annoyances and hints were not sufficient to
drive him away, they would publicly warn
him 10 leave the county in a certain number
of days, under the penalty Of being scourg-
ed or shot. The common pretext for this
was the accusation ofhaving committed some
crime, which they themselves had perpetra-
ted with view of furnishing a charge to
bring against him. Their hate was entirely
ruthless, and never stopped short of accom-
plishng its purposes; and in many bloody
fray and cruel outrage had the question OF
their supremacy been mooted, until at last
there were few left to dispute with them, and
they tyranlzed al will.
Among these few was Jack Long, as he
was called, who neither recognized nor de.
MED their power, and, indeed, never troub-
led himself about them one way or the other