The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1860-02-01

accept in good faith the assurance Civ
en- in the same spirit, that these things
reollg did occur while / was in the
country, and most of them within my
personal. knowledge, that / venture tc
relate them at ALL Remember, the
scene is laid in a frontier county Of
Texas, and, if you have even remote
conception of the history of that re-
public and the general character of its
social elements, you will be prepared
for a good deal. But, though you
might have visited its cities and Older
settlements, you would still find it diff
fcult to realize all that is true of from
tier life, unless by extended travel and
experience your faith shonld be forti-
fed. When you can have to say, as
can, what mine eyes have seen and
ears heard" on that ground alone you
will be fit audience, though few" to
receive as matters of course relations
which would doubtless, for the mo-
ment, shock others as monstrous in
improbability, if not impossibility The
man of high civilization will find great
difficulty in understanding how such a
deed as | am about to relate, requir-
ing months to consummate, would have
been carried through in the open face
of law and the local authorities; but
the man who knows this frontier will
tell him that the rife and bowie knife
are all the law and local authority re-
cognized. Witness the answer Presi-
dent Houston gave when application
was made to him for his interposition
with the civil force to quell the bloody
Regulator Wars" which afterwards
sprang up in this very same county
Fight it out among yourselves, and
be id to you +" A speech entire
ly characteristic of the man and the
country, as it hen was 1t was in
the earlier stages of the organization
of this same Regulator f" association
that our story commences.
Shelby county, lying in Western
Texas, on the border of the "Red
Lands" was rather thinly settled in
the latter part of '39. What popula-
ton it had was generally the very worst
caste of b order life The bad and
desperate men who had been driven
over our frontier formed a rallying
ground and head quarters here-seem-
ingly with the determi nation to hold
the county good against the intrusion
of all honest persons, and as sort of
Aisatia " of the West, for the pro-
lection of outlaws and Williams of every
grade. And indeed to such an extent
|
bad this prescription been carried that
it had become notoriously as much as
a mans conscience was worth who
settled among them with any worthy
purpose in view for he must either
fall into their confederacy-eave, or
die !! This was perfectly understood;
and the objects of this confederacy may
be readily appreciated when it is known
that every now and then party OF
men would sally out from this settle
ment, painted and equipped like Co.
manchees, with the view of carrying
off the horses, pluudering or numbering
some marked man of a neighboring
county then, returning with great
speed, they wonld re-brand their plum
der, resume their accustomed appear
ance, and defy pursuit or investiga-
ton. Not only did they band to-
gether for their operations in this way,
but single man would carry off fine
horse or commit a murder with the
most open aadacity, and, if he only
succeeded in escaping here, was pub
licly protected. / do not mean to have
it understood that the whole popula-
ton at this time were men ofsuch stamp
ayowedly.
There were some few whose wealth
to degree protected them in the OBJ
servances of a more seemly life, though
they were compelled to at least wink
at the doings of their more rufianly
and more numerous neighbors; while
there was yet another but not large
class Of sturdy, straightforward emf
grants, who, attracted solely by the
beauty of the country, had come into
it, settled themselves down wherever
they took a fancy-with characteristic
recklessness neither caring nor inquir-
ing who were their neighbors, but
trusting in their own stout arms and
hearts to keep 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 head efficiently, were one after
another finally ousted or shot. 1t was
to exterminate this honest class that
the more lawless and brutal Of the 9th
er associated themselves and assumed
the name Of Regulators" They
: numbered from eight to twelve and
under the organization ofrangers, conf
manded by beastly wretch named
Hincn, they professed to undertake tht