The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-08-14
A TEXAS RIDE.

Taking it for granted t6atyou ore ID
hear more Of my "Reminiscences N tho
days when was a sabaltert ofattlllery
in Texas, | will tell you Of a hurried trip
! once made on horseback from Ringgold
Barracks 10 Brownsville. AT that period,
tho frontier line, commencing near Brazoi
Santiago, on the coast, and stretching -four
hundred miles up along the Rio Grande,
to the vicinity Of Fort Clark, was guarded
by four military pbSts. These, namely
Fort Duncan, at Eagle Pass; Fort Mcln
tosh, at Laredo; Ringgold Barracks, al
Rio Grande City, better known as Rancho
Davis, aud Fort Brown, ut Brownsville,
were each garrisoned by a small company
Of artillery. Shortly before the time Of
which, write, the countFy-7nptJ Texas,
but Tbs "SGatea"-hAd been 0gitated BY
one " those periodical and spasmodit
thrOes ofeConomy that generally result in
the accumulation ofA greater amount o.
debt than its wise legislators at first in
tended 10 cancel. These four companies
were therefore, suddenly withdrawn and
sent 10 the Northwestern part OF Texas
leaving the. Southern portion Of the iron
tier facing bIe4ico, entirely unprotected;
The Jahie bra4r that directed! tie move
ments Of the troops transferred the public
buildings to my care, and instructed me
to transport the movable property tc
other aud more interior posts. For the
purpose Of moving the stores, three Oh
four large wagon trains were consigned L
me, and, in the superintendence Of theil
loading aud departure, ! was obliged e
meet them on certain resrranged days q
these different, deserted forts, This duty
kept me Oh horseback most Of the time
travelling on the road between Fort Nc
Intosh and Brazos Santiago. 1t was my
habit to start a train from the fprmel
place, then, coming on down the country
l would overtake an empty train Just re-
turning to the post next below, start Thai
one back loaded, and continue thus down
the river road to the coast; then, tetFac
ing my steps, would meet the first train
coming back empty to Laredo, and repeat
the operation.
In carrying out my orders according "a
this programme, ! found myself early one
aAerhodn inI May at Ringgold Barracks,
having just cohesdowh t6ey country, with
no other escort than two teamsters who
were bringing down their wagons TO re.
intorce tho train about to leave that posi-
for the up.country. BY four O'Clock the
whole train was loaded and moved afew
miles out Of the town, preparatory to q
good start in the morning, and sat down
with my clerk to go over the accounts Of
an auction sale Of condemned property
that ! had held ut the place on my last
visit While thus'engaged, happening ID
look through the window, | saw three
mounted men approaching the building on
the road that led from Rancho Davis Ia
the barracks. There are certain unmis.
taxable signs by which Those that iravel
much in that wild Country come ID know
something Of the strangers whom they
may meet on the road. Now, these men
ell wore the gOat.skin overalIs which are
put on at the approach of u "Norther,' -
or when going on q journey the length Of
which may expose the wearer TO sudden
changes oftemperature; and, as the wealth.
or was remarkably mild, Il knew at d
glaneetbat these PegpI4 wereynot only
strangers ONE but that they had come
from distance. Two Of the party were
Msxicans, and the third was an American.
There was no reason for supposing that
either ] or my affairs were Of any interest
70 these men; yet, nevertheless, a feeling
Of vague uneasiness, amounting to warn
ing, rapidly developed itself in my mind
! say warning, and I-wilL tell you.why,
From lifetime when First began eo.thiik
at oil had always believed that man, as
an animal, is gifted with tho finer animal
instincts. These, by habitual neglect, be.
come dwarted, so to speak, rs isintellect
expands and books become his compan.
ions. Absorbed in studyor business, aud
his thoughts diverted from himselfby the
thousand aud one things in which he
comes to be daily interested, he falls nat.
qrally into the habit ofdeferring to reason
as his only guide; the idea of yielding to
an instinct rarely or never enters bis head
There are those, however, who give the
animal in their nature Il do not mean
this, of course, in the vulgar sense) fair
play equally with the mentaI Families;
aud, az lor myself i may saythat with.
out being an adept in the mystery Of d.
vining a man past history or bis inten-
tons for the future, | had always given in.
stinCtiye feelings-frst impressions, il
YOU will-their full weight. This cultivat.
cd instinct ofmine had served its purpose
wonderfully we'll ndfso suneFringihad
been its jddsmOhts, soIiniformly correct
hal proved its representations, that
had long ceased ever attempting 10 reason
away q prejudice or a liking. Aud, in
this case, the moment glanced along the
three faces, imperfectly seen as they were
through the dirt. dimmed window .panes,
an instinct, made keenly intuitive by use,
and whose voice was never unheeded,
babe mo be on my guard.
But the Americans face had the mo.
nopoly Of my interest. 1t was one Of
those that sOcietycan congratulate itself,
occur poBhere else except Cd the Mestertl
frontier. Intelligent? Oh, yes; bit GrueL
brave, interruptions, hateful, and scanned
with mar ks Of age, counted not by periods
Of time, but by dissipation, fatigues, dan.
gers, and crimes. No CLEAN Of tender.
mesa shonein the groy, hard eye, and no
touch Of regret for misspent years warm.
ed with its sad light the repeling GOODNESS
OF those marble features. l had seen
faces with somewhat such expressions
bending over faro'ta6le, or moving, male
and threatening, among IN inferior and
cowed class Of men ut primary elections,
| felt at once that this American and |
were not only antagonistic-as two men
should be, Of whom one upholds law and
order and the other preys on society-but,
moreover, that the lines Of our life travel
were soon to become unpleasantly en-.
tangled J6St tbeh the clerk, not notice
lngtny ln0mentRry abstraction from the
accounts, pointed.to tie balance due, and
proceeded to count out about twelve hun.
ited Mexican dollars, the proceeds from
The auction sale and other sources, and
which |, as quArtermaSter, was to takein.
70 my personal charge. Then il suddenly
occurred to me that the two ywatehmen
aboutth6 premises had, with
my permission, gone to town, nearly q
mile and q half distant, whence t6ey
would not return until after shutdown,
.hus leaving the clerk and me the only ocs
.apants of the otherwise deserted garFi.
sou, And then, too, there flashed across
my mind the recollection ola disbursinp
officer in New Mexico having been knock.