The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1874-04-01

series Of articles, sketches Of men nnd
times In the earlier days Of Texas
From 1910 down TO 1850, we took nd
vantage Of all opportunities to collect
facts on which TO write n pioneer or
border history Of Texas, and succeeded
In adding TO our personal knowledge
vast amount Of the necessary data,
by the war, large amount of our
notes, the Tultof twentyyears obscr-
vat.on aud collection, was lost, Still
we had some loft, In addition to per-
sonal recollectlons. Partial friends still
insist that we shall place on record
such matter rs we can, to be used by
future historians This, under ordinary
circumstances, would be pleasant la
boT but, lilSo thousands Of Others who
lost tbeirali by the war, our timois nee
essary 10 sustain those Dependent upon
US by the daily toll of business lllc'
This fact forblds anything like system
In such labor, or even attention to
style, still, with this explanation, we
have concluded, rs time permits, to
prepare for the HERALD occasional
sketches of men and things, AZ we re-
collect them, In the former history OF
Texas. They viii be impcrfect-rathcr
birds eye views than corrected his
tory--and while writing much, we
shall be careful to state nothing not
believed to be strictly within the
bounds of truth.
At the instance Of q lady Griond we
shall introduce our occasional sketches
with soma illusions to one Of the BRAY
est men who ever trod the soil OF
Texas, in the person OF
CEREBRAL WALTER p. LANE.
General Lane came 60 Texas ~ avol-
untecr youth, to aid in the war OF IN
dependence, and, like his bosom
friends, Generals Thomas Green aud
Benjamin McCuloch, first faced hos
tile guns on the fields Of San Jacinto,
It is noteworthy that San Jaclnto was
the military birth place of each of
those men, afterwards 50 distinguished
in Texas. The conduct flame on that
occasion, II comparative stranger was
such as to win the admiration Of his
comrades.
His next appearance, 80 far as we
can relate, was in the celebrated l.Q-
wegon's fight, ia Octoben 1885, on Bat
tie creek, now in the southwest part Of
Navarro county. In that contest tweii-
ty-two men, protected only bya prairie
ravine, fought several hundred Indians
from about nine O'clock in the morn
ing till eleven 1T night, when four only
of thenumher in brig t.moonliGht, cs-
capped Lane being so disabled by
wounds that he hobbIed for Twenty-Five
miles ON one leg, supported by two
faithful comrades, William l.. Hender-
son, formerly of Corsicana, and -------.
Their escape and final arrival in the
settlement ut old Franklin, was rs near
the miraculous as human affairs.
In the Mexican war he was early in
the field and in every engagement
added renewed luster to his name,
having no less than five horses killed
under him In different battles.
When the war between the states
began, he entered the service rs lieu
tenant colonel of Greers third Texas
cavalry, organized at Dallas. His first
smell Of powder wasAat Oak Hills, Mis-
souri,, Augustl0, 1861, where his horse
was killed under him in Il charge on n
battery. His next fight was that known
rs Chustenolah, against the "Piu'
Indians, in the winter of 1862,
where another horse was Killed under
him. Passing hurriediy from winter
quarters on the Arkansas river, under
the orders of McCulloch, he was in
McIntosh's charge on the masked bat
teries of the federals, supported by in
fantry, four miles north of Bentonville,
Arkansas In which our troops entered
the heel ola crescent shaped column,
resting OH sloping hill receiving II
direct rs well as cross fire from either |
side. Yet he, with some sixty others,
passed through unscathetl, while the
main body fell back.
Next day came the main battle of
Elk Horn, in which McCulloch and
Mcintosh fell, while Lane had an
eighth horse killed under him, in Me-
lntosh's grand and successful charge
OH two batteries, supported by in
fantry.
immediately afterwards transferred |
to Corinth, Mississippi, he was in the
battle of Pennington, and on the
withdrawal of our troops from that
region, Beauregard placed him
in command of the rear guard of if
our memory serves us right only two
hundred and forty-six men. Charged
by an overwhelming force, he met
them with such havoc as to cause
panic and route them, killing incredi-
bic numbers. For this brilliant action
he was complimented in general or
ders, read.on parade to each regiment
of the army.
Colonel Lane then came west of the
and raised new regiment,
with which he went with his acclistom-
ed consistency into and through all the
campaigns in Arkansas
aud Louisiana. In the mean time, for
his many distinguished acts of gallant