The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-03-31
CONQUEST OF TEXAS.

The Famous Characters who Net on the
q Mexican Border in 1894 Remarkable
Story Of the Rescue Of vicksbu1g from Cat
Threats
From the Philadelphia Times.
History furnishes no more romantic
story than the conquest of Texas. A
scheme born in the brain Of a vision
airy, natured by the desperate and
reckless ambition of handful of
adventures, and contaminated by
Victory of an undisciplined rabble
over trained troops, led by veteran
and skilled commander, it's fruit to-
day is seen in a territory which in ex-
tent and resources rivals an empire,
and which is now one of the most i'm.
pgrtant and progressive states of the
Union. In dealing with this subject,
and in giving my "reminiscences of
the principal actors In the drama
it will be understood that I am
not attempting anything like
historical sketch of the wrestling of
Texas from Mexican domination. It
is rather my purpose to recall some of
the events connected with that brief
but wonderful struggle; to contribute
a page here and there to the unwritten
history Of those times and those
scenes, and to tell as graphically as I
may some Of the more exciting cpl
SOdes Of which Texas and the adjoin.
ing states were then the theatre. 10
do this I shall be obliged to refer in
some degree to my own life during
the time of which Ispeak, but only in
SO far as it is necessary to give my
personal knowledge and authority for
what / state. So much by way of in
production. Now for the facts and
The story.
SOME OF THE MEN ON THE BORDER.
Texas at the time of which I write
the summer of 1834--was an almost
unknown land to the great mass of
Americans, and it was regarded as an
EldoraQo. Marvellous stories of it's
mineral wealth-gold and silver mines
were current everywhere and were
listened to with avidity by all, but
more especially in the southern states.
Arkansas at that time was the far
west, and to that side, lying on the
border of Texas and affording the
easiest entrance to the promised land,
had gravitated a class of the most
reckless and daring adventures of,
which American history has any rec
ord. The majority were self-exiled
from civilization for one crime or
another. All of them were gamblers
Of more or less proficiency; most of
them were thieves of high or low
degree many of them were murder
ers Of considerable experience They
were to be found at Fort Gibson,
Fort Smith, and Fort Touson, and at
the mouth of the Kiepitea river, and
their other headquarters at the settle
ments of Pecan point, on Horse prairie,
at Alexander, and at Natchitoches,
on the louisiana side of the river.
Kentucky and Tennessee, Alabama and
Georgia, the Carolinas, and Vir-
ginia, all had contributed their quota
Of the lawless element, and, at the
time of which I speak, there were
none of these states without more or
less distinguished representatives in
that wild community.
NOTED CHARACTERS ON THE FRONTIER
Among these were James and Rea-
son B0wie-the first the inventor of
the boWie-knife, and the latter his
brother. Then the Rector brothers,
Elias and Wharton, were another con-
spicuous pair. These four men were
not gam blers-that it, not as we gen.
orally understand the word. In the
matter Of cards and dice they were
amateurs, not professionals. In
another sense they were, and played
for the highest stakes. Let me state
here frankly that at the time of which
speak ! was a gambler-a profess
Bional gambler. This admission will
explain good many points that might
otherwise be difficult to the reader.
Moving in a higher scale, these men
had little in common with the class to
which then belonged, and on our
part at that time we regarded them
With respect. They had wealth,
station, a name, power and influence,
and were the ruling spirits in their
sphere. They had just surveyed and
named at that time the two counties
of Chittenden and Severe, on the south
side of the river. Now, to complete
the party there was a DR.. Bennett.
He was gambler, was known as such,
and made no secret, but rather boast
of the fact. About this time we were
on the borders of the territory of the
Greeks, Choctaws, Cherokees, and
With them were hundreds of men
whom had met in Huntsville, Nash
Vile, Memphis, New Orleans an6
other places-men whom / had known
to be obliged to flee between darkness
and dawn for their crimes, and tt
whom daylight meant death. These
renegades constituted no inconsider
able part of the border population at
the time, and their sole Occupat p1
apparently was gambling and drink
ing, fighting and horse-racing, in all Of
which sciences they could fairly claim
to rank as professors. But there were
other men on the border at that time
who went in for higher game.
ANOTHER CLASS OF ADVENTURES.
During the latter part of the years
1833-34 a new class of men began tt
make their appearance in this part O.
the country, and were mainly to b.
found making the Choctaw nation ant
the Arkansas settlements their head
quarters. These were federal Office
holders and DOliticians Of 2 highe,