The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-04-03
Big Foot Wallace
The Famous Hero OF Expedition Still Lives
His Thrilling Career.

The namo Of Bigfoot Wallace has been
household word on the frontier of Texas fo
more than sixty years The school historic.
OF the Lone star State have made the chill
drcn of three or four generations familiar
with his evcntful career III the service OF hi:
country. Gray haired comrades, cnfeeblod
by wounds and age, SIT by the dreside Of
winter evenings. aud never tire OF repeating
TO their descendants The history OF his deeds
OF yalor in the mountain passes and on the
plains OF Mexico. Though an octosenarian.
n tho old, patriot and warrior Is stili living IN
little town Ia Frio county, which has been
named Iii his honor. His bearing aud address
are these OF u man who has carried the en-
thusiasm OF youth into old age, and his eyes
kindle WITH martial lire as NJ moves rest
lessiy about, never happier than when ems
gagged Ia teiiing stories oi old wars aud des-
] pefaie hanu-to-nanu encounters with savage
/ Iomanchos. lie lived In camp for more than
halt a century and during all OF this tune
/ he was one OF the trusted and faithful guard
ians OF the frontier, never III Il better humor
thAn when there was call for men OF his
kinu TO mount and 80 in pursuit OF the
pupimy.
William Alexander Anderson Wallace. who
has been known throughout the whole United
! States Tor more tnan half d century AS Big
| foot Wallace, was born near Lexington, Va.
/ IN Rockbridge county, In 1917. He comes OF
| good old revolutionary stock, many OF his
/
| tons army. The family claimed to have de-
| seended from the lighting Walaces of Scot
| ihnu and those VINO have seen old Bigtoot
leading charee In battle declare that they
| needed no further evidence us to the correct
| ness OF this historical statement.
| When Mr Wallace arrived in Texas, the
! war oil independence had about ended santa
| Anna was prisoner, and II was believed
I that permanent peace would soon BIO estab-
| lished between Texas and Mexico. The army
I had been collected In tho eastern part OF the
| Republic Tor the purpose OF lighting the Mex
| leans, and as u consequence. the frontier
| was very poorly protected. The Comanches
| and other wild, hostile tribes took advantage
| OF this condition of affairs, aud raidod thu
| settlements at their pleasure. 1t was not
| long. however. before the commander OF the
army, who was no less important char
acter than Albert Sidney Johnston, could
| spare force to meet these red devils and
punish their audacity with sword and fire.
Bigloot Wallace at once enlisted and served
Tor many years with these frontier troops;
aud 1t was not long before he was known ON
the border as one OF the most daring and dcs-
pefate Indian lighters of the plains He was
always IN front always anxious TO lead
charge, and In battle he demanded the post
of danger. II there was any hard riding TO
do, or any spying or dangerous scouting TO
execute In the enemy's country, such brave
officers as Jack Hayes aud old-paint Caldwell
knew exactly where to find the man who was
in every way capacitatcd for such work. In
one OF these dangerous expeditions Mr.. Wal
lace came near losing his life He was
NilHDlnS uluHp ltuec OF Tuck ny Tue sue
of blum not far from Austin, where there
was barely room for him to walk along the
ledge which was far above the stream that
was roaring and splashing below him. He
came to projecting rock and peopcd eau
tiously around II. IL so happened that big
Comanche warrior, who had evidently been
watching Wallace. peeped from the other side
OF the projection at the same instant. The
faces OF two enemies bitter with hatred, and
kindled by two pairs of eyes burning with
rage were not six inches apart. Goth men
tt,ntr fpsh nft Ii
ledge, with no witnesses but the eagles. Wal |
lace the quicker of the two, and just
as the indians arrow appeared around the |
rock the gun of the Texan cracked in the |
warriors face, and his body rolled, bounding
from ledge to ledge, into the torrent below.
while the eagles shrieked requiem.
In September. 1912. when the Mexican Gen
eral VOL made a dash into Texas and sur
prised and captured San Antonio. Wallace
was serving with the famous Jack Hayes. |
This company of gallant horsemen were FIRST
in the cnomy's front and formed rallying |
point for the army that instantly assembled |
under General Mathew Caldwell. Hayes WINS |
ordered to select battle ground. so he met |
the enemy at Saado. Here pitched battle |
was fought between 400 Texans and 1900 Mex |
leans aud the enemy was driven from the |
field with great slaughter Bigfoot Wallace |
was everywhere, sometimes firing n nuske,. |
and at others slashing the enemy with |
great bowie knife. The example of his valor |
among the whistling bullets was worth
whole regiment.
General Vol instantly commenced hur-
red retreat toward Mexico while the Texans
hung on his rear aud gave him no time to
rest. They constantly engaged his rear |
guard. and upon one occasion Jack Hayes, |
at the head of his old company, charged into
the Mexican camp. Had he been supported,
General VOLTS army would have been de-
stroyed General Somervillc, who was In |
command of the Texans, would not pursue
the Moxicans across the Rio Grande; but, in
pursuance OF orders from the Republic he
ordered IL retreat. Here 800 enraged Texans,
SIN
lin violation of his OATH had inflicted upon
them demanded to he led into Mexico that
they might avenge themselves upon the met
cilcss enemy who were guilty of the Dawson
massacre and so many other murders. Cen
oral William S Fisher volunteered TO lead
this desperate band, SO they at once elected
him their general Enibarking in boats. they
noated down the Rio Graude to the Mexican
town of Mier. The nlcalde surrendered the
town and the Texans retired TO their camp to
await supply OF provisions which the al
calde had promised 10 collect.
on December % the Texans discovered that
General Ampuda at the head OF an army
of 1000 men, was in possession of Mier. They
at once prepared to give him battle and
Bigfuot Wallace says this was the hardest
fought battle that he ever witnessed. The
Texans forced passage across the river IN
the face Of a rain storm OF musket balls and
a CALLING shower OF grape and canister. They
dashed along street In the darkness. for
tho battle was fought before daylight, drove
the Mexican infantry before them and cnp-
tured q group OF store houses near the plaza.
When morning broke the Mexicans turned
their cannon upon the buildings occupied by
the Texans. Bigfoot Wallace, with tao or
three rnsmen, devoted their attention to
thcae cannon. At the first fire they knocked
down every gunner Three times the Mex {
leans manned the guns and as many times
the unerring marksmen destroyed them. Time
aud again Mexican officers with gallant
daring. led columns OF infantry against the
storehouses, but the Texans repused them
with case During the day General Fisher
WIS badly wounded, and u WAS while he was
lying on the loor. wTthing in agony, that ,
something happened that has never been ex- :
plained Every Texan WAS feeling conhdent :
Of victory when q white flag appeared. Gen ,
pral Ampuda informed General Fisher that /,
r reinforcement of 100 Mexican regulars /
were about 10 arrive on the feld lie spoke r
of the bravery Of the Texans IN the highest :
terms Of praise and pledged his honor to {
grant them the most honorable terms II they I
#ould surrender but he told them that they q
must net cxpeet any quarter II they held out y
until the arrival Of the regulars Only few i
new the true state Of affairs when the terms d
II surrender hpd been completed Many 7
,ried like children when they gave up their 4
xenppne They afterwards learned that Am n