El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-04-09

half hearted Spaniards and BODY G
Tx 8 rangers of one fifth their mum be
but of proved courage aud certsi
mark smanship.
81 be ieve it is more than a year ag
that we read of the Lone s. ar cOmpan,
of Texas volunt ers in the Cuban arm.
fighting till the last man fell. Their
were less than thirty Texaos in tina
troop, but when the scrimmsge wa!
over more than four times their mum
Der O. dead Spaniards lay around thei
own DO 1ies.
"What would be the result if al
American fleet were to blockade II 4.
vana and 10, 900 cowboys thrown into
the island to lead the insurgents in of
fensive measures? 1 don't think there
is any doubt as to the result. OF course
it might be we'll after that to occupy
the island with a sufficient number o.
infantry to thoroughly garrison it and
prevent the fomeptipg or sediticus
movements against our army of Occu.
| patton. Then, too, after that the cow
boys might be ser:yiceable elsewhere
in the war. -
81 presume that European disciplin.
arians would laugh at my views of what
our 'undrilled' rangers 'uld do. But
let them think biz. The tried cour-
age of our boys should show that there
is no danger of them turning tail uE-
der any circumstances. Now, then,
what is most demoralizi- to an army
If two forces meet and one sees ire
mendOus havoc wrought on it's side,
while the foe continues to advance
relatively as strong as before. wba. is
the result? Suppose brigade of
Euro 'ean cavalry were to be engaged
hU anna1 hor, If In
the collision the Europeans might
seek to use their sabers. 1 warrant
you that before the two forces got to-
gether for every European cavalry
mans bullet that found its mark at
least two of the rangers guns would
have dropped their men. So long as
they rem aimed awsv from q baud to-
hand scrimmage the Texans would
continue to increase the enemy's mi
nority. Then when they got together
the boys who could use Bowie knives
and guns successfully against the
lances and tOmahawks of the Indians
could certainly whip the cavalry of
any European nation with ordinary
sabers and side arms.
There are various things that favor
the ranger. In the first place his
h"~se. the ordinary mustang, is much
'nor+' -erviceable for modern fighting
purposes than the ordinary cavalry
horse. Its tin, wiry legs aid it on the
plains where sharp turn frequently
saves its rider from an Onrushing steer
or enables the cowboy to stop q STAN
pade. [ know of no occupation that
requi es more GOODNESS and endurance
nd the exe-ci,e of more quick, good
j .dg Re tran does that of the cow
b Y. AM there is certainly no indus
try that makes better horsemen or
breeds class of horses better for their
use. All the world knows that down
ere VIII re hunting is as popular
Juvenile sport as pls ying tops we have
reared generations of msrksmen. L.
seems to me that even those unfamiliar
with the resources aud capacities of
our cowboys can understand that 10, 900
of them, fitted out as rangers, would
way of military doings"
Capt. McNiel was not without plan
of campaign. He was certain that DO
occasion would arise in Cuba where
the entire Texas army could be en-
gagged at once against single Oppos-
ing column. 1.-THE Spaniards would
hardly risk an open fight against a
were. to be modified for pitched bat
tie, think the consolidated Cuban in
surgents, with the Texas brigades to
lead them, would make short shrift of
the Spsniards. Then our boys could
be even more useful in the event tb at
Havana were invested by gradual ap-
prOaches. Advancing dismounted, if
necessary, from shelter to shell er, no
sharpshooters could be more effective
than they in dra wing the lines closer
and closer about the besieged Span
iards.
''Taught to fire across the neck of
galloping mustang, with scarcely any
thing but one leg and thigh exposed,
they would puzzle the Spauiards sore
", while their own marksm anship and
would certainly gain them as
many victories against European arms |
rs they have already won against
American foes equally as dangerous as |
5he foreigners in the passage at arms. |
''If there were little prospect of an |
early general engagement on the is |
and the Texas boys could be divided |
INTO three or four brigades to operate |
though in constant touch |
with each other. L am convinced that |
such course would teach military
men something new in the way of |
quick work.
mo, sir; careful gentlemen not &C.
luainted with the facts many incline |
20 doubt the wisdom of such q course. |
put 1 know q dozen competent and |
trustworthy men who would like no.
hing better than to wrest Cuba from
Spani b sway at the head of 10, 1000
Texas rangers, co-opsrated with by an
A merican feet and the Cuban pa
riots"
A Willing Convert.
"Whats the matter, Johnnie; you
seem to be feeling good?" asked one of
The fathers neighbOrs.
tfNrnSt' Wa Christian Soinnno