The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-29
A FAMOUS TEXAN DEAD
CAPT. eBIGFOoT" WALLACE, INDIAN
KILLER AND MEXICAN FIGHTER.
Patriot Whose Name for More than
in the Lone Star State.
St louis Post-Disnatch.


years old. All the romance of sixty years
of border life was crowded into his adven-
turous career At the age of twenty he left
his home at Lexington, Va, and went to
Texas for the express purpose of avenging
the death of his brother, who was captured
and slain by Mexicans in 1886. He was a
participant in the remarkable struggles on
the Texas border before the war with Mex
leo, and was everywhere known as a fear
less fighter and an implacable foe. His name
was for more than fifty years a household
word in Texas.
In the gloomy dungeons of Perote it took
seven giant Mexicans to throw this strug
Cling Texan to the earth and bind him.
After he had lain fourteen days chained
hand and foot, face downward, to a rock,
without food Or water when the thongs
were cut and the rivets forced apart his
first act was to spring to one of his tor
mentors and try to throttle him.
Alexander Anderson Wallace was born
near Lexington, Va, in 1917. He came of
revolutionary stock, many of his fathers
kinsmen having served in Washington's
army. The family claimed to have de-
seconded from the lighting Wallaces of Scot
land and those who have seen old Bigfoot
leading a charge in battle declare that they
needed no further evidence as to the correct
ness of this historical statement.
When Mr.. Wallace arrived in Texas the
war of independence had about ended
Santa Anna was a prisoner and it was be-
lived that a permanent peace would soon
be established between Texas and Mexico
The army had been collected in the eastern
part of the republic for the purpose of fight
ing the MeXicans, and as a consequence the
protected.
COmancheS and other hostile tribes took ad-
vantage of this condition of affairs and
raided the settlements at their pleasure 1t
was not long, however, before the COM
mander of the army who was a no less i'm
pOrtant character than Albert Sidney john
sOn-could spare force to meet these red
devils and punish their audacity with sword
and fire. Big Foot Wallace at once en-
listed and served for many years with these
frontier troops, and ii was not long before
he was known on the border as one of the
most daring and desperate Indian fighters
on the plains.
FIGHT ON A NARROW LEDGE.
In one of these dangerous expeditions Mr.
Wallace came nearly losing his life He
was crawling along ledge of rock by the
side of a bluff, not far from Austin 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 a projecting rock and peered eau
d
Comanche warrior, who had evidently been
watching Wallace peeped from the other
side of the projection at the same instant.
The faces of the two enemies, bitter with
hatred and kindled by two pairs of eyes
burning with rage, were not six inches
apart. Both men drew their weapons for
battle on that narrow ledge with no wit
resses but the eagles. Wallace was the
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 a requiem.
In September 1912, when the Mexican
General Vol made dash into Texas and
surprised and captured San Antonio, Wal
lace was serving with the famous Jack
Hayes This company of gallant horsemen
a rallying point for the army that almost
instantly assembled under General Matthew
Caldwell. Hays was ordered to select battle
ground and he met the enemy at SaladO.
Here a pitched battle was fought between
300 Texans and 1,500 MeXicans, and the
enemy were driven from the field. Big
Foot Wallace was everywhere sometimes
firing musket, and at others slaShing the
enemy with great bowie knife. The ex
ample of his valor amongst the whistling
bullets was worth a whole regiment.
After the great victory Colonel Jack Hays
put his hand on Wallace's shoulder and said:
Here's a soldier whom Napoleon would
have made a marshal of France"
General VOL instantly commenced a hur-
ried retreat towards Mexico while the Tex
to rest Embarking in boats they fioated
down The Rio Grande to the Mexican town
of ME- The alcalde surrendered the town
and the Texans retired to their camp to
await a supply Of provisions which the al
calde had promised to collect. On Dec. %,
the Texans discovered that General Ampu
was in possession of Mier They at once
prepared to give him battle. 'Bigfoot'' Wal
lace said this was the hardest fought battle
that he ever witnessed. BY a clever ruse
the Texans were persuaded to surrender.
LOST IN THE MOUNTAINS.
The prisoners were at once started on a
long march towards the dungeons of Per-
ote, where they knew they would be tor
tured to death At the Hacienda Salado
they overpowered a company of cavalry,
and taking their arms and horses from the
trembling wretches they rode away in a
gallop. Had they kept the great high road,
they could easily have marched straight to
Texas. but a few shouted ITO the noun
tains!' Cameron and Wallace, realizing
the mistake but fearing the Texans might
get separated, they left the road. There
were 1873 of them, enough to have whipped
a whole Mexican army. IT was not long
before they were hopelessly lost and en-
tangled in the mountain passes. Days
passed and they saw no sign of a road or a
human habitation. The weak began to per-
ish of hunger and thirst. Brave soldiers rode
along in speeches. agony, with their
tOilSuS HduSlHS UidCh anu pdICuCu IIbIil
their cracked lips. Some became insane and
rushed wildly about scratching into the
earth for water. few killed their horses,
and others sucked the blood from the veins
of the poor, staggering beasts Many threw
away their arms and bade their comrades
farewell.
Incredible as it may appear, nine out of
these prisoners reached Texas. The remain
der were returned to the Hacienda Salado
end all heavily ironed. Santa Anna ordered
Colonel Mexia to shoot every tenth man, but
this brave soldier replied that che would
have nothing to do with such an inhuman
piece of butchery" A wretch was easily
found who executed the massacre. One
hundred and fifty-nine white beans and sew
enteen black ones were placed in an earthen
mug and the prisoners drew for life or
death.
est of ali my battles was Mier. Less than
300 of us killed S22 Mexicans. General
fact to me while / was a prisoner.
I'VE were released in 1874 after having en-
dured every kind of cruelty and torture the
inhuman Mexicans could devise Cor about
twenty-five months. A great many escaped
and many others died. OF the $40 who were
a Mier | don't think over one-half ever got
back to Texas. [ know but one besides Il V
self who is alive to-day. His name is
Boone and he lives over on the Blanco."
The surviving Mier prisoners only had a
few years to wait before an opportunity pre-
scented itself for them TO avenge themselves
upon the Mexicans. War soon afterWard
broke out between the United States and
Mexico Big Foot Wallace no sooner heard
the news than he mounted his horse and
rode to the nearest military camp. He served
with his characteristic energy and intrepid