New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-26
THE TEXAS RANGER.
HAVING PLAYED HIS PART HE 10 W."
GIVING WAY TO THE NEW
CIVILIZATION.
From The Philadelphia Times.


ranger having played his part. is gradually
shrinking away to mere nothngness before the
march Of civilization. law and order lie con
tributed an important part in breaking the
shackles that bound this vast empire to the
Mexican Government. After this he pursued
relentless policy of determination against the
various maTauding bands of desp"radoes tnat
made the wild and bad lands Of Texas dreaded
10y all And last but not least, ne wiped OUT
the roaming Indian tribes who pundered;
robbed and murdered as fancy dictated, untll
to-day he has made Texas famed the world over
for the vast strides which this Commonwealth.
as large as all New England and the Middle
States combined mas been making III "ealth
and population.
The Texas ranger is born fighter brought
up from babyhood almost in the saddle. a quick;
lead shot cool daring. temperate. Injured to all
kinds of hardship. and ready at all times to up
hold justice and defend the weak against the
law breakers.
HOUsTON's RIFLEMEN.
When the Alamo had fallen and the frightfui
massacre there had occurred General sam
Houston organiZed among the settlers in the
Territory troop of 600 mounted rinemen
Their object to accomplish the impossible
free Texas and ayenge their fallen martyr pa
trOt kinsmcn and friends They did wonders.
Their battle cry was Remember the Alamo,
and wherever they rode and fought the enc
my expected no quarter and If fortunate
enough to survive the onslaught never gave
any if the members Of that devoted band fell
into their hands With the fall of the Alamo
fate seemed against the Texans gaining their
liberty but on Houston's call to arms volunteers
lOckcd To him from all directions only the best
men taken and only the brave men who
not afraid To die if need be-. The very
mention of their name spread terror to the
hearts Of the "GreaSerS" and when in the silent
watches Of the night the Mexican guards heard
the oncOming thunder Of horses hOofs and the
dreaded cry, Remember the Alamo i'm terror
they threw away their arms and rushed to safe
ty crying out with fear while the little band
would sweep through the encampment, leaving
a wide swath of dead and dying behind them.
fore the enemy knew what had happened to
them. by this means the flame Of liberty was
famed into a bright glow again until at the bat
tie of San Jacinto. they routed the Mexican
army under Santa Ana and obliged the Mexi-
can Government to acknowledge their indepe nd
ence.
Organized in 1896 during the spring Of that
year they continued in service after the
and constituted "A sort Of standing army
for this unique republic. They repealed hordes
Of murderouS Mexican marauders from beyond !
the Rio Grande, fought into submission the |
fierce Apaches Comanches and Kiowas and ad- |
miniSered Justice on a VIII Desae plan To a great :
number Of the red-handed rufans and outlaws
who iOcked into the new republic from all parts |
Of the United States.
They became so much Of an institution for the /
protection of life and property OF the settlers /
ana lonely ranChmen of the Territory that when /
Texas became a State twelve hundred of the /
hangers retained as mounted police along
the Mexican border and for holding in check
the almost intractablc Indian tribes of the |
Southwest. Until 1854 the Texas Rangers were
almost constantly in the field. At times there
were reserve Rangers to the number or three
thousand among the frontiersmen. who were |
called out many times to aid in quelling uprlS- |
ings Of one sort or another.
TERRY'S RANGERS.
At the breaking out Of hostties between the |
North ard the South General Con Terry an old
Ranger. organized the famous command known /
as Terry's Texas Rangers. composed almost en- |
tirely Of former Texas Rangers and frontiers
men the bark of whose rifle meant death to the |
enemy upon whom bead had been drawn. |
They fought from Bull Run to AppomattoX |
and lost - per cent Of their original muster |
roll. sharing honors with tn celebrated Louisi- |
ana Tigers to which organization proved the |
best fighters and most daring While they were |
away fighting for the lost cause the Indians |
grew restless upon the frontier again. and soon |
after the war the Texas Legislature provided for !
calling out twelve hundred Rangers to protect
The frontier once more against hostile Indians |
Then as the country quoted down once more !
the Rangers were gradually reduced to a thou |
sand and then by easy stages To three nun |
bred men. and for the last ten years there has
been no legally constituted force Of Rangers.
In the summer of 1871 the Rangers followed |
he Comanches, numbering over three thousand !
for three months. and during that time scarcely |
left the saddle. sleeping. II need be, on horse |
back and never leaving their clothes for an in
slant. Several times there were engagements !
Of several hours length but at last they sub |
lued them, and then Immediately had TO turn |
heir attention to crush the even more danger
Gus and hostile Apaches on the west This took |
Indians the United States troops also took a |
hand and bore their share OF the hardships and
danger In October OF the same year hostile |
bands Of marauding MeXicans that had crossed
the frontier with the avOwed purpose OF killing |
all defenceless settlers had to be searched out
amid vast stretches and trackless foothills. and
fought under all imaginable hazardous circum-
stances. In one week twenty-five Rangers were
killed by the intrenched halfbreed bandits to the
number Of three hundred. Altogether the cam
pagnng against COmanches, Apaches and ma
RAIDERS lasted ten months, and there was not
rest day. no time when the Rangers felt secure
from danger. no time when they were free from
he danger Of rifle shot from some skulking
mon - ~