El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-09
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SSNSSSS
: Rangers were killed by the intrenche,
!, 300. Altogether the campaigning
: against Comanches, Apaches and ma
RAIDERS lasted ten months, and Their,
was not rest day-nO time when tn,
Rangers felt secure from danger-in al
those months. In that campaign o
1S4I fourteen out of every 100 Ranger
were killed. Seventeen per cent more
were wounded by poisoned arrows sne
bullets, SO that they became invalid
for life. No danger was too severe, NJ
duty too risky for the Texans.
Little squads of Rangers had NJ
thought of the fearful chances the,
were taking in going miles into a hos
tile Indian region where hundreds o.
braves might be concealed for massa
ere at any moment. II have heard
from the lips of reliable Ran GERS" sai6
enlisted in the Rough Riders trooI
for Cuba. tales of daring by the Tex
as Rangers that are Incompatible. II
Is indeed too bad that the world knows
| so little about those marvellous men.
There have been hosts of men among
the Texas Rangers, who were just a.
nervy as Davy Crockett, Travis or
Bowie at the Alamo
Statistics are kept in the Office OF
]
ing the Rangers and they give some
thing of an idea of the constant cam
paigning that these hardy men have
experienced along the Texas frontier.
In 1852 900 Rangers were engaged in
a fight with over 1000 Cherokees. The
| latter were intrenched near where
Denison, Texas, now fourishes. Scouts
reported the size of the Indian body to
the Rangers, and said that if q certain
hill seven miles off to the left could be
gained in the face of the terrible odds
| against such a movement the Rangers
would master the situation. With a
whoop of defiance to the Indians the
! Texans rode forward. Exactly 1877 men
fell dead in the charge. But the hill
was taken and held until the United
States troops came a few hours later
to take the brunt of the battle.
From 1865 until 1883 the Texas ran
gers offectually followed 12S parties Of
Indian marauders, had eighty-four
| fights with indians and Mexicans, kill
ed eighty-two Indians, wounded sixty
two and captured six; killed twenty
seven Mexicans and wounded five; re-
covered nearly 5000 stolen horses,
carried off by Indians and desperadoe
During those years 1896 citizens were
killed and 81 carried off oy Mexicans
or Indians; II rangers were killed and
q 500 horses and mules, 43 400 cattle
and 2, 400 sheep and goats were stolen.
There we're in addition homes of set
tiers burned. prairie fires pnrposely
started, many people lynched and a
vast number of minor outrages which
the rangers were called upon to re-
dress.
Conditions had so far changed in
Texas by the year 1889 that the ran
gers were no longer needed against
hostile Indians, as Indian raids had
ceased. But the force, now reduced
in numbers, was still active in the sup
preston of desperadoes along the Dor
der, some Of them raiding Mexicans,
others native products, and all more
trou blesome from the fact that increas-
ed vigilance on the Mexican side of the
Rio Grsnde tended to confine the
operations Of such persons in Texas.
The rangers made in the years 1SS9-9O
$40 arrests, mostly of desperate crimi
nails, among them l6 murderers, 160
cattle thieves and % robbers and bur
glars.
Although Mexican outrages had de-
creased in numbers and the Indians
had utterly disappeared from the state
the Rangers, from Deem Der, 1890,
to Nobember 80, 1892, made more than
5000 arrests,
The story of the ranger service is
one long record of unwavering fidelity
to duty during all the sixty years and
more in which its members have
guarded the lives, liberties and proper
~ Of their fellow citizens. No gaudy
trsppings nor gay equipment have any
place in their outft:no bug!e call them
and no flag floats above them in their
swift and silent rides, yet none the
ization ever shown itself admirably
adapted to the times and conditions
under which it has developed. In all
the elements of true courage and
earnestness. in ready obedience, eff
fciency and patriotic devotion, it's re-
cord has been surpassed by that of
no body OF constabulary ever muster |
3D.
Any unmarried man over Is years of |
age is eligible as ranger, but it is an |
exceedingly difficult matter to get into |
the organisation. Courage, physical |
frst-rate horsemanship, |
precision with fire arms and steady |
habits are the requisites for member
ship. The term of enlistment is on |
year. The ranger furnishes his horse,
accoutrements and arms, while the |
state furnishes food for the men, for
age, ammunition. medicine and medi-
cal attendance. The pay of captains
is 800 month, of sergeauts $50 |
month and of privates $50 month.
The force is made up of young men,
sober, well ordered, and, as rule, fair
ly well educated. The rangers of today
attend to business in the same thorough |
fashion as their predecessors, and, in |
small bands of six Or eight men, they |
pursue and capture the worst des-
peradoes of the border counties.
In the equipment of the men and Of
fcers but scant regard is paid to mill