The record-union., 1899-03-24

little band would sweep through the
encampment, leaving a wide swath of
dead and dying behind them, and be
away on the trackless prairie again be-
lore the enemy knew what had hap
pened to them. BY this means the
flame of liberty was famed into
bright glow again until. at the battle
OF San Jacinto, they routed the Mexican
army under Santa Ana and obliged the
Mexican Government to acknowledge
their independence
Organized in 1886 during the spring
of that year they were continued in
service after the war and constituted
a sort of standing army for this unique
republic. They repelled hordes of muir
derous Mexican marauders from be-
yond the RIO Grande, fought into sub
mission the fierce Apaches, Comanches
and kloWaS and administered Justice
on wholesale plan to a great number
of the red-handed ruffians and outlaws
who Hooked into the new republic from
all parts of the United States.
They became so much of an institu-
ton for the protection OF life and prop
erty of the settlers AMI, lonely ranch
men of the Territory that when Texas
became State twelve hundred of the
Rangers were retained as mounted po-
lice along the Mexican border and for
holding in check the almost intractabIe
Indian tribes of the Southwest. Until
1864 the Texas Rangers were almost
constantly in the field. At times there
were reserve Rangers to the number
of three thousand among the frontiers
men, who were called out many times
to aid in quelling uprisings of one sort
or another.
At the breaking out of hostilities be-
tween the North and the South Gen
eral Con Terry, an old Ranger, organ
lied the famous command known as
Terry's Texas Rangers, composed al
most entirely of former Texas Rangers
and frontiersmen, the bark of whose
rifle meant death to the enemy upon
whom a bead had been drawn. They
fought from Bull Run to Appomattox
and lost 10 per cent. of their original
muster roll sharing honors with the
celebrated Louisiana Tigers as to which
organization proved the best fighters
and most daring. While they were
away fighting for the lost cause the In
dams 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 In
dams Then as the country quoted
down once more the Rangers were
gradually reduced to a. thousand, and
then by easy stages to three hunderd
men, and for the last ten years there
has been no legally constituted force
OF Rangers.
In the summer of 1S4I the Rangers
followed the Comanches, numbering
over three thousand, for three months,
and during that time scarcely lett the
saddle. sleeping, if need be, on horse
back, and never leaving their clothes
for an instant. Several times there
were engagements of several hours
length. but at last they subdued them,
and then Immediately had TO turn their
attention to crush the even more dan
gerous and hostile Apaches on the west.
This took three months more OF their
time, but with these Indians the Unit
ed States troops also took hand, and
bore their share of the hardsn1ps ana
danger. In October of the same year
hostile bands of marauding Mexlcans
that had crossed the frontier with the
avowed purpose of killing all defense
less settlers had to be searched out
amid vast stretches and trackless foot
hills, and fought under all imaginable
hazardous circumstances. In one week
TWENTY-FIVE Rangers were killed by the
intrenched halfbreed bandits to the
number of 300. Altogether, the cam
paigning against Comanches, Apaches
and marauders lasted ten months, ana
there was not a rest day, no time when
the Rangers felt secure from danger,
no time when they were free from the
danger of rifle shot from some skulk-
ing foe, in all those months Seven
teen per cent more were wounded by
poisoned arrows and bullets, so that
they became invalids for life. No dan
ger was too risky. They thought
nothing of attacking twice their num-
Der. and even went SO far as to catch
desperate outlaws intrenched in houses
behind barricaded doors, who were all
the while pouring a leaden hail OF bull
lets as they rushed to the attack. Lit
tie squads of Rangers had no thought
of the fearful chances they were taking
in going for miles into a hostile Indian
region surrounded on all sides by
treacherous savages-
Any unmarried man over Is years old
is eligible as a Ranger, but it is an ex-
ceedingly difficult matter to get into
the organization, and but few men can
fulfill the requisites for membership.
The term of the enlistment is one year.
The Ranger furnishes his horse, accou-
trements and arms, while the State
furnishes food for the men, forage,
ammunition, medicine and medical at
tendance. The pay of Captains is 500
a month, Sergeants $50, and privates
$50. The force is made up of young
men, sober, well ordered and, as rule,
fairly we'll educated. The Rangers Ct
to-day attend to business in the same
thorough fashion as their famed pre-
decessors, and in small bands of six
or eight pursue and pture the worst
desperadoes of the border communities.
They dress as they please, but expert
ence teaches them that a corduroy coat
with reversible waterproof lining. heavy
riding trousers and boots well spurred,
a flannel shirt, buckskin gloves and
big hat are the best outfits. For arms
they carry a short carbine, bowie
knife and a Colts six-shooter, which
hangs almost to the knee. In their
belts are their cartridges, and so ac-
coutred they are always ready to mount
and ride whether it be to capture some
desperate train robber who has held up
a passenger train or to pursue gang
of cattle thieves, or, mayhap, muir
derer or some other desperate charac-
ter. In Waco, Texas, there is cruz
of ex-Rangers, and when the mem
bers assemble and are in the mood