The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1903-08-05
ORIGIN OF REVOLVER
HOW TT CAME TO BE ADOPTED AS
AMERICAN ARMY WEAPON.
First Used by Jack Hays to Fight
Mexican Cattle Thieves-Noted
Raider Thought He Had Drawn
the Rangers Fire.

washington HoSt.
There is romantic side to weapons Of
war that Is as interesting as any In our
national history. The origin OF our pure
ly American arm, the Colts revolver. fur
nisheS an instance that will illustrate
this. 1t seems perfectly adapted to Amer
lean frontier conditions 1t has given its
skiilful wielders victory on many a we'll
fought field. And this is why its rise and
development should be a part of our
country's military history.
In the sos we were charging our ma
tional boundaries in the Southwest. We
could not consistently develop in any 9TH
er direction, for the country to the north
ward was not very desirable. We were
looking for a region that was especially
adapted to Southern products, to be Gull
tivated by slave labor. The South was
In the sadie and meant TO remain there.
IL Southern blood and valor could ac-
complish 1t. The young and thriving re-
public Of Texas was the point toward
which the attention OF the region south
of Mason and Dixon's line was turned.
A handful of daring young Americans
had wrested from Mexico a region Ave
times the size Of any State in the Union.
1t was then called the Republic OF Texas.
The State of Tennessee was primarily
responsible for this daring step. General
Sam Houston had gathered together a
daring band Of young men full Of hot
blooded courage. The blood of the pio-
neers that took Tennessee from the war
like Indian tribes on this continent was
in them.
Brave Jack Hays.
For a long time It was an uphill fight.
Not only the Mexlcans, but the Comanche
and Lipans-unequaled warriors and dar-
ing horsemen-harassed and raided the
scattered frontier settlements and towns
along the Texas border until 1t really
appeared as IL the entire scheme Of the
settlement Of Texas must go down in
blood. But the men who had started In
to do this work were not of the quitting
kind. They were of the tory-hating, In
dian-fghting stock that obstacles did not
daunt nor dangers quail And they set
their teeth hard and swore they would
stay. To guard their frontier thoroughly
and effectively they organized bands or
companies of rangers, under officers who
could not only fight Indians and Mexi-
cans, but control and discipline their own
army. Among the ablest of these COM
manders Colonel Hays-better known as
Jack" Hays-was incontestably the
ablest. He. was a born leader of men
just such men as were then peopling the
! great southwestern frontier. In Stature
he was about feet 8, and never weighed
over $50 pounds. His hair was of dark
ish brown, inclined to be red, and his eyes
were of several colors, according to his
moods. In his hours of relaxation and
among his friends they were of dark
gray, with a hue Of hazel. In excitement,
and especially In a fight, they were in
describable. They simply seemed to blaze.
when Jack Hays's eyes begin to darken
with a flash in them like lightning and
of black southwest cloud it's good
time to let him alone" said Burlebon, one
of his intimate friends and captain Of
one of the ranger troops, when Hays was
made colonel of rangers. and nobody
knew him better than did Ned Burleson,
after a famous Governor Of the Lone Star
State of Texas.
Got Colts for His Men.
Some time in the middle '30s, about 1885
or 1886, Colonel Hays was directed by the
Governor of Texas to go to New York
and purchase suitable arms to equip his
troops. He had then about $50 men, but
they were not uniformly armed and lack
ed equipment suitable for a mounted
command. They, about all, carried a rifle
and a paor OF pistols of various patterns.
They needed to be equipped alike and
with the very best weapons that were
available at that time.
So, in obedience to his orders, and with
a letter of credit on the treasurer OF the
Texas republic. Hays took passage in
schooner that was bound for New York.
He wax month in making the trip. for
he started in September, when the gulf
is usually stormy and the prevailing
winds are from the southwest-and every
where else. They were blown into
nearly every point from Galveston north
ward before they got in sight of the
islands of Manhattan. Colonel Hays went
the rounds Of the firearms realm In New
York. 1t was not a difficult undertake
ing, for there were but four or five of
them. But he did not find anything that
he had not seen before in the way of fire.
arms. One day, however. a gun dealer
said: There is a man living over in
New Jersey at present that has just In
vented a pistol which 1 would like to
have you see.'' What is there about 1t
that makes it different from other pis-
tols?" asked Colonel Hays. We'll, this.
for one thing: 1t shoots siv times with
out reloading." Colonel Hays,s interest
was Immediately aroused. Indeed, I'd
like very much to see it," said he. VERY
well, then. I'll have him in here with
1t tomorrow about this time" responded
came in He was about 30 years old and
a gunsmlth chiefly by trade, though he
did all sorts of work in fine steel. He
said he had just concluded an order for
sabers of officers for the regiment of
Dragons just then being raised.
Made a Contract on the Spot.
This is my pistol, colonel" said he,
opening a case and hading the weapon
to the Texas colonel. THE instant look
ed at IL l said 1t was just what l want
ed" said Hays to his brother. General
Harry Hays of New Orleans. There waa
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