The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1921-05-07
las Rangers
Real Fighters

One frontier-the Indian-extended
along the edge Of the great prairie
from the Rio Grande to the Red river,
a distance of 500 miles; the other
the Mexican-stretched from some
point on the Rio Grande to the mouth
Of that stream, an approximate dis
lance of 800 miles. The actual south
ern boundary Of the settlements at
the time Of the republic really CORE
sponded with the Nueces.
1t should also be observed that for
every mile that the Indian frontier
was pushed back, the Mexican line
was heightened by just so much until
the two attained a combined length
Of more than 1000 miles! Surely no
state was ever more desperately situ-
ated than the young republic. Some
times she was at peace with one en-
envy and sometimes with the other;
but again she fought them both. War
was the rule, the commonplace of
daily life, and death was the price
Of defeat, for the enemies of Texas
knew no mercy.
DevisIng a Fighting Force.
What sort Of fighting force would
Texas devise to meet this unhappy
situation? Had the state been popu-
lous and wealthy, as she Is today, the
answer would have been simple. In
those days her population was less than
that of Dallas, and her promise to pay
was worth about 10 cents on the dollar.
Hard money was a negligible guam
tity. These things made a standing
army impossible. Whatever fighting
force was provided must be small and
inexpensive In order to be maintained
at all. 1t must rise in time of need
and dispense when the danger had
passed. Such are the circumstances
of our early history out of which
evolved this peculiar fighting force.
These early Rangers were semi
military In character. varied in forma-
tion and organization, ununiformed
and undrilled, and irregular in opera
tons. They were, In a sense, indig-
enous to Texas, having sprung from
the soil made fertile by the blood of
their kinsmen, and they soon became
the frontier fighting force par excel
lence Of the world. They were the
forerunners of such organizations as
the Northwest Mounted Police of Can
ada. the Cape of South Africa and
the Pennsylvania State, though unlike
any Of them. They were the Anglo
American solution of the problem of
the frontier. The true character of
the Rangers becomes clear only in the
light of that knowledge which comes
from an acquaintanceship with the
nature and disposition of their foes, !
the Mexicans on the one hand and the
Indians on the other.
From long experience with the Mex
leans the Texans had come to dIstrust
every word and deed of the race.
They doubted their honor. feared their
mercy and despised their valor-les-
sons dearly learned at the Alamo,
Goliad and San Jacinto. From the In
dams. whose position on the West
has already been indicated, they also
took hard lessons. The Comanche
warrior was terrible foe. courageous,
cunning and cruel. an adept in all the
practices and subterfuges Of partisan
and In order to meet him the
Ranger had to adopt his tactics. For
example, the Comanches always came
suddenly, mounted on the fleet prairie
mustangs, which they managed with
,onsummate skin. and which bore
hem away with the speed of the wind.
Faced Torture and Death.
Again, the Comanches never per
nitted themselves to be made captive
md to become their prisoner meant
'orture and death. Here were the
'eady-made rules by which the
Rangers had to fight. They were of
necessity superb horsemen, using their
egs mostly for mounting and sticking
m. They were sure marksmen. show
ne great preference for the revolving
ix-shooter. They were versed in wood
raft and possessed an uncanny sense
4 direction, and they knew the lore
4 the forest as well as that of<the
lain. Col. John s. Ford, himself a
hanger. soldier anu newspaper man.
ummed up their qualities in these
words:
The Texas Ranger can ride like q
dexican, trail like an Indian. shoot
Ike a Tennesseean' and fight like a
cry devil" Above all. these frontiers
men were the embodiment of individ-
lalism. 1t was their outstanding trait,
heir chief. characteristic. They we're