Six Years with the Texas Rangers, 1875 to 1881

To write a true and complete history of the Texas Rangers as a state organization would require much time and an able historian. I am not a historian and could not undertake such an exhaustive treatise, which would fill several volumes the size of this, and it is only at the earnest solicitation of my children, frontier friends, and old comrades that I have undertaken to write a short history of the rangers during the years I served with them. This little volume, then, has only the modest aim of picturing the life of the Texas Rangers during the years 1875-1881. I cannot, at this late date, recount in detail all the scouts that were made while I was in the service. I have, therefore, confined myself principally to the description of those in which I was a participant. Naturally, I remember those the best.

It has been said that truth never makes very interesting reading. Of the accuracy of this dictum I leave my readers to judge, for I have told my story just as I remember it, to the very best of my ability and without any effort to embroider it with imagination. If I can interest any of my old ranger comrades or even just one little boy that loves to read about a real frontier, I will feel amply repaid for all the time, trouble and expense expended in presenting this work.

I wish sincerely to thank Miss Mary Baylor for placing at my disposal all the books and papers of her distinguished father, Captain G.W. Baylor. And I would be an ingrate, indeed, did I fail here to record my obligation to my wife without whose inspiration and sympathetic encouragement this book had never been written.

That I might show the training of the typical Texas Ranger, I have ventured to include a short biography of my own life up to the time I became a ranger, June 1, 1875.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter Page

I The Making of a Ranger 11

II The Texas Rangers 29

III I Join the Rangers 41

IV My First Brush With the Indians 55

V The Mason County War 72

VI Major Jones and His Escort 81

VII The Horrell-Higgins Feud 103

VIII Service With Reynolds, the Intrepid 118

IX Sam Bass and His Train Robber Gang 155

X A Winter of Quiet and a Transfer 183

XI The Salt Lake War and a Long Trek 192

XII Our First Fight With Apaches 212

XIII Scouting in Mexico 225

XIV Treacherous Braves, a Faithful Dog, and a Murder 237

XV Victorio Becomes a Good Indian 251

XVI Some Undesirable Recruits 264

XVII Last Fight Between Rangers and Apaches 278

XVIII An International Episode 293

XIX Last Scoutings 309

XX Fruits of Ranger Service 322

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Sergeant J.B. Gillett Frontispiece

General Jno. B. Jones 29

Captain D.W. Roberts 41

Captain Neal Coldwell 102

Lieutenant N.O. Reynolds 118

Captain Geo. W. Baylor 192

Dallas Stoudenmire 322

James B. Gillett 332

SIX YEARS WITH THE TEXAS RANGERS

CHAPTER I

THE MAKING OF A RANGER

The greatest shaping force in human life is heredity, and from my father I inherited my love of the open frontier and its life of danger and excitement. This inheritance was further strengthened by environment and training, and finally led me to embrace the life of the Texas Ranger. My father, James S. Gillett, was himself a frontiersman, though born in the quieter, more settled east. At a very early age his parents emigrated from his birthplace in Kentucky and moved to Missouri. Here, after a short time, they died and the young orphan lived with a brother-in-law. When still quite a youth my father, with three other adventurous Missourians, set out on an expedition to Santa Fe, New Mexico. While passing through Indian Territory, now the State of Oklahoma, the little party was captured by the Osage Indians. Fortunately for the youngsters, their captors did them no harm, but turned them loose after two weeks' imprisonment in the redskin camp.