Six Years with the Texas Rangers, 1875 to 1881Gillett, James B.
History
Six Years with the Texas Rangers, 1875 to 1881
Gillett, James B.
Frontier and pioneer life -- Texas; Gillett, James B., 1856-1937; Texas -- History -- 1846-1950; Texas Rangers
I was picked up at Company "D" by the escort on their return march and
was with Company "A" when it was made a stationary command and located
in Frio County.
In the latter part of 1877--during the late summer--a party of
filibusters under command of a Mexican general named Winkler assembled
in Maverick County, near Eagle Pass, and prepared to invade Mexico.
Captain Coldwell, then commanding Company "A," was ordered to the Rio
Grande to break up the expedition. This he did by arresting more than
fifty participants. I was with him on this expedition and saw much
border service during this summer.
I remember a scout I was called upon to make with Captain Coldwell
over in Bandera County. The captain took with him John Parker, Hawk
Roberts, and myself. In one week's time we caught some ten or twelve
fugitives from justice and literally filled the little old jail at
Bandera. Captain Coldwell detailed Hawk Roberts and myself to capture
an especially bad man wanted in Burnet County for murder. The captain
warned us to take no chances with this man--that meant to kill him if
he hesitated about surrendering. I can't remember this murderer's name
at this late date, but I recall perfectly the details of his capture.
Sheriff Jack Hamilton of Bandera County sent a guide to show us where
this fugitive lived. The guide led us some fifteen miles northwest of
Bandera and finally pointed out the house in which the murderer was
supposed to be. He then refused to go any farther, saying he did not
want any of this man's game, for the fellow had just stood off a deputy
sheriff and made him hike it back to Bandera.
It was almost night when we reached the house, so Roberts and I decided
to wait until morning before attempting the arrest. We staked our
horses, lay down on our saddle blankets without supper, and slept
soundly till dawn. As soon as it was daylight we rode over near the
house, dismounted, slipped up, and, unannounced, stepped right inside
the room. The man we wanted was sleeping on a pallet with a big
white-handled .45 near his head. Hawk Roberts kicked the pistol out
of the man's reach. The noise awakened the sleeper and he opened his
eyes to find himself looking into the business ends of two Winchesters
held within a foot of his head. Of course he surrendered without fight.
His wife, who was sleeping in a bed in the same room, jumped out of
it and heaped all kinds of abuse on us for entering her home without
ceremony. She was especially bitter against Sheriff Hamilton, who, she
said, had promised to notify her husband when he was wanted so he could
come in and give himself up. She indignantly advised her husband to
give old Sheriff Hamilton a d--d good whipping the first chance he had.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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