Posted on 11/07/2004 5:26:23 AM PST by Max Combined
Scholars detail Rangers' violence in a border war against Mexicans
WACO - Back east, for social cachet there is nothing like an ancestor on the Mayflower. In Texas, it is a Texas Ranger in the family tree.
Here at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, some of the most avid visitors come in search of connections to the men who won the West and, it was said, would charge hell with a bucket of water.
But Southern Methodist University in Dallas says new historical accounts are casting the long-revered fighters of outlaws and Indians in a decidedly darker light.
The scholarship — being gingerly acknowledged at the Hall of Fame — involves investigations into massacres committed in an obscure border war against Mexican bandits and insurrectionists in 1915, a quagmire of its time. "Not a bright period in the history of the Rangers," concedes the museum's director, Byron Johnson, in a film seen by many of its 80,000 visitors a year.
A recent book by an assistant history professor at Southern Methodist and other accounts exploiting archives on both sides of the border, including a damning but little-known Texas legislative investigation of 1919, link the Rangers to the "evaporations" of up to 5,000 Mexican insurgents and Tejanos — Texans of Mexican origin — whose lands in the Rio Grande Valley were coveted by Anglo settlers.
"People are still coming across skeletons," said the professor, Benjamin Heber Johnson, 32, whose book, Revolution in Texas: How a Forgotten Rebellion and its Bloody Suppression Turned Mexicans Into Americans, published late last year by Yale University Press, offers one of the fullest accounts to date of the violence. In the end, he said, the repression led the Mexican-Americans to secure their rights with organizations like the League of United Latin American Citizens.
'Bullet in the back' The university's communications director, Meredith Dickenson, in material promoting the book as a "bullet in the back" to conventional, laudatory accounts of the Texas Rangers, wrote: "Here's an episode unlikely to ever be on Walker, Texas Ranger."
In addition, a new documentary, Border Bandits, based on the memoirs of a Texas rancher, offers a firsthand account of the killings of two unarmed Tejanos by a carload of Texas Rangers driven by a legendary Ranger, William Warren Sterling, who later led the force as adjutant general and mythologized his exploits (but not his shootings) in a popular 1959 memoir, Trails and Trials of a Texas Ranger.
"I thought the killings were an isolated incident," said the director of the documentary, Kirby F. Warnock, a Dallas writer whose grandfather, Ronald A. Warnock, had tape-recorded his recollections of coming upon the victims and burying the bodies. After recounting the tale in a 1992 memoir, Texas Cowboy, Kirby Warnock said, "I got lots of calls saying, 'The Rangers killed my granddad.' "
Another book just published, The Texas Rangers and the Mexican Revolution: The Bloodiest Decade 1910-1920, by Charles H. Harris III and Louis R. Sadler, history professors emeritus at New Mexico State University, also recounts the cruelty of both sides.
Reopening old wounds
The disclosures have bruised some feelings at the museum, which has a half-million items of Ranger memorabilia. "You can't put current values on past times," said Johnson, the director, who is an anthropologist.
In recent weeks, showings of Border Bandits and forums on Benjamin Johnson's book have reopened wounds nearly a century old in the heavily Hispanic borderland, where the graves of the two Tejanos can still be found. "I think the real bandits were the Texas Rangers," said Jon Bazan, a grandson of one of the victims, who spoke at a screening in Harlingen in early October. "They were just like James Bond — a license to kill."
The museum cites Ranger "aggressions" against Mexicans but treats with reverence icons like Frank Hamer, who tracked down Bonnie and Clyde years after accumulating a fearsome reputation — not acknowledged in the exhibits — for terrorizing Mexicans.
Strange scheme
A focus of the recent scholarship is an enigmatic plot that served as the backdrop to the violence. In January 1915, with Mexico in a revolutionary uproar and world war raging in Europe, a Mexican rebel named Basilio Ramos was stopped in McAllen with a manifesto calling for an armed uprising to reclaim Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and California for Mexico, and other lands for Indians and blacks. Prisoners and Anglo men age 16 and older were to be executed.
Confusion continues to surround the origins and seriousness of the scheme, called the Plan de San Diego, for the small Texas town where it was supposedly hatched, but its exposure at a time of bandit raids from Mexico panicked the settlers. In one attack, Mexican raiders captured a U.S. soldier, cut off his head and stuck it on a pole.
Texas Rangers, first recruited in the 1820s by the early settler Stephen F. Austin to control the Indians, responded with a wave of shootings and lynchings — what one local newspaper called a "war of extermination." Johnson's book quotes witness accounts of mass hangings of prisoners and innocent Mexicans and Tejanos, some of the bodies desecrated "with empty beer bottles stuck in their mouths."
After an attack on the giant King Ranch, three of the dead raiders were lassoed and dragged by Rangers on horseback, who proudly posed for a photograph later made into postcards. Elsewhere, bodies, dead and alive, were thrown on flaming pyres or left to rot, with relatives too terrorized to bury the remains.
A Brownsville lawyer, J.C. George, said, "There have been lots who have evaporated."
My Gr Gr Granfather, Elias VanSickle enlisted in Capt. Costley's mounted ranging company in Sept 1836. He was 17 years old.
Thanks for doing your MA on this.
Has your research found connections with the German government of the time?
His name was Jeff Davis Milton and it is truly surprising how great these Rangers were. I wish we had a few million just like them around today.
Was any of this associated with the Zimmerman telegram?
1900 - 1918 they were also supported by Germany with funds and weapons. Second war front attempted to keep America busy and out of WW1.
The Zimmerman thing came later--after the US joined the war, remember this was 1915--but there were some ominous foreshadowings of the laterGerman attempt to influence the Mexican government against us. It's clear that the Germans wanted to keep the US busy at home on its own borders and may have had some dealings with the insurrectos.
Most Notable is the fact that in addition to vowing genocide against Anglos, the manifesto specifically decreed that Germans and Japanese would be exempt from death.
The Japanese link is very curious because the WWII axis between Germany and Japan was not even on the horizon at this point. In fact, identified among the dead raiders at one point were some ethnic Japanese!! The Japanese had a small fleet on the Mexican west coast on a 'good will' mission at this time. No one knows much about this item and there are very few documents existing. Perhaps someone will come across something in Japan one of these days to enlighten us. It may have been part of a future-looking strategy by the Imperial staff.
Well, as you know Japanese policy always looked decades ahead. At the time Japan was one of the Allies, but always had a trans-Pacific interest. For them to have a view of mischief in Mexico is not surprising, and you should pursue this line of reasoning.
As for the Germans, I always felt Germany had an interest because so many Texans (and nothern Mexicans) were of German descent and that it predated Zimmerman. When reading about the Zimmerman controversy, I was left the impression this was a culmination of German diplomatic efforts, rather than a desperate ploy.
Thanks for the history of Quanah and Cynthia Parker. My jr. high civics teacher was Quanah Parker Cox and he used to tell us stories of his ancestors. I was never sure how much to believe but they were great stories.
John Seigenthaler had a couple of liberal writers on his
program on PBS this morning. They looked like they had
been hit by blivets, bloviated on and on, opined that
the war on Communism was just "racist", and longed for the
good old days of Carter. These people live in a whole
different self-aggrandizing society than we do. The
problem was the "ignorance" of the South (*sniff) that was
the problem . . . uh, huh.
I have to make myself stop typing.
I know it sounds unAmerican, but I was never interested in American history like I am Texas history.
To me, we have a fascinating heritage!
It's as if we identify ourselves as Texans first and Americans second until something like 911 happens and then it reverses itself. It's not that we aren't proud Americans because we are.
Texas also has a reputation around most of the world. Probably the closest correlation would be New York.
I can't imagine being from anywhere else but Texas. I now live in Oklahoma and I love it here but I still get a feeling of welcome home when I cross the border and see the Welcome to Texas signs.
LOL!
I'm glad to know someone else has that feeling!
Lynchings did not only take place against blacks. Mexicans and Asians were murdered just the same. American history is not as light and fluffy as many conservatives want to believe.
"Lynchings did not only take place against blacks. Mexicans and Asians were murdered just the same."
And whites were also lynched. Your point?
If you're ever in the mood to read a good biography, take a look at Bill Neeley's The Last Comanche Chief: The Life and Times of Quanah Parker, John Wiley and Sons, 1995. In some ways, the best part of the story and the most troublesome starts after he came in to Fort Sill.
This is a word-for-word transcript of my favorite letter in my collection (the blank lines are page breaks - it's an 8-page letter:
Log Cabin Dec 1856
Dear Neice
You must excuse me for not answering
your Letter sooner as I have been away
from home for the last month and
arrived this evening and set down to write
to you after a ride of sixty miles
to day and now for the promised
sketch of a few years of my life
but I will promise you that it will
be a very imperfect one and as my hands
are more perfect in handling the rifle
then the pen you must excuse all
imperfections
When I left home not being overly
strict in morals I suppose as there is
some room for reformation untill
the preasent day I heeded not the good
advice of my beloved Mother but
little did I think it was to be the
last time that I was to see her
I went to South America I remained
there some three months but not being
contented I left and visited about forty
of the South Sea Islands in the year
of thirty five I was shipwrecked
at the Island of Hi and was the only
soul that was saved alive I remained there
for several months as vesels very seldom
touch at that place as I was the only
white man on the Island I was quite a lion
among the fair Lanaka Dames by the way
the ware very kind to me after a stay of
several months there was an English vessel
touched for fresh water and picture their
surprize to find a live Yankee twenty
thousand miles from home and a lone but
when I told them that I was not an amphi
bius animal and that I had been castaway
and was the only one saved the gave me
a pasage to the coast of Mexico I remained
there for about one year and turned my atten
tion to learning the Spanish Language when
the Taxes war brok out and I was ordered
by the Governor of the State I was in
to leave the country I then went direct
by land to the Seat of war over two
thousand miles I under went many hard
ships which I shall here passover when
I arrived in Taxes I joined the Brave
Little Band of heros who was fighting for
liberty and Equel Rights I remained in the
Army for about one year when I was twice
wounded and my wounds proving dangerous
I was compeled to leave the Service for
a short time I then went into Stock
raising and had accumulated about four
hundred head of horses and cattle one
evening I had some business in the Town
of Victoria I left my Stock in charge of some
Mexicans but piture my dismay on my return
in the morning to find the men lying
dead and scalped and all of my stock either
killed or driven off by the Commancha
Indian and I left the scene of this disaster
once more with only the clothes on my
back and the horse I rode but thanks
to provedence my wounds had got nearly
well so that I could be of service to
my country again I then raised a company
of rangers to protect the frontier Settlement
against the ravages of ruthless Indains I
must here mention an incedent which
influenced much of my after life being
out on a Scout one day alone about ten
miles from camp I met a small party
of frendly Indains who told me that the
saw that afternoon six Commanches with
two prisenors a boy and a girl the
gave me a guide and my resalution
was fixed to risque them or die in the
atempt I came in site of there fire
alittle after Dark and watching my opertu
nity I got within pistol shot unpreceived
when I laid four of them low to rise no
more when I found the Presenars to
be a young Spanish Lady and her brother
who had been taken on the frontier of Mexico
the were rejoiced to be liberated from the
Indians but when the saw my uniform
their day was damped for the thougt the
were still in the hands of an enemy but
when I told them in good Spanish the
had nothing to fear that I was agoing
to take them back to their Friends
the were contented I was now in rather
a bad situtation I was 25 miles from
my own camp and 40 from the homes
of my new companions without food
water or blankets and within a few
miles of a Indain Settlement I put them
both on my horse whilest I led the way
on foot and in 24 hours I arived in
site of their home on the opesite side
of the rio Grandy not being wiling to
risk my self amongst my enemys with
my Taxes uniform on I hailed a boat
and bid them adue and once more turned
my horse to join my comrads in armes
but I soon found that cupid had been
more successfull then the Indains for his
dart had went deeper then a flesh wound
on the third evening I arived at camp
where I was received with three cheers for
the had gave me up for Lost I had
went through more in the Last three Days
then would fill a volum I had been
48 hours without sleep but sleep came not
to my weary eyelids I pondered over the
past and looked forward on a bright
future but little did I think the tricks
that were yet in store for me fortune
the fickle Dame deserted me again about
six months after this time I with six more
of my compeny ware taken prisenors by the
Mexican troops for spyes and loged in prison
in Matimanas where I was kept in irons
for seven months while my fellow prisenors
were taken out two by two and shot
shortly after the Last two had been shot
a Spanish Gentleman came in to see me
and told me if I would go home with
him and not return to Taxes untill peace
was made between the two countrys he
would take me out of prison for said
he a Taxican oficer risqued my daughter and
son from wore then Death I was not
long in imbraceing the ofer for I would
prefer the gallos to a filthy Mexican
prison and then I was in hopes of seeing
one who had haunted me both night and
day for the last eighteen months the next
Day I was set at Liberty to go home
with Don Manuel Bradshaw we arived
at his Country Seat where he had a few
months before moved on account of the Indains
his Daughter and Son ware in the City of
Monteray on a visit Petra (for I shall hence
forth call her by her Christened name)
having heard that her father had caught
a Texican Savege with the curiosety of her
Sex must come home to see what he
was like the moment she saw me she
recognized me and in a minute I was
folded in the armes of as purty a girl
as I had ever saw to the no little surprise
of Pa and Ma who soon understood
this was not the first time we had met
Petra concluded she must learn English
and a very apt scholar she made for
in a months time she learned to say
yes to the most important question
I had to ask her in three months
from this time we ware maried and I
was for once a happy man I must
stop here for the preasent for I
do not like to break the train of
happy thought which this period of my
life even brings when I recal it to
memmory I may give you some more
of my life in my next the happy hours
I spent whilest Petra lived were so diff
erent from those I have spent lately that
I cannot continue my naritive at preasant
and it is cock crow and I have thirty
miles to ride tomorrow morning to get to
the Redbluffs write to Emma by this
same mail you did not tell me whether
to direct to Mifflin or Harrisburgh so I
shall direct to Harrisburgh I am going to
get an eye glass to have a correct
view of that purty little face of yours
when I get my new years gift
Wallis is well as far as I know I have
not saw him for over a month I gave
him your Letter remember me to all
my friends this letter is to be private for
it is so badly writen and spelled that
I would be ashamed for it to be seen
and I have not time to copy it to go
with this mail there is be a ball in
Redbluffs on Christmass and I mean
to give you a short sketch of it in
my next write soon for I long to hear
from you I will enclose you a Christmass
gift in this Letter if I can get aney
thing that pleases me tomarow when
I get to Redbluffs write to me soon and
often remmember me to all my friends
I believe I am asleep so I will bid
you Farewell and may God Bless you
G.W. Maxwell
Miss Ellen S. Wright
Ring is all I can send you
That is a treasure!!
I absolutely love those old letters! They didn't worry about proper etiquette - just told it like it was.
I was wondering when I read it for the third time if maybe he wasn't part of the Mier Expedition with Big Foot Wallace. They drew beans to see who would be shot.
I'll go back and check dates and places.
Thank you very much for sharing that.
It goes in a Word file by itself!
Everytime I'd go into a new area in the bush and they'd find out that I was from Texas, someone would take a stick and draw a crude map of Texas (some of them surprisingly good!) and ask me to show them where Dallas was.
The Dallas TV shows were just showing up in the cities like Lagos and Port Harcourt.
I understand. It's a vindication and a justification for something you have believed in and worked hard to authenticate.
I had figured out the part about Monterey, CA, but I didn't know where Red Bluff was located. The Mexicans wouldn't have called it Red Bluff. Today it would be called Francote Rojo but that's not Old Spanish.
There were many "filibusters" into Mexico, some by Rangers and some not. The word meant "freebooting" or "pirating".
Maxwell was probably part of a filibustering group which was caught.
The border was a freewheeling society in those days, and men did what they were big enough to do. They paid for mistakes with their lives.
Good luck on your research.
It will be interesting!
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