The Ranger Ideal: Texas Rangers in the Hall of Fame 1874-1930 (2) - Hardcover

Ivey, Darren L.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1574417339 ISBN 13: 9781574417333

Verlag: University of North Texas Press,U.S., 2018

Inhaltsangabe

Established in Waco in 1968, the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum honors the iconic Texas Rangers, a service that has existed, in one form or another, since 1823. They have become legendary symbols of Texas and the American West.

In The Ranger Ideal Volume 2: Texas Rangers in the Hall of Fame, 1874-1930, Darren L. Ivey presents the twelve inductees who served Texas in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Ivey begins with John B. Jones, who directed his Rangers from state troops to professional lawmen; then covers Leander H. McNelly, John B. Armstrong, James B. Gillett, Jesse Lee Hall, George W. Baylor, Bryan Marsh, and Ira Aten—the men who were responsible for some of the Rangers’ most legendary feats. Ivey concludes with James A. Brooks, William J. McDonald, John R. Hughes, and John H. Rogers, the “Four Great Captains” who guided the Texas Rangers into the twentieth century.

The Ranger Ideal presents the true stories of these intrepid men who fought to tame a land with gallantry, grit, and guns.

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

DARREN L. IVEY is an independent researcher who lives in Manhattan, Kansas. He is the author of The Ranger Ideal Volume 1: Texas Rangers in the Hall of Fame, 1823-1861 (UNT Press 2017) and The Texas Rangers: A Registry and History.

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The Ranger Ideal Volume 2

Texas Rangers in the Hall of Fame, 1874–1930

By Darren L. Ivey

University of North Texas Press

Copyright © 2018 Darren L. Ivey
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-57441-733-3

Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments, 
Introduction, 
Timeline of Texas Ranger History (1874–1930), 
Chapter 1 John B. Jones: "Transformed His Indian Fighters into Lawmen", 
Chapter 2 Leander H. McNelly: "No Quarter Given", 
Chapter 3 John B. Armstrong: "The Strong Right-Hand of Two Ranger Captains", 
Chapter 4 James B. Gillett: "Unflinchingly Faced both Indians and Outlaws", 
Chapter 5 Jesse L. Hall: "An Enviable Record of Courage and Action", 
Chapter 6 George W. Baylor: "A Life of Adventure and Conflict", 
Chapter 7 Bryan Marsh: "A Fearless Law Officer", 
Chapter 8 Ira Aten: "A Code of Duty and Service", 
Chapter 9 James A. Brooks: "A Resolute, Steely Nerved Lawman", 
Chapter 10 William J. McDonald: "Faced Death with a Calm Certainty", 
Chapter 11 John R. Hughes: "A Relentless Manhunter and Intrepid Lawman", 
Chapter 12 John H. Rogers: "A Man of Conviction and Faith", 
Endnotes, 
Bibliography, 
Index, 

CHAPTER 1

John B. Jones: "Transformed His Indian Fighters into Lawmen"

John B. Jones is the "father" of the modern Texas Ranger service. While Stephen F. Austin laid the foundations of the Ranger tradition, Jones transformed his Indian fighters into lawmen. To accomplish this task, he mastered the administrative, logistical, financial, and political details inherent in forming any new military organization. He instituted an enduring system of personal discipline, organizational accountability, and admirable performance. Not merely a bureaucrat, the major commanded his Rangers both from his first-floor office in the state capitol and in the field, personally inspecting the line of companies several times each year. Writing on the Frontier Battalion, Dr. Harold J. Weiss, Jr. observed that Jones "presided over its transformation into a state law-enforcement agency. More than any other man, the rangers owed their march toward institutional continuity to him." The force he created has survived through multiple reorganizations and name changes, and continues to serve the citizens of Texas today.

He was born on December 22, 1834, in Winnsboro, Fairfield District, South Carolina. Henry Jones, his father, had been born in the same area on August 22, 1807. His mother, Nancy Elizabeth (Robertson) Jones, the daughter of a prominent planter and officer in the War of 1812, was born on November 16, 1812. They married on September 16, 1832. In addition to John, their children included Polly R. Jones, born on August 30, 1833; Caroline Robertson "Carrie" Jones, born on February 1, 1837; Francis E. "Fannie" Jones, born on April 17, 1839; Ann P. Jones, born on December 5, 1840; Benoni Robertson Jones, born on December 10, 1842; and Mickle C. Jones, born on December 20, 1844.

The family moved to the Republic of Texas in 1838, settling on 1,143 acres near Gilleland Creek in Travis County. Henry Jones became a prominent figure in the early days of the Republic. He served under Colonel Edward Burleson at the actions of Brushy Creek and Plum Creek, and commanded a militia regiment before and during the Vásquez Invasion. He was military commander of Austin in 1842, and, in the affair known as the "Archives War," prevented the removal of the official documents from that city. The Joneses moved to Matagorda County that same year, settling on 1,120 acres near Caney Creek to farm sugar, cotton, and tobacco. For over a decade, thirteen to twenty-eight slaves were forced to work the land. Starting at age twelve, Jones, affectionately known to his sisters as "Bud," attended school in Matagorda, and at Old Baylor Baptist academy in Independence, Washington County; Rutersville College near La Grange in Fayette County; and Mount Zion Collegiate Institute in Winnsboro.

Founded on January 9, 1777, the Mount Zion Society was granted a charter to operate its public school as a college in 1785, but never functioned above the preparatory level. With its strict rules and discipline, the academy was quite different from the rough and tumble environment that had characterized John's earlier school life. James Wilson Hudson was the revered president of the institution, which offered the sons of prominent Upcountry families the foundations for a classical education. Homesick and miserable, Jones felt little appreciation for Latin, Greek, English, or mathematics, and he wrote his father numerous times begging to be allowed to return home. Colonel Jones finally yielded and gave his son permission to leave the school. Following his father's instructions, John stopped in Macon, Georgia, where his sisters were attending Wesleyan Female Academy. There he learned his sister, Polly, had recently died of typhoid fever. Another tragedy awaited him after he arrived home when Nancy died on February 5, 1848, due to complications in birthing her seventh child. To make matters worse, the baby girl also perished.

By 1856, Colonel Jones had purchased four separate tracts of land in Navarro County situated along Richland and Pin Oak Creeks. Encompassing 4,746 acres, the property became known to the family as "the Rancho." John obtained another five hundred acres on Richland Creek in his own name. After Henry completed his acquisitions, he moved onto his lands with his children and twenty-three slaves. South of the confluence of Richland and Rush Creeks, the colonel built his plantation house atop a hill surrounded by "good land" and numerous trees. John and his father decided to go into business together and divided their responsibilities. The colonel raised cotton, hogs, and cattle, and operated a saw mill. John devoted himself to the raising of the partnership's blooded horse herd. "As a horseman, I have never seen his equal," wrote his niece, Helen Halbert Groce. "His steed and himself seemed to be one — in perfect rhythm and harmony in every movement. He was simply irresistible on horseback." The business arrangement proved profitable as John's ranch increased to eleven hundred acres by 1860. He also owned one lot in Corsicana and one slave. Henry's holdings in the same year totaled 4,774 acres, thirty-two slaves, four hundred horses, and twenty head of cattle. The real estate was valued at $41,820, and his personal estate at $68,266.

Despite his commitment to the ranch, Jones decided to become a Mason, and was initiated into the Dresden Lodge No. 218 on October 3, 1857. Active in lodge affairs for two years, Jones was elected Worshipful-Master for the years 1859 and 1860. He then turned his interest to the Masonic organization at the state level. He attended the meeting of the Masonic Grand Lodge at La Grange in June 1860, where he was elected Grand Lecturer for the central portion of the state. He was also appointed to the committees on petitions, credentials, and charter lodges.

Standing five feet, eight inches in height and weighing 135 pounds, Jones had a slightly protruding forehead over large, dark eyes, and a narrow face boasting a thick, drooping moustache. Mrs. Groce remembered: "I can see him now, the perfection of neatness; dark well- kept suit, white shirt, black bow tie, heavy black moustache and hair, smooth olive skin, piercing, twinkling, sparkling, penetrating black or brown eyes that seemed to see through your soul." A true gentleman in speech and manner, Jones spoke with a soft, measured voice. Furthermore, he abstained from...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: University of North Texas Press,U.S.
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2018
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1574417339
• ISBN 13: 9781574417333
• Einband: Gebundene Ausgabe
• Anzahl der Seiten: 798
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Buchbär; info@buchbaer.de; ; Weberstr. 67; Osnabrück; 49084; Deutschland