The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 82, July 1978 - April, 1979 Page: 31
496 p. : ill. (some col.), ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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"I Am Already Quite a Texan"
there. I shall be busy then as I was when we left the ship and perhaps I
shall end this letter as I did the other with pencil. If I write to you
often you must expect to receive all kinds of letters from me and it will
hardly do for you to criticize either the style or appearance of such pro-
ductions as are written under canvas with a keg for a chair and a box
for a table. I am going to end now-Good night!
Rattlesnake Camp. Dec. 2. Saturday io p.m. We have had a long days
march today and I am very tired but I must write a few lines before I
retire. I am in my tent of course and writing from "the box." Perhaps
you think our camp is strangely named. Rattlesnakes abound in this
country. Today as I was riding along I heard a singular sound and turn-
ing around I saw within a few feet of me an enormous snake coiled and
with his head raised threatening us. I shot him with my revolver. I have
thought that his rattlers which indicate an age of about fourteen years
might be a curiosity to you all both from their unusual size and their
rarity. I send them therefore as proof of my own prowess and the trophy
of my victory. Indians are very proud of the rank which will entitle
them to wear an eagles feather with the rattlers of a snake attached. If
you will fasten a slight thread about the middle of this set and holding
both ends make them vibrate rapidly you will hear the alarum his
Snakeship sounds when he remarks with Shakespeare "here's a coil"!
This is quite an exciting night. The wolves are howling around the
camp as I write to you and this evening we found near us the trail of
hostile Indians. They may be near us now. But a Sentry is pacing before
my tent and, we three, two officers beside myself have our tents pitched
side by side[,] our revolvers are loaded and ready and I suppose we shall
sleep as you will-I sprang up rather suddenly as I wrote that word for
three rifle shots were fired from the wood near my tent and I heard my
sentry bring his musket from his shoulder. He is challenging now "who
comes there?" and a voice answers "Friend!" so it is at least a well edu-
cated Indian if any! I believe I will go to bed now. This little alarm will
make my sentry careful and he will watch well. Good night.
Monday, Dec 4th. i854. 15 m to 9 o.clock p.m.
Well: here I am at Fort Duncan, Texas.' The band has just been
playing and I am getting ready to go to bed. I am in queer quarters
here, writing this in what is called a grass house. There are two of us of
7Fort Duncan was established at Eagle Pass March 27, 1849, on rented land. The first
buildings were erected in 1850. Because the government was unable to purchase the land
until 1894, the condition of the post's improvements was generally worse than the low
norm of the southwestern forts, particularly in the 185os, as Myer's comments attest. The
fort was occupied by the Confederates, 1861-1865, then reoccupied by the U.S. army in
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 82, July 1978 - April, 1979, periodical, 1978/1979; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101206/m1/51/: accessed May 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.