The Scouting Expeditions of McCulloch's Texas Rangers; or, the Summer and Fall Campaign of the Army of the United States in Mexico--1846; including Skirmishes with the Mexicans, and an accurate detail of the Storming of Monterey; also the Daring Scouts at Buena Vista together with anecdotes, incidents, descriptions of country, and sketches of the lives of the celebrated partisan chiefs, Hays, McCulloch, and Walker. Page: 87
251 p. : ill. ; 20 cm.View a full description of this book.
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THE OLD TEXIANIS STORY. 87
of a thing that once happened in my settlement, which, if it is not
altogether new to most of you, at least has the plain truth to
recommend it. Some of you recollect old Andrew Lockhart,
who used to live down in the big bend of the Warloupe, (Guadaloupe)
just below the Quero settlement. At the time I speak of,
he had a daughter just seventeen, and as beautiful and as delicate
as a prairie flower. Many a youngster's head was turned by her
beauty, and many a brave lad's heart burned to win and wear the
* Rose of the Warloupe.' Old Andrew was moughty proud of his
gal, and loved her as deeply as any father could love a child. One
summer evening she strolled out in the prairie to gather flowers,
when suddenly a war party of the Comanches dashed out of the
timber bottom, and rushed upon her. She shrieked and turned to
fly, but it was no use; a delicate gal could hardly escape such
fleet pursuers as were on her trail, and before she had run twenty
yards, the chief dashed by, and stooping from the saddle as he
passed, seized her around the waist, and raised her by his strong
arm to a seat before him. Without halting his horse for a moment,
was this feat accomplished, and before the poor gal could
scarcely cry aloud for aid, she was borne rapidly away towards
the mountains.
" Her old father was frantic with grief and rage. Hastily collecting
his neighbours and friends, he pursued the savages who
had thus forcibly stolen his child, and with the sagacity and skill
of an old frontierman, tracked them to their mountain haunts.
Late one evening, we came in sight of the Comanche encampment,
and finding that we had not been discovered by the Indians,
concluded to defer the attack until daybreak on the next
morning. Secreting ourselves as well as we could, we waited
with impatience for the hour of the coming fight. As soon as the
first streak of light was seen in the sky, the Texian war-shout
was raised, and we rushed down upon the village.
A" The Comanches turned out in numbers, and a fierce battle
began. I cannot describe to you the perils we went through that
day. There were only about forty of us, while the Comanches
were 200 strong. Notwithstanding the great odds against us, we
fought them desperately from daylight until dark, and many of
their greatestwarriors fell before our steady fire. But it wouldn't
do-it wouldn't do-the odds were too great; they overpowered
us, and we were compelled to fall back.
" Old Andrew fought like a devil that day. On every part of
the field his voice was heard cheering his friends on, and you
could see his white hairs waving in the wind as he headed a
charge, or sometimes fought single-handed with some big warrior
of the tribe. Several times he was within a few feet of the tent
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Reid, Samuel C., Jr. The Scouting Expeditions of McCulloch's Texas Rangers; or, the Summer and Fall Campaign of the Army of the United States in Mexico--1846; including Skirmishes with the Mexicans, and an accurate detail of the Storming of Monterey; also the Daring Scouts at Buena Vista together with anecdotes, incidents, descriptions of country, and sketches of the lives of the celebrated partisan chiefs, Hays, McCulloch, and Walker., book, 1859; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth38096/m1/92/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Austin History Center, Austin Public Library.