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: 92
251 p. : ill. ; 20 cm.View a full description of this book.
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~93 sA HORSE-THIEF SHOT.
"Buena noche," replied the Mexican, without stopping his
horse.
" Stop," said our guide.
"No time for stopping now," said the Mexican, and pricking
his horse with his spurs, dashed on.
" Stop him," cried McCulloch, ," stop him, boys !" and giving
chase, off he galloped in pursuit, followed by several others.
The Mexican was prevented by the rear of the company from
crossing the ravine, and turning his horse, broke into the thick
chaparral wood. There was no moon, and the man's escape was
favoured by the darkness of the wood. It was rough riding, and
the low hanging branches gave them many a scratch as they
rushed on in the chase. Suddenly the report of several pistols
were heard--and then all was still. Our captain and the men
soon after came ,back, the former without his hat, and reported
that they had shot the man, as he was attempting to cross a bayou,
in making a circuit round to gain the road, and on rising the
other side, he fell from his horse, which was seen to gain the
bank without its rider. It was afterwards ascertained that the
Mexican was a notorious horse-thief, and was actually riding one
of our own horses, stolen from us a few weeks ago, which accounted
for the hurry of the rider, who well said, " it was no time
for stopping." The horse Was thus restored to its owner. Proceeding
on, our road leading over barren hills, we left Mier to the right
three miles distant, and dismounted, being about twenty-six miles
from Comargo. Here our Captain was taken very ill, and determined
to go to Mier, leaving the expedition in command of Captain
Duncan. It was some time after midnight, and Capt. Duncan ordered
the command to camp until day. We merely loosened the
girths of our saddles, and lay down on the bare ground, holding
the cabestros or halters of our horses in our hands or tied to
our arms, and thus snatched'a few hours' sleep.
On the morning of the 13th, before day had yet dawned, we
were again on the road. The men were much jaded from the
hot and fatiguing march of the preceding day, and having had
but a few hours' rest, they had not yet recovered from their drow
siness. Our horses were quite fresh, however. We rode silently
along, many of the men dozing in the saddles, until 8 o'clock,
when we encamped off from the road by the side of a pleasant
little creek, where we staked out our horses to graze, posted sentinels
on the road, and got breakfast. Here we remained until
4 o'clock, P. M., the weather being too hot to travel in the middle
of the day. As we were ordered to saddle up, a horseman was
seen coming down the road, who being hailed, rode into our camp.
ft proved to be " Jack Everitt," son of Judge Everitt, of Alabama
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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/m1/97/: 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.