Texas Rangers

The history of the Texas Rangers spans nearly 200 years. Thousands of Rangers patrolled the frontier, fought in military battles, and arrested cattle rustlers. Their story contains heroic acts of bravery, but also moments that challenge our idea of the Rangers as noble lawmen. They protected settlers and enforced laws, but also sometimes executed thieves without a trial, drove Native American tribes from their homelands, and some Rangers even lynched Mexicans and Mexican Americans along the Texas-Mexico border.

Using the skills they had honed battling American Indians in Texas, the Rangers quickly made a name for themselves as bold fighters during the U.S.-Mexican War (1846-48). Their scouting and tracking skills also helped locate Mexican camps and guerilla fighters both during and after the war.

The Rangers’ prowess in battle was striking, and by the end of the war the words “Texas Ranger” evoked images of fierce fighters and expert trackers around the world. Some Mexicans even gave them the nickname “los diablos Tejanos”: the devil Texans. Unfortunately, the Rangers’ behavior in other areas would directly contradict their heroic battlefield reputation. After the Battle of Monterrey, one group of Rangers burned homes and killed as many as 100 civilians. Others stole whiskey and livestock from Mexican peasants. General Zachary Taylor said of the Rangers under his command, “There is scarcely a form of crime that has not been reported to me as committed by them.”

While the US Army was officially in charge of keeping pioneers safe from attacks, there often weren’t enough soldiers to do the job effectively. In Texas, the Rangers filled in the gaps. As in the past, they patrolled the frontier, tracking down cattle thieves and pursuing American Indians who raided settlements. However, the Rangers also became more aggressive. Instead of responding to attacks after they happened, the Rangers began tracking tribes’ movements and going on the offensive.

In 1858, Texas Ranger John Salmon “Rip” Ford led 100 Rangers in a six-month campaign against Comanches. The Rangers were joined by an equal number of Tonkawas, who were traditionally enemies of Comanches. Working together, the Rangers and Tonkawas tracked Comanches with orders to punish them for the devastating raids they had conducted in Texas. Ford and his men pursued Comanche raiders to Indian Territory, crossed the border without permission, and then followed them to their permanent camp on Little Robe Creek. There the 200 fighters from Texas attacked 600 Comanches. Despite the uneven numbers, the Rangers’ superior firepower helped them win the battle. They killed 80 Comanches and lost only one of their own in the fight.

For many, the victory confirmed that Texas needed to rely on its Ranger force, and not the U.S. Army, for protection. Heedless of the lives lost, the Rangers’ new, more aggressive approach became standard practice for the next twenty years. It only ceased when the US Army and the Texas Rangers forced nearly all American Indians out of Texas.

Bullock Museum