SERGEANT J.B. GILLETT, TEXAS RANGER IN 1879

SIX YEARS WITH THE
TEXAS RANGERS

1875 TO 1881

BY

JAMES B. GILLETT

Ex-Sergeant Company "A," Frontier Battalion

Von Boeckmann-Jones Co., Publishers
Austin, Texas

Copyright 1921

by

James B. Gillett

TO MY OLD RANGER COMRADES
WHEREVER THEY MAY BE

FOREWORD

To write a true and complete history of the Texas Rangers as a stateorganization would require much time and an able historian. I am not ahistorian and could not undertake such an exhaustive treatise, whichwould fill several volumes the size of this, and it is only at theearnest solicitation of my children, frontier friends, and old comradesthat I have undertaken to write a short history of the rangers duringthe years I served with them. This little volume, then, has only themodest aim of picturing the life of the Texas Rangers during the years1875-1881. I cannot, at this late date, recount in detail all thescouts that were made while I was in the service. I have, therefore,confined myself principally to the description of those in which I wasa participant. Naturally, I remember those the best.

It has been said that truth never makes very interesting reading. Ofthe accuracy of this dictum I leave my readers to judge, for I havetold my story just as I remember it, to the very best of my ability andwithout any effort to embroider it with imagination. If I can interestany of my old ranger comrades or even just one little boy that lovesto read about a real frontier, I will feel amply repaid for all thetime, trouble and expense expended in presenting this work.

I wish sincerely to thank Miss Mary Baylor for placing at my disposalall the books and papers of her distinguished father, Captain G.W.Baylor. And I would be an ingrate, indeed, did I fail here to recordmy obligation to my wife without whose inspiration and sympatheticencouragement this book had never been written.

That I might show the training of the typical Texas Ranger, I haveventured to include a short biography of my own life up to the time Ibecame a ranger, June 1, 1875.

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