Laws and Regulations Pertaining to the Organization of the Texas Rangers
Founding of the Texas Rangers in 1823
Stephen F. Austin
Of English, Spanish and Indian Heritage
As early as the 15th and 16th centuries, English estates employed men to patrol (“range”) the land and remove squatters and poachers. This tradition spread to the new world where British colonies in the Carolinas, Connecticut, Georgia used “Ranging Men” on horseback to defend against lawlessness and Indian attacks.
A similar tradition was established on the northern Spanish frontier. Spain was woefully short of soldiers to protect settlers from Indian raids. In 1713 the Spanish Viceroy, the Duke of Linares, ordered settlers in the Northern provinces to create militias to supplement the few Spanish troops available in order to protect themselves from Indian raids. In 1772 a set of formal regulations for frontier presidios (forts and posts) were issuedcalling for units of 70 volunteers to be formed into compañías volantes ("flying squads") trained by professional Spanish officers.
Members of these compañías lived on farms and ranches intentionally located near Spanish presidios (military forts and posts). This allowed them to muster quickly and respond to emergencies with the regular soldiers.
The basic responsibilities of members of the compañías volantes were similar to the later Texas Rangers:
“Regulations tasked them with making regular patrols throughout the despoblado (the sparsely populated frontier region). Each rider was responsible for equipping himself with a carbine, two pistols, a saddle, blanket, spurs, hat, and multiple horses. They were designed to provide a rapid response to hostile raiders and conduct extended offensive patrols, or cortadas, to maintain territorial integrity and guard against potential threats.” Handbook of Texas
Birth of the Texas Rangers
In 1821, 28-year-old Stephen F. Austin inherited his late father’s commission to bring settlers to Texas. The land along the coast and river valleys was fertile and seemed inexhaustible.
Very soon the Tonkawa and Karankawa Indians learned that the farms, ranches and settlements encroaching on their traditional lands were poorly defended, widely spaced and ripe for raids.
A Series of Events in 1823
Responding to this threat, early in 1823, John Jackson Tumlinson, administrator of the Colorado District of Austin’s Colony, wrote to José Félix Trespalacios, the respected governor of the Mexican province of Tejas. Under Austin’s authority as empresario, Tumlinson requested permission to raise a militia for their defense. The nearest detachment of regular Mexican soldiers was located more than 150 miles away in San Antonio. Permission was granted, and taking to the field under Lt. Moses Morrison, the first known patrol of Rangers took place between May 5 and July 5, 1823.
This first unit did not resemble what we would think of as Texas Rangers. The men were farmers and ranchers, the majority were on foot—and fifers and drummers announced their coming miles in advance. They were poorly trained, equipped with light clothing and insufficient provisions, and their leaders were inexperienced.
Austin realized that the force was too small and it proved ineffective. In August of 1823 he issued the famous call for an additional 10 men to supplement the Morrison militia and “Range for the common defense.”
He then set about overhauling these “ranging men” into an effective defensive force.
Austin borrowed freely from Anglo, Hispanic and Indian traditions. It was said that a Texas Ranger could "ride like a Mexican, trail like an Indian, shoot like a Tennessean, and fight like the devil." Austin, fluent in Spanish, issued commands to Hispanic units in Spanish and to Anglo-European units in English.
From Hispanic culture, Austin placed his ranging men on horseback adopting the equipment, tactics and mobility of the Spanish compañías volantes (civilian"Flying squads") that aided presidial soldiers. They wore heavy protective clothing including buckskin and leather jackets (offering protection against arrows), spurs, broad-brimmed hats and canteens. Some rode Mexican stock saddles and trailed remudas, or groups of horses to use as remounts for protracted chases. They packed sufficient supplies for protracted time in the field
From Anglo-European culture they drilled and competed with Pennsylvania/Kentucky long-rifles and Plains rifles. A proficient Ranger could accurately load and fire a .40 to .60 caliber round ball traveling 1,000 feet per second up to 200 yards three times a minute. Although this did not match the 8 to 12 arrows a minute an Indian could fire, the shots traveled at four times the velocity of an arrow with far more accuracy and power at a distance.
Like colonial minutemen in Massachusetts, in the event of an attack, riders were sent out to sound the alarm. They assembled at predetermined locations and responded in force. Early reports referred to some early Texas Ranger companies as “Minute Men companies.”
From their Indian allies, especially the Lipan Apache, they learned advanced tracking, how to use the terrain to their advantage, how to live off the land, the nature of their adversaries, and the unmapped trails and river systems.
By the time of the Texas Revolution in 1836, the Rangers had evolved into an effective fighting force. Later, small and unconventional and mobile groups of Rangers opposed much larger, professionally-trained Mexican Army units in the Texas Revolution and the US-Mexican War with success, Their guerrilla tactics were used to great effect by both the Union and Confederacy in the Civil War.
Austin's Address to Colonists
Since the commencement of this Colony no labor or expense has been spared on my part towards its organization, benefit and security— And I shall always be ready and willing to risk my health, my property or my life for the common advantage of those who have embarked with me in this enterprise.
As proof of the reality of this declaration I have determined to augment at my own private expense the company of men which was raised by order of the late Governor Trespalacios for the defense of the Colony against hostile Indians. I therefore by these presents give public notice that I will employ ten men in addition to those employed by the Government to act as rangers for the common defense.
The said ten men will form a part of Lieut. Moses Morrison's Company and the whole will be subject to my orders. The wages I will give the said ten men is fifteen Dollars a month payable in property, they finding [it] themselves. Those who wish to be employed will apply without delay. - Stephen F. Austin, August, 1823
[Spelling and punctuation modernized for ease of reading.]