Ranger Jim's Ramblings for April

First, Happy Easter or Happy Passover!

Time for a quick recap of common misconceptions about the Texas Rangers.

The Rangres were established in 1823, not 1835.
The early Rangers did include Mexicans, other Hispanics,  Native American Indians, and even  a few blacks. It wasn't until after the Civil War that the Rangers became and all white outfit. Even then, they still had a few Mexican ancestry Rangers, and blacks served as scouts and camp helpers.
The early Rangers were all volunteers. Once the danger was over, they went back to their jobs, farming, ranching, bankers,  lawyers, store clerks, even preachers and rabbis.

The Rangers didn't wear badges until at least the late 1880s or early 1990s. The first authenticated Ranger badges are from that period. Even after that, they still had no official badge until 1935.

The Rangers didn't wear uniforms. Technically, they still don't, although they do have a strict dress code.

The Rangers could be just as ruthless as the men they were chasing. Since it was  a matter of survival, they had to be. If a Ranger had a chance to drop a killer, or even a lesser criminal, such as a bank robber or horse thief, by shooting his quarry in the back without warning, he would, without hesitation.

There are no known instances of a Ranger getting into a Hollywood style showdown. A Ranger would already have hss gun drawn before arresting an outlaw.

Many Rangers started out on the wrong side of the law. A few went to the wrong side of the law after they left the Rangers.

Sadly, for us writers of Ranger novles, frontier Rangers rarely worked alone. They generally patrolled in troops.

That's the basic list. There are a few more, minor ones.

Ranger Jim