Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Comancheria

Thanks for the pointers Mudhen, I'll keep an eye out for them two works.

Meanwhile, while looking up info on Glanton, I came across this absolute gem. "Confessions of a Rogue" by Sam Chamberlain, a guy who actually rode with Glanton as a scalphunter for a spell....

Seen here in 1907, a year before his death.



Chamberlaine left home as a teenager and enlisted for the Mexican War, later deserting to join Glanton's gang.

Spent the latter years of his life working on a masterpiece, complete with painted scenes yet. Working from memory, and the book partly ficticious, but true to the original situations.

From an incident in San Antonio....

http://www.tshaonline.org/supsites/chamber/story/life.htm

One evening I with Scotty sauntered in to the "Bexar Exchange," a noted drinking and gamblin[g] Saloon, the Barroom was crowded with volunteers, regulars, rangers, Texians with a few Delaware Indians and Mexicans. Tables and benches were arranged around the room for Monte Banks.

These were well patronized by the motley crowd of desperate characters that filled the place. The Texan Rangers present were a portion of Ben McCulloch's Company and a more reckless, devil-may-care-looking set it would be impossible to find this side of the Infernal regions. Some wore Buckskin Shirts black with grease and blood, some wore red shirts, their trousers thrust in to their high Boots. All were armed with Revolvers and huge Bowie Knives. Take them altogether, with their uncouth costumes, bearded faces, lean and brawny forms, fierce wild eyes, and swaggering manners, they were fit representatives of the outlaws which made up the inhabitants of the Lone Star State....

At a small table sat two men playing Eukre for the drinks. One of these was the rascal John Glanton, by beau-Ideal of the Stage Villain. He was quietly playing his hand in a mild timid way utterly at varience with the hardened desperate he presented. Short, thick set, face bronzed by exposure to the hue of an Indian with eyes deeply sunken and blood shot, coarse black hair hanging in snake-like locks down his back, his costume was that of a Mexican heardman, made of leather, with a Mexican blanket thrown over his shoulder.

His opponent in the game was a tall, reckless, good looking young Ranger, dressed with a red shirt and buckskin leggins.

A dispute attracted the attention of all in the room to the two, when the short ruffian threw a glass of liquor in the tall ones face, who sprang to his feet drew his revolver and placing the muzzle against the breast of the thrower, swore with fearful oathes "that if he did not apologize he would blow a hole through him a rabbit would jump through!"

The threatend man did not move from his seat, but replied, "Shoot and be d-d, but if you miss, John Glanton wont miss you." When the ruffian mentioned his name, a look of fear and horror passed over the tall Ranger's face leaving him deadly pale. I expected to see him back out, but with a quivering lip he pulled the trigger, but only the cap exploded! when quick as a flash, Glanton sprang up, a huge Bowie Knife flashed in the candle light, and the tall powerful young Ranger fell with a sickening thud to the floor a corpse! his neck cut half through.

Glanton, with eyes glaring like a wild beast, jumped over the table and placing one foot on his victim and said, "Strangers! do you wish to take up this fight? if so step out, if not we'll drink." ...No one seemed disposed to accept the desperado's challenge...

..and this episode, from Mexico, I can not possibly improve upon or remove even a single sentence.

EL DOS HERMOSAS HERMANAS

I entered the house and the sleeping apartment of the doncellas, with the freedom of an old friend of the house. This was a great mistake of mine, I should have sent in my card! My two charmers were in bed, but not alone! The black shaggy head of a Mexican lay on the pillow between the raven tresses of Rosita and Nina!

I recognized in the invader one Antonio, a renegade, and guide to our army. Overcome with my emotions, I was about to retire with becoming modesty when the voluptuous rascal sprang up and drawing a "macheta" from under his pillow, and wrapping his blanket around his left arm, he rushed on me like some wild beast, while the fastidious young ladies, instead of fainting or screaming sat up in bed and cried, "Bravo! Bravo! bueno Antonio! matar, matar el grande pendaho." (Bravo Bravo good Antonio, Kill! Kill the big fool)

Birdwatcher