b'The Texas RangersPart Five: The Golden Years, 18361896 By Alan RockmanI n the first incident, a groupmore virulently racist Ranger captain named Bryanby white juries, which makes the excesses committed of unarmed Black soldiers ofMarsh. Marsh, who lost an arm to Union gunfire inat San Elizardo understandable if not right. But it was the 10th was on leave in Santhe Civil War, deeply hated all Union soldiers butthe treatment of Blacks in a Texas that had seen little of Angelo enjoying themselves inmost particularly Blacks. When 10th Cavalrymen hadthe destruction of the Civil War that was much wider in a town saloon when they wereprinted up a circular that threatened to tear up Sanscope and in-depth, and racism that would last much set upon by a group of Rangers.Angelo after another Black trooper named Watkinslonger than that committed against other minorities, Severely beaten, they rode backhad been murdered by a local rancher, Marsh, likefor while both Tejano and Native American recruits to Fort Concho where they armed themselves, rushedArrington, appeared before the gates of Fort Concho,were allowed in the ranks of the Rangers from the early back into town, and not knowing the Rangers haddemanding that the soldiers be turned over to him anddays of the Texas Republic on, there was never a Black already left, chose to shoot up the saloon, killing onehis troop of 22 Rangers, otherwise they would burnman, officer or not in the ranks of the Texas Rangers innocent civilian. Several months later, a group of Sandown the fort and kill all of the Black soldiers, thisuntil 1988 when a 41-year-old, 15-year state policeman Angelo civilians and Rangers spied a Buffalo Soldieraccording to an account given by Ranger Jeff Miltonby the name of Lee Roy Young was appointed as the sergeant having a brew in another nearby saloon, set(of whom we will encounter once more shortly).first Black Texan to ever serve in the Texas Rangers.upon him, and cut off his sergeant\'s stripes, runningGrierson\'s response was never reported, but it must him out of town. Despite all of Colonel Grierson\'shave been a juicy one - for Marsh and his RangersNeedless to say, a Ranger "Jimmy Trivette" (from efforts to stick up for his men and to stand down thenever burned down the fort nor attacked or assaultedWalker, Texas Ranger) would never have been allowed racist Rangers, the Buffalo Soldiers had had enough.another Black Cavalryman. to serve before 1988, and it is noteworthy that a Supposedly armed by their mixed-race sergeant, oneClarence Gilyard Jr. would portray the fictitious Ranger of the original Buffalo Soldiers, they headed into town,The Racism that permeated the Rangers in thoseTrivette beginning in 1995, seven years AFTER Young smashed up the offending saloon, and once more killeddecades immediately following the Civil War onlywas admitted to Ranger ranks. This sickening racism, a a civilian who was in their way. Then they headed backworsened with time as Black Texans were furtherproduct of those times would, unfortunately, dominate to Fort Concho. disenfranchised, denied the right to vote or evenTexas politics - and the Rangers for over 80 years to serve. It was common knowledge that Nativefollowing Reconstruction.And coming up fast, almost right behind them was aAmerican prisoners were tortured, then murdered by troop of Texas Rangers commanded by a very red-facedvengeful Rangers, or that innocent Mexicans couldBOYS, I AM KILLED! THE DEATH OF FRANK Captain George Washington "Cap" Arrington, late ofbe gunned down by Rangers for no particular reasonJONES AND THE RESURRECTION OF THE Mosby\'s Rangers of the Confederate States of Americaexcept for who and what they were, and that those whoRANGERS UNDER JOHN HUGHESArmy. He rode up to the gates of Fort Concho, calledcommitted the crimes would never face prosecutionBy 1890, the Rangers were in the doldrums. True, for Colonel Grierson, and demanded that the mixed- Major Jones\'s successor, General Wilbur King had race sergeant and ten other soldiers be turned over tomaintained the same exacting standards that his him to face trial in a Texas court for murder. Grierson,pioneer predecessors had brought to the Ranger table, knowing the consequences of Texas justice towardsbut with no further Indian excesses on the frontier, with Blacks, particularly Black soldiers wearing blue,a minimum left of the frontier violence that came with pointedly turned Arrington down and refused to turnthe age of the outlaw just two decades earlier, and just over the men. an occasional bit of train robbery or cattle rustling to occupy the time, the Texas legislature began to make But that one mixed-race sergeant was unwilling todrastic cuts to the Rangers budgetary needs. General take any further chances, especially knowing he wouldKing argued that the lessening of funding would probably be lynched if he had ever ventured out ofbring about fewer recruits, less law enforcement, and the fort. In 12 years of straight service, he had seenan upsurge of criminal activity, but his warnings fell enough, and so, despite Grierson\'s protection, heon deaf ears - and by the beginning of 1893, a border chose to "go over the fence" and desert. That sergeant\'sregion that had been swept clear of violence for nearly name was George Goldsby, and when he deserted he15 years now began to feel an increase in criminal left behind his part-Cherokee, part-black wife andbehavior, feuding, train and silver ore robbing, and two sons, one of them a two-year-old by the name ofcattle rustling. Captain Frank Jones - no relation to the Crawford. Without a father figure to steer him right,former Ranger chief - proved himself a capable leader Crawford Goldsby grew into adolescence without aof men when he was able to suppress the feuding and moral compass. He would choose the outlaw life andput an end to the train robbery even with the shoestring would become the cold-blooded uncaring killer andresources allotted him.rapist known as Cherokee Bill, who would have at least 10 deaths notched on his gun belt before Judge IsaacHe, however, was unable to put an end to the increased "The Hanging Judge" Parker had him "jerked to Jesus."cattle rustling of the Olguin family, whom, like Cortina Thus the hot-blooded racist-driven action of a "famed"and the banditos of the McNelly era were able to cross Ranger captain would have dire consequences less thanthe border, steal cattle and viciously assault anyone who 20 years later (Cox, Clinton, The Forgotten Heroes: TheJimmy Trivette, potrayed by Clarencegot in their way, then recrossed the Rio Grande with Story of the Buffalo Soldiers, Scholastic Books, NewGilyard Jr., at right, would have neverimpunity. Frank Jones was tasked to put an end to the York,p. 114). been able to serve as a Texas RangerOlguin\'s criminal enterprise, and so on the morning beside Cordell Walker, portrayed byof June 30, 1893, Jones and four other Rangers rode In yet another Fort Concho incident just two yearsChuck Norris, at left, before 1988. south, into a West Texas wind, towards the border later, Grierson once more had to cite Federal law inand the Pirates\' Island hideout of the Olguins. After refusing to turn over other 10th Cavalrymen to an eveninvestigating the Olguin Hacienda on the Island and 18 March 2022 armc.unr'