Are you up for a little history today? We haven’t had any in while. I found this article about Samuel Walker that interested me.
Walker arrived in Texas six years following the War for Independence. He would only live five more years but in that time, he left an indelible mark. Such as defend San Antonio from Mexican forces, invade Mexico four times, escape from a Mexican prison, and help design one of the most famous guns in Texas.
In 1843, he was captured and put in a Mexican prison. Instead of killing all 176 Texas militiamen, they made them draw beans from a pot. Whoever drew a black bean would die and the ones with the white beans would live. Walker drew a white bean and was marched 800 miles across Mexico’s most brutal deserts.
He eventually escaped and made it back to Texas where he joined the Texas Rangers in 1844.
This photo taken by Mathew Benjamin Brady is in the Library of Congress under Public Domain.
When General Zachary Taylor (who later became president of the U.S.) asked for volunteers for a dangerous mission, Walker raised his hand. It seems danger was something he thrived on. He led the battle for Monterrey and hoisted the American flag.
Have you ever heard of the Walker Colt revolver? In 1846, Samuel Walker met up with Samuel Colt and together they designed the heaviest military sidearm ever issued. It remained the heaviest for 88 years. It had a nine-inch barrel and a .44 caliber round and an effective range of 100 yards. That’s the length of a football field. Impressive.
By Samuel Colt – This file was donated to Wikimedia Commons as part of a project by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. See the Image and Data Resources Open Access Policy, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58745572
The only drawback was that it weighed 4 ½ pounds, far too heavy for most men to hold with one hand. A lot of users made a scabbard and kept it on their horse, only using it when the need arose.
It was an awesome weapon. Several years ago I had the opportunity to hold one and I had to use both hands to pick it up and even then I could barely raise it to aim.
I’m not a gun advocate but I do admire the workmanship of this. I also admire Samuel Walker and the large life he lived, the mark he left on history, in just 5 years. A Texas Ranger Captain and officer of the republic, he died in 1847 in battle. A fitting end to a legend.
I’ve put the Texas Rangers into some of my stories but never as the main character. I may have to remedy that.
Do you ever find that a piece of history just leaps out at you? That happens to me all the time and I go chasing a rabbit down a hole. I’ll have a new book out in March called Winning Maura’s Heart. CLICK HERE to preorder. Who is the mysterious man known only as Calhoun?
Here in the Texas Panhandle, we do love our cowboys. There's just something about a man in a Stetson and jeans that makes my heart beat faster. I'm not much of a cook but I love to do genealogy and I'm a bit of a rock hound. I'm also a NY Times & USA Today bestselling author of historical western romance. You can contact me through my website and I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and more. HAPPY READING!
https://petticoatsandpistols.com/sweepstakesrules/
Fascinating story.
I love history, it was my minor, and I go down the research hole if I find a subject interesting and need to know more.
Good morning, Denise. History is like catnip for me. I can spend hours and hours. One subject leads to something else and so on. Very interesting how that happens. Have a wonderful day.
Here a piece of texas history 1918 Porvenir Massacre.I stumble across this little piece of history by accident. Not the sort of history texas was willing to share. The few survivors did not talk about it for a long time. Yes it was a small village in texas back then. Just thought I would share.
Good morning, Kim. Thanks for coming by. That massacre was very horrible and the people who took part were despicable. They probably thought no one would talk about it and they’d get away with it. But people talk and secrets do come out. Not all Texas Rangers were good and honorable. Thank you for mentioning this. Have a blessed day.
Thanks, Linda! You know I love history – I thrive on it! This was super interesting! Just the way I like to start my morning!
Valri, I’m happy I could help you start your day right. 🙂 I hope you and your husband are feeling better. Love you.
We are feeling better, thanks! I’m reading your book now and LOVE IT! Those little kids are stealing my heart!!!
I do love history . I really enjoy it if its about the state I live in.
Quilt Lady, I totally understand. History is more interesting if you can relate to it somehow. I can’t remember the state you live in but I’m sure it has some great history. Always keep learning. We never get too old. Love and hugs.
History was my favorite subject in school!
Good morning, Teresa. It was my favorite subject as well and I excelled in it. Scenes came alive in my mind and I could picture these people who faced insurmountable odds. It blows my mind that drawing beans from a pot determined if you lived or died. How terrifying that would be and the guilt afterward for being one to live. Thank you for coming. Have a beautiful day.
While in Oklahoma several years ago, we visited the museum for barbed wire. Would you believe it was truly interesting. I grew up on a farm so I was familiar with barbed wire, but I was very surprised at the different designs as the sizes displayed. Who would have know except for this museum. It is no wonder it was considered so deadly on the open range. An animal could not see it until they were upon it and at that time there were several cows/horses in the herd so it would have been impossible to stop. Hence, many injuries and deaths as well, I am sure. Fascinating.
Good morning, Judy. I love museums and learning about all the things they have. Barbed wire certainly changed things for ranchers. Before that, it would’ve been impossible to round up all your cattle and no telling how many head you never found or that wound up in your neighbor’s bunch. I actually got an idea for a short story by visiting the West Texas A&M University museum. My imagination is very active and it doesn’t take much to stimulate it. Ha! 🙂
Very interesting! I was a history minor in college and we only read a very small amount of history, nor even a drop in a bucket. I remember studying the Revolutionary War from both the future Americans’ viewpoint and the British’s viewpoint so studying history depends on who wrote it and their viewpoint.
Karijean, I know what you mean. A lot of history in school also focused on dates and dates mean nothing to me without putting people there. I wanted to know about the people. What they did and how it affected them. Thanks for coming. I’m happy to see you.
What an interesting tidbit of history. You have to wonder what motivated men like Samuel Walker, to survive such severe hardships and yet go on to invent and create. I could definitely not hold this gun with one hand. It was made for men with big strong hands. Thank you for sharing, sister!
Jan, I don’t know what drove him to be willing to give his all. He wasn’t from Texas so it couldn’t have been loyalty. And yet he dove right in and began to make his mark. About the gun…five pounds doesn’t sound like much until you hold your arm straight out. I couldn’t do it. I’m so glad you came, Sister. Love you.
hISTORY WAS MY MAIN COURSE IN 4 YRS OF HIGH SCHOOL. i ESPECIALLY LOVED THE OLD WEST AND THE CIVAL WAR.
Hi Emma! So happy you could make it. History is just so amazing. We had such a great number of people who did astonishing things. I love looking back and wondering what drove them. What they were thinking and if they were scared to try, knowing they might fail. Keep learning and finding those hidden nuggets in history. Love you, lady.
Interesting post. I find history interesting and often spend time researching something I heard or so. Just yesterday my husband came home and commented on new quarters he had gotten. Neither of us had heard of the woman depicted, so research ensued, and awe both learned something. When we travel, we are always looking for interesting local information and places. I try to research an area before we visit to make sure we don’t miss anything. I will never tire learning interesting cultural and historical information.
Pat, I know what you mean. It’s wonderful to have a curious mind. We learn all sorts of new things. I ran across something of interest the other day about Texas governor Edmund Davis in 1873. He got defeated but refused to concede, then he locked the doors of his office and disposed of the key. Members of Congress and the new governor had to climb a ladder to the second story to convene the legislature. They finally had to break down the door with an axe to gain entrance. Sound familiar? Always keep learning. Love you, lady.
What an amazing piece of history.