After the civil war, many freed
African Americans looked west for a better life. While white and black cowboys
worked well together on the range with so much to do, African American cowhands
were usually given the less pleasant tasks such
as night watches, fording the streams first to test the waters, and horse
breaking. Breaking wild horses was difficult and dangerous work, which often
involved big falls, broken bones, torn ligaments, and even having your lungs
pulled loose from the chest wall because of the horse’s violent bucking.
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| African American Texas Cowboys |
Making their days more
difficult, living in town involved segregation for African American cowboys. They weren't allowed in most saloons and those that did
let them in forced them to stay at one end of the bar.
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| Bass Reeves |
Bass Reeves was the first black U.S. Deputy Marshal west of the
Mississippi River. He was an impressive figure in a big cowboy hat, and boots
polished to a gleaming shine. He always rode a large white stallion and had two
Colt pistols in his gun belt, butt forward for a fast draw. Ambidextrous, he
seldom missed his mark. Reeves was also a master of disguises, sometimes
appearing as a cowboy, farmer, gunslinger, or outlaw.
Reeves earned
his place in history as the most successful lawman in Indian Territory,
arresting more than 3,000 outlaws. Many believe the classic Lone Ranger
character was based on him.
Addison Jones’ unparalleled skills at breaking wild broncos were
legendary. Whenever he showed up at a roundup, everyone was relieved , since he
could top off horses other cowboys feared. Unlike most cowhands whose bodies
couldn’t hold up to the punishment after 30, Jones was still breaking
high-spirited horses until his early 70s.
Jones was a great
all-around cowboy, who could best most men in all areas: bronc riding, roping,
and cattle driving. He is mentioned in memoirs by cattlemen and cowhands who
worked with him as one of the greatest cowboys in Texas and New Mexico.
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| Cherokee Bill Goldsby |
Cherokee Bill Goldsby, the son of a Cherokee mother and an African-American
“Buffalo Soldier ” was one of the roughest, toughest, meanest outlaws in the
west. He had to flee his hometown at 18 after he shot a man for beating up his
younger brother. Bill was sure
he’d killed him, though the man recovered. Cherokee Bill fled to the Creek
and Seminole territory, where he joined up with outlaws Jim
and Bill Cook.
The authorities
tracked them down and in a shoot-out, that followed, Bill killed lawman
Sequoyah Houston, then escaped. His sister Maud hid Bill until he shot her
husband when he saw him beat her.
He rejoined the
Cook brothers and robbed banks and trains across Oklahoma, shooting anyone who got
in their way. The gang even held up the depot of the Missouri Pacific railroad,
then rode hard for two hours to rob the railway agent in the next town over.
Cherokee Bill dodged the posse for a
long time but was eventually captured and sentenced to death for the murder of an innocent bystander during the robbery of a
General Store. However, a friend smuggled Bill a
pistol in jail so he could break out. A gunfight with the guards was a standoff
until they got another prisoner to negotiate Cherokee Bill’s surrender. Bill
was hanged March 17, 1896. He’s buried in the
Cherokee national cemetery in Oklahoma.
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| Robert Bob Lemmons |
No other cowboy equaled Lemmons skill
and talent for catching mustangs, which were in high demand for roundups. Lemmons'
method was to isolate himself from humans so he could infiltrate the heard and
gain its trust. Then, by mounting the lead stallion, he took control of the
herd, which followed him into a pen on a nearby ranch. At age twenty-two, he
bought his own ranch and during his life he amassed 1,200 acres of land and impressive
holdings of horses and cattle. Later, Robert
and his wife Barbarita Lemmons were fondly known as people who helped their
neighbors during the Great Depression.
Charlie Willis was a famed Texas bronco buster, cattle drover, and songwriter. He began
breaking wild horses at the age of 18 and was a regular cattle drover
along the famous Chisholm Trail. Today, Charlie is most well-known for writing the
song “Good-bye , Old Paint” about his trusted horse on the Chisholm Trail. Charlie
Willis lived to a ripe old age and was buried in 1930 in the cemetery next to
his property in Bartlett, Texas.
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| Bill Pickett Bull Dogger |
Hendrick Arnold was a hero
of the Republic of Texas as a guide and spy during the Texas Revolution. He emigrated from
Mississippi with his parents, Daniel Arnold, a white man, and Rachel Arnold, a
black woman, in the winter of 1826 to Stephen F. Austin's colony on the Brazos River. Arnold took part
in the battle of Concepción and in
the Siege of Bexar. Arnold also
served as a spy. Posing as a runaway slave, he infiltrated the Mexican camps. Through
information Arnold supplied, Sam Houston was able to keep tabs on Santa Anna. It’s
believed that Arnold`s intelligence prompted
Houston to change his battle plan, which resulted in Texas’ victory at the
Battle of San Jacinto.
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| Bronco Sam |
After the revolution,
Arnold was rewarded for his service with land beside the Medina River, a few
miles northwest of where Bandera is today, and he also operated a gristmill in
San Antonio. Hendrick Arnold died in the cholera epidemic in Bexar County in
1849 and was buried on the banks of the Medina River.
Angel Peak, book 12, Redemption Mountain historical western romance
series, includes a sub-plat set in the historic town of Austin. It is available
in eBook and paperback.
You may also buy direct from Shirleen before
the formal release date at:
A great piece acknowledging the work of Black cowboys. Thanks Shirleen and for the Redemption Mountain series...I'm on #11, Rogue Rapids, and enjoying the series very much.
ReplyDeleteArletta
Thank you for the information. Some of these men were new to me. Doris
ReplyDeleteThis is so interesting! Thank you Shirleen!
ReplyDelete