Six Years With The Texas Rangers, 1875 To 1881.

JAMES B. GILLETT

Publication: Yale University Press, 1925, New Haven

First edition. Cloth, 332 pp., illustrations. A classic narrative, Gillett spent many years fighting Indians and outlaws in Texas and gives a colorful account of his experiences. Gillett joined Company D of the Texas Rangers at the age of seventeen and for the next six years he would be combating horse thieves and murderers, fighting in the Mason County War, capturing vigilantes and providing law and order for the towns. He was frequently called to combat dangerous Native Americans, particularly the Apaches, who were raiding, threatening or stealing from Texan inhabitants. Gillett served under Captain Dan W. Roberts and later Captain N.O. Reynolds in Kimble, Mason, Menard, Kerr, San Saba, Llano, Lampasas, Burnet, and El Paso counties. Gillett resigned in 1881, becoming City Marshall of El Paso and serving through 1885. Gillett turned to ranching, a life he lived until his death in 1937. "I regard Gillett as the strongest and straightest of all ranger narrators. He combined in his nature wild restlessness and loyal gentleness. He wrote in sunlight."---J. Frank Dobie. "The best of ranger autobiographies"---Stanley Vestal. "Perhaps the best account of the rangers ever published."---Peter Decker. "This is one of the finest personal memoirs of Texas Ranger service."---John H. Jenkins. A small water-spot on front panel and on lower fore-corner of rear panel, else a clean, bright copy in the very scarce dust jacket. Dust jacket shows moderate, uniform, general soiling with a darkened spine. Chipping to spine ends and corners, with 1" portion of upper fore-corner of dust jacket is missing. Very good-near fine. In all, a nice copy of an increasingly scarce work, especially in dust jacket.

Inventory Number: 53138