Conquering the Texas Frontier

Conquering the Texas Frontier

When looking at the vast lands of Texas after the Civil War, many different people came to the lands in search for new opportunities and new wealth. Many were lured by the large area that Texas occupied for they wanted to become ranchers and cattle herders, of which there was great need for due to the large population of cows and horses. In this essay there are three different people with three different goals in the adventures on the frontier lands of Texas in its earliest days. Here we have a woman's story as she travels from Austin to Fort Davis as we see the first impressions of West Texas. Secondly, there is a very young African American who is trying his hand at being a horse rancher, which he learned from his father. Lastly we have a Mexican cowboy who tries to fight his way at being a ranch hand of a large ranching outfit.

Emily K. Andrews, wife of Col. George Andrews of Fort Davis, starts her journey in mid summer around the Austin area. She travels with others as they make their way East. Through her journal entries to her father, we can see that this was no easy trip. She seems to be used to a solid roof over her head, as well as a non-dirt floor. She tells that on many occasions of the threat of Indians, and how ruthless they are, keeping her distance and even sleeping "with one eye open" while in the camps along the way. Being a woman out on the frontier she does not seemed to be scared yet comes off as being rather brave and very smart. Her descriptions of the land and the towns they encountered along the way are very precise and if it had been possible for other females to read would have set their minds at ease. In her journal she talks about how inviting the other frontier people are and how reassuring that is to help keep her mind off the ever threatening Indian attacks.

On the other hand there were people trying to settle and make a living for themselves, especially after the freeing of all the slaves. Will Crittenden is one of those people. He was born in Texas after his father moved here from Alabama. Will had been taught about being a horse rancher at the age of 5 from his father and now at the age of 15 was ready to go out on his own. He had been taught to read and write and was very smart when it came to horses. He gathered up 50 mules and sold them and "busted horses on the side" which he did for Tom King