Early Settlers and Indian Fighters of Southwest Texas

Life as an early settler in Texas was tough. Cattle rustlers stole people’s livelihoods, Native Americans fought back to reclaim their lands, and gunslingers walked the streets of the frontier towns. A. J. Sowell refused to let the memory of the early pioneers who settled on the southwest frontier die. As he states in his preface, “They bore the heat and burden of the day, and their deeds should live like monuments in the hearts of their countrymen.” Sowell’s book was written just at the point that camping grounds and tumbleweed towns were transforming into prosperous cities and provides insight into a world that has long vanished. Material for the book was drawn from interviews with men and women, such as “Big Foot” Wallace, Sarah J. Kinchaloe, and Henry Castro, who had lived on the frontier and experienced life in this wild region. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of the old west and for those who wish to find out more about the lives of the pioneer men and women who transformed the famous state of Texas. Andrew Jackson Sowell was first of his family to be born in Texas after his relations moved to the area in 1830. His grandfather was involved in the Texas Revolution, as was his uncle, who served in the Alamo garrison but departed to obtain supplies prior to its fall. From 1870 November until 1871 June, he was a Texas Ranger in Company F of the Frontier Battalion, serving under Capt. David P. Baker. Drawing on his own experiences as a Texas Ranger, events in his relatives’ lives, family history, and interviews, Sowell wrote numerous books and articles about the early history of Texas. His books include Rangers and Pioneers of Texas, Life of Big Foot Wallace, Early Settlers and Indian Fighters of Southwest Texas, and History of Fort Bend County. Early Settlers and Indian Fighters of Southwest Texas was published in 1900. Sowell died in 1921.