Posted 13 years ago
Hardbrake
(30 items)
The rule I have set for myself on not collecting reproductions or copies of items is just that a rule. I have been lucky enough to receive this copy and the original letter, which was written to Mr. John Westley Adams. The Letter was written by a Mr.J. Simmons, Justice of the Peace and Notoriety Public, of Bronson, Texas, in 1916. Both of these men were former Texas Rangers in the Frontier Battalion, companies A and B, in the 1870's. In 1930 the daughter of John W. Adams copied the original letter, in ink on better paper. The original is written in pencil on what I would call on cheap note pad paper. The note paper bares the letterhead of Mr. J. Simmons. and is very difficult and in parts not readable anymore. This is due to the pencil fading and the paper yellowing. If you read the copied letter, you can almost picture 2 old men talking between them self's about the past. Some of the facts as they are remember by Mr. Simmons are likely incorrect, being distorted by time but some are true. A little information about the daily life of a Texas Ranger can also be learned form this letter. I have researched one incident talked about in the letter involving the taking of a scalp and I found it to be true. I will let the reader, read it for his or her self for the details. The Tintype is of Mr. John Westley Adams a Sergeant in the Texas Rangers. I have copied these items as well as others and sent them to the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, in Waco, Texas. Hardbrake
Very interesting ! I wonder what happned to his dutch girl is he looking for her . And imagine whe you could scalp the sherriff ! Amazing piece of history .
Thank You, I am so glad that Lessie Adams saved this letter from never seeing the light of day. Something that the "Good old days" were not always that good. Hardbrake
Very nice piece of history, love it.
There are 32 Texas Rangers buried about 3/4 of a mile from my house, here in this little town I live in.
Thank You: The real thanks should go to Lessie Adams, John Adams daughter. If she had not copied it. It would be nothing now but a very hard to read letter and in the trash long ago. I am almost sure there is a computer program I could run it through and it would reconstruct the letters to make the letter readable. As far as the buried Rangers, I find that exciting are their names on the grave site. I have about 15 or16 tintypes all in an album that once belong to John Adams. He took the time to write down the names on the Albums page under the picture. I have identified 7 of them as Texas Rangers from Texas State records. What little Texas town do you live in, and I did not think Texas had a "little town." Just kidding I have driven through Texas all the way to the Alamo. Franklin, Texas stands out in my mind, went through it in about 60 seconds. I am located in Riverside, California Hardbrake
Here is a link to where I live.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=2849
Thank-You packrat-place. I will enjoy my visit to the web site may-be I can find out a thing or two. Hardbrake
Nothing short of AMAZING!!!!
This is just awesome to have.
Fantastic to see that people have taken the effort to capture history like this!
Thank you both, Stevensvintage and blunderbuss, the thank should go to Lesley, John Adams Daughter for saving and coping the letter. Hardbrake