Captain Bill McDonald, Texas Ranger: A Story of Frontier Reform

Albert Bigelow Paine (1861 - 1937)

"William Jesse "Bill" McDonald (1852 - 1918) in the 1880s served as a deputy sheriff in Wood County. After moving to Hardeman County, he served as deputy sheriff, special Ranger, and U. S. Deputy Marshal of the Northern District of Texas and the Southern District of Kansas.. . . .In 1891 McDonald was selected to replace S. A. McMurry as Captain of Company B, Frontier Battalion. He served as a Ranger captain until 1907. Capt. McDonald and his company took part in a number of celebrated cases including the Fitzsimmons-Maher prize fight, the Wichita Falls bank robbery, the Reese-Townsend feud, and the Brownsville Raid of 1906. His handling of the troops of the 25th U.S. Infantry during this last incident made him known as "a man who would charge hell with a bucket of water." He had a reputation as a gunman that rested upon his his marksmanship, and his ability to use his weapons to intimidate his opponents. … In 1905, McDonald served as bodyguard to President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1907, Governor Campbell made him a state revenue agent. He again fulfilled the role of bodyguard in 1912 for a visit by Woodrow Wilson. Later Wilson appointed him U. S. Marshal for the Northern District of Texas." -- from Chapter 1

Note: This book racially offensive words which were part of the vocabulary of the time. It is LibriVox policy to read texts as written.

Genre(s): War & Military, Biography & Autobiography

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 00 Forward: A letter from Theodore Roosevelt Larry Wilson
00:01:38
Play 01 Captain Bill McDonald, Texas Ranger Larry Wilson
00:04:23
Play 02 An Old-Time Mississippi Childhood Tom Marcotte
00:10:00
Play 03 Emigration and Adventure John
00:09:10
Play 04 The Making of a Texan John
00:12:49
Play 05 The Beginning of Reform Sean Hatfield
00:13:56
Play 06 Into the Wilderness Nancy Gorgen
00:07:21
Play 07 Commercial Ventures and Adventures Nancy Gorgen
00:11:11
Play 08 Reforming the Wilderness Nancy Gorgen
00:16:07
Play 09 Getting Even with the Brooken Gang John
00:06:45
Play 10 New Tactics in No-Man's Land Sean Hatfield
00:11:57
Play 11 Redeeming No-Man's Land Nancy Gorgen
00:14:19
Play 12 Some of the Difficulties of Reform Nancy Gorgen
00:12:24
Play 13 Captain Bill as a Tree-Man Paul Rothenberg
00:17:11
Play 14 The Day for "Deliveries" Tom Marcotte
00:16:20
Play 15 Cleaning Up the Strip Tom Marcotte
00:19:25
Play 16 Texas Ranger Service and Its Origin DanielMaddux
00:13:45
Play 17 Captain of Company B, Ranger Force Steve Nuns
00:12:53
Play 18 An Exciting Indian Campaign Roger Melin
00:06:42
Play 19 A Bit of Farming and Politics TriciaG
00:08:29
Play 20 Taming the Pan-handle Daniel Grant Peterson
00:21:34
Play 21 The Battle with Matthews Daniel Grant Peterson
00:17:28
Play 22 What Happened to Beckham Nancy Gorgen
00:04:44
Play 23 A Medal for Speed Roger Melin
00:04:42
Play 24 Captain Bill in Mexico Bill Mosley
00:12:26
Play 25 A New Style in the Pan-handle Kerry Adams
00:08:38
Play 26 Preventing a Prize-Fight John
00:09:02
Play 27 The Wichita Falls Bank Robbery and Murder fred
00:21:31
Play 28 Captain Bill as a Peace-maker fred
00:09:37
Play 29 The Buzzard's Water-Hole Gang fred
00:33:18
Play 30 Quieting a Texas Feud Margaret Herbers
00:10:55
Play 31 The Trans-Cedar Mystery Nancy Gorgen
00:16:14
Play 32 Other Mobs and Riots Nancy Gorgen
00:07:26
Play 33 Other Work in East Texas Nancy Gorgen
00:13:37
Play 34 A Wolf-Hunt with the President Nancy Gorgen
00:27:20
Play 35 The Conditt Murder Mystery Daniel Grant Peterson
00:24:11
Play 36 The Death of Rhoda McDonald John
00:07:11
Play 37 The Conditt Mystery Solved Nancy Gorgen
00:11:15
Play 38 The Brownsville Episode: An Event of National Importance Nancy Gorgen
00:13:08
Play 39 Captain Bill on the Scene Margaret Herbers
00:28:16
Play 40 What Finally Happened at Brownsville Daniel Grant Peterson
00:34:27
Play 41 The Battle on the Rio Grande Bill Mosley
00:22:57
Play 42 The End of Rangering and a New Appointment Daniel Grant Peterson
00:30:08
Play 43 Conclusion MarilynC
00:15:35
Play 44 Appendix A Steve Nuns
00:10:35
Play 45 Appendix B Grey Pickett
00:10:36
Play 46 Appendix C Grey Pickett
00:22:54
Play 47 Appendix D Grey Pickett
00:17:49
Play 48 Appendix E Grey Pickett
00:08:56
Play 49 Appendix F Grey Pickett
00:21:06
Play 50 Appendix G Grey Pickett
00:28:40