Code of the West

by Joe Armstrong of Gateshead

The first century of the history of Texas bears an uncanny likeness to that
of the Anglo-Scottish border in the sixteenth century.  The ingredients were
all there: a physical border in the form of the Rio Grande, a weak
government in Mexico where cattle raiders took refuge, large herds of
untended beasts which were capable of being driven great distances and an
army of men keen to exploit this situation.  A character known as 'King
Fisher' rode at the head of a gang over one hundred strong and was the
effective ruler of the area between Castroville and Eagle Pass.  They took
what they wanted, night or day, and nobody dared to inform.  Attempts to go
'hot trod' met with instant death and the settlers claimed that they
suffered more from the white outlaws than they ever had from Indian raids.
On top of that there were also hordes of Mexican bandits to contend with.
To continue the parallel, Texas was indeed, "sore decaied."

In early 1876 the Anglo-Scottish names of J.L. Hall and John B. Armstrong
began to crop up with ever greater frequency in official reports.  John B.
Served under the famous Captain Mc Nelly as a sergeant and was active in the
fighting at Eagle Pass, Palo Alto, Las Cuevas and Rio Grande City.
According to the history of the Texas Rangers:..."he never hesitated to
administer extreme unction to those who could not be handled in a more
gentle manner.  It is only fair to say that he shared with Hall in the work
of cleansing Southwest Texas" and again: "The episodes for which he was
solely responsible are so stirring that they deserve separate notice."

 John B. Armstrong had one quality which was unusual in the average Texan of
that time.  He was possessed of a degree of erudition rarely encountered
even now in the ranks of soldiery, witness as example just one (condensed)
version of a report telegraphed to Captain Mc Nelly at San Antonio from
Carrizo, Texas.

 "...Sent Corporal Williams with 10 men to Pendencia.....I started with the
balance of the detachment for the camp of the Espinoza.  When within sight
of the camp, about 12 o-clock p.m., we dismounted and proceeded on foot,
leaving two men to guard the horses and a desperado whom I had captured on
my way.  Discovered their camp on the bank directly in front of us, advanced
slowly to within 20 yards of them when two of them commenced firing on us
with their six-shooters.  We responded promptly and a lively little fight
ensued, resulting in the death of three of them and the wounding of another
in five places....  Learning that there was a 'bad' Mexican at Whaley's
ranch, eight miles distant, we sent three men to arrest him.  He refused to
surrender and fought desperately until our men were obliged to kill him in
self-defense."  It seems that the anonymous prisoner who was left with the
horses attempted to escape during the fight when the gunfire made them
restless.  He was called upon three times to halt but ignored the order.
(Well, that's what the guards said!)  The telegram was signed: "Armstrong,
Sergeant Commanding Scout."

 There is a long catalogue of John B.'s exploits from which emerges a man
instantly recognisable to anyone familiar with the activities and qualities
of the old-time reiver.  One of his deeds was the capture of a notorious
killer who turned out to be an imposter, John and his colleagues therefore
failing to collect the expected 4,000 dollar reward.  After this episode
Armstrong got permission to make the apprehension of the real killer his
special task.  We are talking of the capture alive of none other than the
infamous Wesley Hardin.

 Hardin the wanton killer was forged in the range war between the Sutton and
Taylor factions in De Witt County, Texas, whose feud had smouldered on for
years (sounds familiar!).  In 1874 he was described as 23 or 24, 5'9", light
blue eyes, light hair, thin, sandy moustache, shabby dresser, reticent,
notorious murderer and outlaw.  He was then credited with killing thirty
men, "not counting Mexicans and Negroes."  Hardin was a far greater menace
than Billy The Kid and his like, but was never glamourised as they were.
Billy and Co. Were regarded by some in a partly quixotic way as daring
freebooters laughing in the face of authority.  Hardin was not an habitual
criminal, just a plain murderous killer.  The above-mentioned reward was
applicable in both Texas and Louisiana and stated bluntly, 'DEAD OR ALIVE!'

 In 1877 Armstrong, by now a Lieutenant, sent his assistant John Duncan to
rent a farm near to a relative of Hardin.  He planted a crop and after some
astute deduction offered to buy a cart which he suspected was owned by
Hardin.  The ruse worked and the relative wrote to Hardin to tell him and
ask permission to sell.  The letter was intercepted and they learned that
his alias was J. H. Swain in Alabama.  Armstrong and Duncan went hotfoot to
Alabama, only to find that Hardin had gathered a gang together and gone to
Pensacola, Florida.  Armstrong had no time to wait for the warrants he had
ordered in both names to arrive, so he went straight to a small station
outside Pensacola to catch Hardin as he returned.  The local law officers
and the railway officials were informed of their task and when the train
arrived Hardin was pointed out sitting at an open window.

  The plan had been for a deputy to grab Hardin's arm from outside and the
others to come from behind him in the coach while John B. came at him from
the front.  In the event Armstrong was on his own, the intended support
being somewhat tardy.  John B. Was suffering from a recent gunshot wound and
was using a walking stick which he put in his left hand as he drew his
revolver.  Hardin saw the long 7" frontier model model Colt favoured by the
Rangers and shouted "Texas by God!"  It was then that John B. Made his
immortal rush on five armed killers -  alone!

 Wes Hardin reached for his gun and like an act in some mad farce got it
tangled with his braces, nearly pulling his trousers over his head in a
frantic attempt to get it free.  Meanwhile the man next to him shot a hole
in John B.'s hat, only to receive the Ranger's bullet in his heart
simultaneously.  His dying body leapt out of the train window to fall dead
beside the track.  John was kicked back against the seat by Hardin, but then
lunged back and smashed his gun over Hardin's head, laying him out for two
hours.  The other three men were disarmed as it seemed they didn't want to
face John B. Armstrong.

 The incredible had happened and a resolute John B. Commandeered to take his
prisoner in.  He dumped the three other men at separate locations after
removing the ammunition from their guns: presumably they were nobodies and
the main consideration was to bring Hardin to trial.  The only official
account of this event is contained in a series of telegrams beginning with
the following:

 TO GENERAL WILLIAM STEELE.
 ARRESTED JOHN WESLEY HARDIN, PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, THIS P.M.  HE HAD FOUR MEN
WITH HIM.  HAD SOME LIVELY SHOOTING.  ONE OF THEIR NUMBER KILLED.  ALL THE
REST CAPTURED.  HARDIN FOUGHT DESPERATELY.  CLOSED IN AND TOOK HIM BY MAIN
STRENGTH.  HURRIED AHEAD THE TRAIN THEN LEAVING FOR THIS PLACE.  WE ARE
WAITING FOR A TRAIN TO GET AWAY ON.  THIS IS HARDIN'S HOME AND HIS FRIENDS
ARE TRYING TO RALLY MEN TO RELEASE HIM.  HAVE SOME GOOD CITIZENS WITH ME AND
WILL MAKE IT INTERESTING
    J.B. ARMSTRONG.
    LT. STATE TROOPS.

 Armstrong had no warrant and was surrounded by enemies, but he threatened
to put the first bullet through Hardin's head and take as many as possible
with his remaining shots.  They did not come and John got his prisoner away
on a special train sent for him.

 Hardin was sentenced to 25 years hard labour but only served 15 before
being pardoned by Governor Hogg in 1893.  True to the outlaw image as
portrayed in films, he studied law during his involuntary sojourn and was
admitted to the bar after his pardon.  He did not have long to enjoy his new
respectability.  In 1895 John Selman walked into a saloon in El Paso and
shot Hardin in the back.  He later claimed that it had been a fair fight
because Hardin "could have seen me in the mirror if he'd looked."

 Strange how men like Selman were made household names by Hollywood but who
ever heard of John B. Armstrong

Joseph Armstrong of Gateshead.
Milnholm Cross, December 1985, vol. 2 No. 5.