Union (Saint George, Utah), April 16, 1896:

                           THE TEXAS RANGER

Come all you Texas Rangers
Wherever you may be,
Come on you jolly rovers
And listen unto me.
My name is nothing extra,
The truth to you I'll tell,
For I'm a Texas ranger,
And I wish you all as well.
I was at the age of sixteen,
I joined this jolly band
We marched from San Antonia [sic]
All down the Rio Grande.
Our captain he informed us -
Perhaps he thought 'twas right -
"Before we reach the station,
Brave boys, you'll have to fight."

We saw the Indians coming,
We heard them give a yell.
My feelings at that moment
No human tongue can tell,
I thought of my dear mother,
Whose tears to me did say,
"My boy, they all are strangers,
At home you'd better stay."
But she being old and childish,
I thought she didn't know
What it was to be a ranger,
So a ranger I did go.
We saw the dust arising,
It nearly reached the sky -
My feeling at that moment,
Is now my time to die?

Our bugle it then sounded,
Our captain gave command
"To arms! To arms!" he shouted,
And by your horses stand!"
We fought for full nine hours
Before the strife gave o'er,
So many dead and wounded,
I'd never seen before.
Five hundred noble rangers,
As ever trod the west,
Lay dying in the evening,
With arrows in their breast.
Perhaps you have a mother -
Likewise a sister too -
Perhaps you have a sweetheart
To weep and mourn for you;
Be this be your situation,
Although you expect to roam,
I have taught you by experience,
You'd better stay at home.