"The Scouting Expeditions Of McCulloch's Texas Rangers In Mexico In 1846" by Samuel Reid is a first-hand view of the Mexican-American War exploits of Ben McCulloch, a famous Texas Ranger, Texas frontiersman, & later Texas Confederate General.
Sam Reid 1818-1897 was a surveyor, lawyer, Texas Ranger, newspaper reporter & author who joined the Texas Rangers, who were organized to provide vital scouting duties for the army of Zachary Taylor. He stated he joined because, "the idea of enthusiastically assisting his country in a foreign land appealed to him." Reid's book was unusual, as his later books were, in that he, like Mark Twain, incorporated local amusing & colorful anecdotes making them readable to a larger audience. In addition, Reid described the local scenery so that the book reads like an interesting travelogue in many places. In this book, Reid paints a vivid picture of McCulloch's services during the Mexican-American War, when his command of his Rangers helped General Taylor defeat the Mexican Army at Monterrey & Buena Vista. Reid also gives short biographies & accounts of some of the operations of Texas Ranger notables Sam Walker & Jack Hays while giving a complete description of the skirmishes & battles of the war.
A must read for the student of history, both that of the Texas Rangers & the Mexican-American War.
