Touchy and tough Texans have always been inflammable-but never more dangerous than in the nineteenth century. During those turbulent times, Texans forged a unique character for themselves, tough and strong, in the Texas mystique. Pure, undiluted hatred vied with unbelievable courage. Raw cruelty, callousness, and meanness went hand-in-hand with loyalty, trust, and affection.
The author, whose roots go back to early-Texas, presents a bit of the essence and flavoring often left out of the historical account. She tells of the Battle of San Jacinto, when Texans vented their frustration for a fight that turned into a free-for-all. And she illustrates how kids who served in the home guard in Texas during the Civil War made life miserable for just about anyone they could. The Council House Fight in San Antonio hit an all-time low in diplomacy and destroyed any future-friendly relationship between Texans and the Comanches. Scott Cooley, who made the Mason County War his personal fight, was as near to being a Texas version of Billy the Kid as 'makes no difference.’
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Retired newspaper reporter and columnist GRA’DELLE DUNCAN was a history buff and freelance writer whose books include Killeen Area Bicentennial Sketch Book, Central Texas Diary, Killeen: Tale of Two Cities, and Texas Tough: Dangerous Men in Dangerous Times. A graduate of the University of Texas Journalism School (now Communications School), Duncan also published numerous magazine articles on New Mexico and Texas history. Her roots in Central Texas stem from the 1850s and 1870s, the Duncan branch having arrived during the latter period a couple of jumps ahead of the posse. She passed away in 2004.