Texas Adjutant General's Department:

An Inventory of Ranger Military Rolls at the Texas State Archives, 1846-1861, 1874-1910, 1913-1914, undated

Agency History

The term "Texas Ranger" is a generic term that applies to members of units variously called Ranging Corps, Rangers, Mounted Volunteers, Mounted Gunmen, Mounted Riflemen, and Spies (1836-1845); Rangers, Mounted Volunteers, and Minute Men (1846-1861); Mounted Regiment and Frontier Regiment (1861-1865); Frontier Forces (1870-1873); Frontier Men (1874); Frontier Battalion (1874-1901); Special State Troops (1876-1880); Special Force (1880-1881); and Ranger Force (1901-1935).

During the lifetime of the Republic of Texas (1836-1845), certain companies of the Republic of Texas militia operated as Ranger units.

Whereas under the Republic the Adjutant General was subservient to the Secretary of War, under statehood the position was elevated to that of head of all military departments. After annexation, the 1st Legislature provided for an Adjutant General to be appointed by the Governor, in "an Act to organize the Militia of the State of Texas" (April 21, 1846). The duties which fell to the Adjutant General included the issuance of all military orders; the maintenance of records of appointments, promotions, resignations, deaths, commissions, etc.; the receipt of monthly and annual returns, and muster rolls from the various military units; the keeping of the records of general courts martial; recruitment and enrollment of Rangers and militiamen; and now, the issuing of all bounty and donation land warrants on the basis of military service to the Republic. This last duty was assumed by the Commissioner of Claims, pursuant to an Act of the legislature passed August 1, 1856; the office of the Adjutant General had been the victim of apparent arson in October 1855, allegedly by persons engaged in land certificate fraud. The position of Adjutant General was itself reestablished by the Militia Law of February 14, 1860, by which act he also assumed the duties of Quartermaster General and Ordnance Officer of the State.

With the Civil War came the reorganization of the office, an act of December 25, 1861 creating an Adjutant and Inspector General, who would also serve as Quartermaster and Commissary General, and Ordnance Officer. Oversight of the 33 Brigades of the Texas State Troops plus the Frontier Regiment fell to this office, just as later Adjutant Generals would split their time between the Militia and the Rangers (whatever the prevailing terminology).

During the Congressional phase of Reconstruction, the military affairs of the State of Texas, and many aspects of civil government, were controlled by the commander of the District of Texas (1866-1868), or of the 5th Military District (1868-1870). Within months of Texas' readmission to the Union under Radical Republican Governor Edmund J. Davis (1870), the Legislature created the Frontier Forces (June 13), as well as the State Guard and Reserve Militia, and the State Police, all of which were commanded by a newly restored state Adjutant General. On November 25, 1871, the Legislature added a fifth organization, the Minute Men.

The place of the Frontier Forces was taken in 1873 and 1874 by the Rangers and the Frontier Men, and finally by the Frontier Battalion, organized by an act passed April 10, 1874. On July 22, 1876, "an Act to suppress lawlessness and crime in certain parts of the state" authorized the creation of the Special State Troops, commanded first by Captain Leander McNelly and subsequently by Captain J. L. Hall. In the last year of the operation of this Special Force (1880-1881), it was commanded by Captain Thomas L. Oglesby.

The Frontier Battalion was reorganized as the Ranger Force by an act of the 27th Texas Legislature on March 29, 1901. From time to time this regular force was supplemented by specially commissioned Special Rangers, Railroad Rangers, Cattlemen's Association Rangers, and Loyalty Rangers. Finally, on August 10, 1935, the Ranger Force was transferred to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Scope and Contents of the Records

These records include muster rolls, muster-in rolls, muster/payrolls, and payrolls for various Ranger organizations of the State of Texas, maintained by the Texas Adjutant General's Department. They date 1846-1861, 1874-1910, 1913-1914, and undated. These military rolls were compiled at the time, usually by the company commanders. The information contained on the rolls varies considerably. Most of the rolls are in the form of oversize single sheets; many of the rolls are in duplicate, triplicate, or even quadruplicate. They represent five organizational groups: Rangers of the pre-Civil War era, the Frontier Battalion, Special State Troops, the Special Force, and the Ranger Force. For the middle three organizations, there is a chronological overlap.

Texas Ranger (pre-Civil War) military rolls consists of muster rolls and payrolls, dating 1846-1861. The series combines Rangers, Mounted Volunteers, and Minute Men, as the terminology is interchangeable for the decade and a half before the Civil War. The county is included on the item inventory whenever it is known. Many of the payrolls do not indicate the name of the captain, and are therefore listed under the name of the lieutenant or sergeant.

Frontier Battalion military rolls date 1874-1901. Most are muster/payrolls, each covering a two- or three-month period. Approximately once a year the commanders compiled muster or muster-in rolls. Most members of the Frontier Battalion during the 1870s, and in most companies those during the early 1880s, have been included in the search room "Ranger Rolls" card index. In addition, there are two rolls listed at the end of this series, entitled "Roster of Secret Service Men," 1884-1886, attached to the various companies of the Frontier Battalion. Finally, there are two volumes. One is a roughly alphabetical index to both individuals and to companies, for a roster of the Frontier Battalion and the militia, dated 1874 (but possibly incorporating later dates as well). The other volume contains muster rolls for the Frontier Battalion, dated September 1, 1878, arranged by company (A through F).

Special State Troops military rolls consists of muster/payrolls for two captains of the Special State Troops, dating 1876-1880. Individuals in Captain McNelly's company are included in the search room "Ranger Rolls" card index.

Special Force military rolls consists of a muster-in roll and three muster/payrolls, for one captain of a Special Force company called out for special service in San Diego, Duval County, 1880-1881.

Ranger Force military rolls consists of payrolls for all four companies of the Ranger Force (A, B, C, and D), dating 1901-1910, 1913-1914, and undated. Each payroll reflects one month's service. In addition, there are four muster-in rolls, one for each company, dated July 8 or 9, 1903. These rolls are interfiled.

The military rolls of other Texas Ranger units are found in other finding aids, including: Republic of Texas military rolls (some companies in the Republic of Texas Militia were Ranger units), Civil War military rolls (Frontier Regiment), and Reconstruction military rolls (Frontier Forces, Texas Rangers, and Minute Men). See Related Materials below for links to these finding aids.

Note: Occasionally a researcher knows the name of a company commander, but does not know which military unit (Ranger or militia or otherwise) he commanded, or where to search for the appropriate military roll. Researchers using the finding aid electronically may search for names of captains. For researchers using a print copy, an alphabetical list of captains is provided in the Texas State Archives search room, matching the captain with the military organization. All of the non-Civil War military rolls (muster rolls, payrolls, etc.) held in the Texas State Archives are included in this index. To repeat, this index of company commanders does NOT include Civil War units except for Union troops, listed as Army of the United States (1860-1861, 1864-1865). For non-Union Civil War rolls, there is a set of index cards in the Archives search room listing these military rolls by captain and by organization.

This finding aid describes five series of military rolls. If you are reading this electronically, click here for an overview of the Texas Adjutant General's Department, Military rolls. If you are reading this in paper, the overview is at the beginning of the first binder labeled Military rolls.

Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

None.

Restrictions on Use

Some of the military rolls may be too large and/or too fragile for photocopying.

Technical Requirements

None.

Related Material

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item and cite the series), Ranger military rolls, Military rolls, Texas Adjutant General's Department. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession numbers: 1933/001, 1933/003, 1976/048, and unknown others

Although accession records are sketchy, military rolls were probably the earliest records transferred from the Texas Adjutant General's office to the Texas State Archives. In 1920, approximately 800 muster rolls and payrolls, dating 1860-1886, were transferred by the Texas Adjutant General's office to the Texas State Archives. On February 21, 1934, the following groups of military rolls were transferred: "miscellaneous" rolls from 1835-1844 and 1848; Civil War; Frontier Regiment; State Police; State Guard; Reserve Militia; Frontier Forces; Frontier Battalion; Special State Troops; Texas Volunteer Guard; Spanish-American War; and Texas National Guard. On February 27, 1934 eight muster rolls for Captains Tobin, A. C. Hill, Littleton, and Harrison (1859-1861) were transferred to the Texas State Archives by the Bureau of Records, Board of Control. On December 4, 1975, the Texas Adjutant General transferred payrolls for three captains in the Ranger Force, 1913-1914.

Processing Information

Tony Black, July 1986, April 1988, September 1988

Detailed Description of the Records