"Texas, by God!" cried notorious killer John Wesley Hardin when 
he saw a Colt .45 pointed at him on a train in Florida. At the other 
end of the pistol stood Texas Ranger John B. Armstrong.

    Hardin's arrest assured Armstrong a place in history, but his 
story is larger, fuller, and even more important—and until now it 
has never been told.

    Serving in the Rangers' famed Frontier Battalion from 1875 to 
1878, Armstrong rode with Captain L. H. McNelly in the capture 
of King Fisher, was called to Round Rock when Sam Bass was 
cornered, and helped patrol the region caught in the Taylor-Sutton 
Feud. His more lasting legacy, though, was as founder of the 
Armstrong Ranch, an operation that remains active and important 
to this day. From this family base he helped change ranching 
techniques and was an important sponsor for bringing the railroads 
to South Texas. In the 1890s he joined a special Ranger division 
that supplemented the force's efforts, especially in pursuit and 
apprehension of gunmen and cattle rustlers in the region.

    As Elmer Kelton notes in his afterword to this book, "Chuck 
Parsons' biography is a long-delayed and much-justified tribute to 
Armstrong's service to Texas." Parsons fills in the missing details 
of a Ranger and rancher's life, correcting some common 
misconceptions and adding to the record of a legendary group of 
lawmen and pioneers.

_________________________________________________________

CHUCK PARSONS is the author of eleven books and many articles 
on Texas and Western history. He resides in Prairie Lea, Texas.


Number Ten: Canseco-Keck History Series


What people are saying about this book

" . . . a lively and riveting read, particularly in the chapters that deal 
with Armstrong’s rangering days. I thought I knew all there was to 
know about John Wesley Hardin’s arrest and capture, but Parsons 
has uncovered much new material in his diligent research. John 
Armstrong was a fearless, no-nonsense Texas hero with far more 
depth and integrity than other, better-known lawmen, such as Wyatt 
Earp and Wild Bill Hickok. By the end of the book, however, you 
have the feeling Armstrong would not have desired their notoriety."
—Victoria-Advocate, February 2007

"This biography of Armstrong is long overdue and fills a glaring 
hole in Texas Ranger History. It is an exceptional value and a major 
contribution to the genre."—Quarterly of the National Association 
for Outlaw and Lawman History, Spring 2007

". . . exceptionally well-researched from a number of primary and 
secondary sources . . . the definitive study of Armstrong. 
Armstrong's story is worth telling and Parsons tells it well."—Jerry 
Thompson, Series Editor

"Armstrong was a hero for the ages, a man of high integrity and no-
nonsense values. He was truly one of the great Texas Rangers. 
Achilles may have had Homer, but Armstrong, thank heaven, has 
Parsons."—David Johnson, author of The Mason County "Hoo 
Doo" War, 1874–1902