Walter Washington de Lacy [Carte de Visite]
Name/Title
Walter Washington de Lacy [Carte de Visite]Description
CDV of a lost daguerreotype depicting Colonel Walter W. De Lacey, while a member of the Texas Rangers in 1847/48. Ink inscription on front (perhaps in De Lacey`s hand). New Orleans, LA imprint on verso.Context
De Lacey joined Colonel Jack Hays' Texas Rangers to assist in finding a route from San Antonio, Texas to Chihuahua, Mexico. On their journey, they ventured into lands "yet unknown to white men" and almost died from starvation before finding the Old Comanche trail, which led them to a native settlement where they were given food and provisions. Considering themselves lucky to be alive, the rangers decided to head back to San Antonio. De Lacey had other ideas though, and opted to stay in the region where he began trading in cattle and merchandise. A memorial written after his death notes at this time that an Apache Chief introduced him to a "Indian training school" in the state of Durango, "where the boys were taught to imitate the howl of a wolf, the hoot of an owl, the cries of other animals and birds, and other features of Indian warfare." One of the earliest known photos of a Texas Ranger.Category
Texas in Focus: Early Photographs from the Lew Anvil Texas Collection