A few years ago I decided to see how many accounts of use of the five shot Colt Paterson was used in actural fights during the days before the Walker. I was somewhat surprised how many times the paterson was used mostly by the Texas Rangers against the Indians, Mostly Comanches.
One account is on Marnch 19, 1840 at San Antonio, Texas in what is now called the Council House Fight. In this fight the First Regiment of Infantry used the Patersons in a shootout with Comanches while trying to get captives returned when all hell broke loose resulting in the killng of 12 Comanches Chiefs as well as several Texans.
I wish at the time I had made a list of the fights the Patersons were in and dates and futher details. There are a lot more than I was aware there were. Once the Texas Rangers found out they could ride up close to an Indian and shoot him of his horse they used that to their full advantage.
In reality,,,,,,,,,,The Paterson was a huge advantage over a single shot and with the guts to get up close on a horse at full speed it proved deadly. I had also researched the Walker in action and the same with it. The Texas Rangers give the Indians and Mexicans hell ever chance they got and there are a lot of accounts on use of the Walker as well.
The Old Texas Ranger cemetery is about 45 miles West of San Antonio, Texas in a small town named Comfort, Texas. I have walked it a number of times and it has about 35 graves of the realm old time rangers buries there, The ones that used the Paterson and the Walker during their time. I think more and more now when I hold an old Colt about how well it served its owner in the time of need and many times I wish I knew the history behind the Old Colt I hod in My hand and I think we all would be surprised if we knew how many men it had killed in its life.
In Todays world, We seen to overlook the importance of the early Colts and Men who used them. I have no dought in My mind that in those days they could and did use the early Colts just as affective as We use our Colts today. When a man is killed it does not matter what or how he was killed, Either way He is just as dead.
Your Pard, Texas Man
One account is on Marnch 19, 1840 at San Antonio, Texas in what is now called the Council House Fight. In this fight the First Regiment of Infantry used the Patersons in a shootout with Comanches while trying to get captives returned when all hell broke loose resulting in the killng of 12 Comanches Chiefs as well as several Texans.
I wish at the time I had made a list of the fights the Patersons were in and dates and futher details. There are a lot more than I was aware there were. Once the Texas Rangers found out they could ride up close to an Indian and shoot him of his horse they used that to their full advantage.
In reality,,,,,,,,,,The Paterson was a huge advantage over a single shot and with the guts to get up close on a horse at full speed it proved deadly. I had also researched the Walker in action and the same with it. The Texas Rangers give the Indians and Mexicans hell ever chance they got and there are a lot of accounts on use of the Walker as well.
The Old Texas Ranger cemetery is about 45 miles West of San Antonio, Texas in a small town named Comfort, Texas. I have walked it a number of times and it has about 35 graves of the realm old time rangers buries there, The ones that used the Paterson and the Walker during their time. I think more and more now when I hold an old Colt about how well it served its owner in the time of need and many times I wish I knew the history behind the Old Colt I hod in My hand and I think we all would be surprised if we knew how many men it had killed in its life.
In Todays world, We seen to overlook the importance of the early Colts and Men who used them. I have no dought in My mind that in those days they could and did use the early Colts just as affective as We use our Colts today. When a man is killed it does not matter what or how he was killed, Either way He is just as dead.
Your Pard, Texas Man
