BOYCE, REUBEN H. - Howard County, Texas | REUBEN H. BOYCE - Texas Gravestone Photos

Reuben H. BOYCE

Coahoma Cemetery
Howard County,
Texas

1852-1927

Uncle
Gone but not forgotten

*Photo, courtesy of Diane & John

*Obituary
"THE BURNET BULLETIN (Burnet, TX) - Thursday June 16, 1927 Ex-Ranger and Noted Frontiersman R.H. Boyce Has Answered the Last Roll Call (From a central Texas Paper)

With the passing of Mr. Rheuben Hornsby Boyce, who died early Monday morning, May 23 at the home of relatives here, another one of those sturdy pioneers and bordermen is lost to human sight. If the life of this hero of the wilderness were penned in all its details, there would be given to the world a masterpiece of adventure.

Born in Williamson county on January 8, 1853, oldest in a family of ten brothers and one sister, Mr. Boyce grew into his rugged manhood while civilization in Texas was in its infancy. Amid such surroundings he attained his high order of physical perfectness that made him the veritable man of iron that his companions knew him to be. In this environment he also developed that uncanny, unerring accurateness that later made him one of the most powerful and successful officers in that company of heroes, the Texas Rangers.

As a Ranger he brought to justice some of the worst outlaws that frequented the Texas border and won the enviable reputation of getting his man on every occasion.

He was also active in Indian fights, helping to free the country of these marauders. One of the engagements in which he participated was the battle of Horse Head Crossing on the Pecos River in 1878, in which the entire Indian band was annihilated. He was dominant among the heroic men who were on the trail of the crafty and relentless Geronimo.

On one occasion he quelled a riot in El Paso, jailed many of the offenders and cleared the town of their kin. He served as an officer in New Mexico and Arizona and was made a captain of Texas Rangers. Many of his exploits and deeds of valor are recorded in the Ranger History.

Speaking on this line, it was said that "he served as a real man on a force of real men; when to attempt to capture an outlaw was to court death and face life of a representative of the law was hazardous in the extreme. The denizons of the border were a hardy tribe and the outlaws that haunted the outposts of the ever-advancing civilization were a desperate lot who placed little value on life. Into such must the upholder of the law go, to do his duty or meet his death. And were the debt we owe to this valiant groupe reckoned, it would be enormous.

In 1890 he left his native state and journeyed into the Northwest Territory, where is now Washington, Oregon and Idaho. In a gold rush he traveled into and above Nome, in the frozen North where he remained for about three years. One of the long, cold winters he spent far above the Artic Circle and mined 60 feet underground. Even at this depth the ground was frozen. For the entire winter he existed on dried beef and whale oil.

Leaving Alaska, Mr. Boyce came to British Columbia, where he engaged in the fishing business on the Columbia River.

He then returned to Texas and located at Rock Springs and then to Coahoma, where he opened a restaurant a few months ago.

Mr. Boyce was married to Miss Adiline Pearl in 1876. To this happy union was born one son whom is thought to be dead.

This man of iron, although known as a "bad man getter," was also a man "who, when he made a friend, kept him always, and never forgot him." He was a bosom friend of Captain Bill McDonald, and a companion to Captain Rogers, Sid McCauley, Captain Miles, Captain Johnson and others whose names have a familiar ring to the students of the early history of the Lone Star State across the pages of which these men rode on their grim missions and left their name and fame engraved in unfading crimson.

This hero of the border was quietly laid to rest at the Coahoma Cemetery, Monday at 6 o'clock. Rev. Cochran. assisted by Rev. Brown conducted the services

Contributed on 10/22/22 by neldapat
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Record #: 543184

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Submitted: 10/22/22 • Approved: 10/22/22 • Last Updated: 10/25/22 • R543184-G0-S3

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