Three Years among the Comanches: The Narrative of Nelson Lee, the Texas Ranger

For the Texas Rangers, 80 miles on horseback between sunset and sundown was all in a day's work in the 1850s. These volunteer militiamen, paid only one dollar a day, battled to secure the Lone Star's borders with Mexico, and settlers and frontiersman came to rely on them for safety and protection in the land of the Comanches and Apaches. Not surprisingly, the Rangers' feats became the stuff of myths and legends.
From the ranks of the Rangers arose a folk hero of the old West, Nelson Lee. He encountered one heart-pounding situation after another, handling every daring escapade with fortitude and good humor. That is, until one night when he was awakened from a sound sleep, lassoed by a half-dozen Comanches, and taken prisoner. As he watched his companions being scalped, Lee feared he might meet the same end.
Three Years Among the Comanches is a reprint of the classic narrative of Lee's adventures and captivity. Told in his own words, Lee's tale (almost too tall to be true) was wildly popular when it first appeared in print in 1859. Today it offers a first-hand look at the early Texas Rangers and details the Comanche way of life before white men changed it forever.