Captain of All Rangers for Life

Jim Gillett was just 20 years old when he decided to join the Texas Rangers in 1875. But young didn’t mean inexperienced—Gillett was a native of the state and had spent years on the frontier, punching cattle, bustin’ broncs and battling Indians. But he wanted more; he wanted to be a Ranger. Between his 1875 enlistment and resig-nation in late 1881, Gillett had a distinguished career. He helped capture outlaw Sam Bass just outside Round Rock in 1878. He was part of the effort to end s