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The Legend of the South Texas Headless Horseman, El Muerto
Tales of decapitation have been told that leave us scratching our still-attached heads-everything from moving lips of Anne Boleyn’s severed skull to the 18-month-surviving headless chicken named Mike. But, taking it back to the most familiar headless character, this tale surrounds a very popular and creepy motif for urban legends: the idea of a phantom headless horseman.
Although, we’re not talking about the iconic horseman from Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, but rather the obscure South Texan legend of El Muerto, or “the dead man,”-a Mexican bandit who was horribly butchered by Texas Rangers, only to rise again and ride vengefully on his dark steed from beyond the grave.
The Bandit Who Would Become the Horseman
As the story goes, in the mid-1800s, a Mexican bandit by the name of Vidal committed a crime in San Antonio that would doom him forever: horse rustling-a deed he already had a bounty on his head for. Unfortunately for him, some of the targeted horses from this raid belonged to Creed Taylor, a Texas Ranger. Needless to say, Taylor did not take the news well.
During this period, rangers were harsh lawmen, hardened to the burden of their duty, and willing to commit the most heinous deeds in the name of justice. At the time, after all, the border between the United States and Mexico was an issue that the two countries couldn’t agree on.
As a result of this discrepancy, there was a stretch in-between that became a sort of no man’s land. Unsurprisingly, crimes were plentiful and vicious here, so the Rangers, whose jobs were to stem the tide, had to be equally as ruthless themselves. But, what Taylor and his fellow Rangers are said to have done to Vidal for his horse theft crime goes completely beyond the pale.
The Grisly Death of Vidal
Taylor set to track Vidal, and the rest of his henchmen, across this inhospitable and very dangerous stretch of land. Joining him on the hunt for vengeance was a ranch owner, who was also recently the victim of horse rustling, by the name of Flores and another ranger, William Alexander Anderson Wallace-better known as “Big Foot.”
Vidal had timed his attack using a coinciding Comanche raid as a decoy. Most of the local ranch defenders left to fight off the Comanche threat leaving the area vulnerable to Vidal and his small crew of bandits. Little did he know that Taylor and his small band were hot on the trail. The three soon tracked the criminals to their hideouts, waiting until night fell and ambushing the bandits while they slept. The defenseless outlaws were killed, but their deaths were only the beginning. It was what was done to Vidal next that birthed the legend of El Muerto.
Despite the draconian methods of warning from lawmakers, criminals and outlaws still failed to see the potential, and often grim, consequences of their unlawful acts. As a result, a whole new level of harsh justice was needed.
After being killed by Taylor and his crew, Vidal’s corpse was said to have been beheaded and tied securely to a horse, along with his decapitated head. The unfortunate horse was then left to roam free, horrifying all who encountered it. Incredibly, though, the brutal killing and degrading treatment of Vidal’s body was just the start of his post-mortem story.
The Headless Horseman Rides On
From then on, the horse and its headless rider roamed the area. Spotted many times, it was said that bullets had no effect on either, and so the legend of El Muerto started to spread. This fearsome specter was said to be an omen of ill fate.
It’s also said that the horse was finally captured, along with Vidal’s horribly wounded and sun-ravaged body. He was unceremoniously buried, but alleged sightings continued. In one notable 1917 encounter, a couple on their way to San Diego stated that a headless horseman had passed them on its steed, crying, “It is mine. It is all mine!” And then again, decades later in 1969, El Muerto was supposedly spotted near Freer.
Is there any truth to the tale? Well, the major players were all real men, and the rangers did publicly claim responsibility for the killing. There’s said to have been markedly less rustling in the area in the aftermath of the event, too!
As for whether Vidal’s spirit continues to ride around South Texas as El Muerto, there’s really no saying, but sightings continue to be reported. In fact, the area of one supposed encounter was renamed Headless Horseman Hill! This just highlights the allure that this grisly mystery had, and continues to have, in local folklore.
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From Globe, For Globe - Pulse of the Planet
The evidence is “flagging” when it comes to her involvement in the original design.
Stories of patriotism have long buttressed nationalism in the United States. These legendary tales showcase some of the most colorful and fascinating historical figures involved in the early founding of the country (at least, as later storytellers have painted them). Among this collection of individuals is Betsy Ross. As many of us learned in school, Betsy gained fame by designing and sewing the first flag of the United States.
But is it true that she stitched the original red, white, and blue? Since the story first surfaced in 1870, well after her death, serious doubt has been cast on this theory. With that in mind, let’s dive into the evidence.
How Betsy Became America’s First Seamstress
According to legend, Betsy designed and sewed the first flag in 1776. Interestingly, though, she was never credited with this achievement during her lifetime. This story first surfaced nearly a century later in 1870, as told by Betsy’s grandson, William Canby.
Canby said his grandmother told him about a visit that she received in late May or early June of 1776 by three gentlemen. They were George Ross (a relative of Betsy’s) along with General George Washington and Robert Morris (a financier of the Revolutionary War).
She claimed that during the meeting, the three men presented her with a sketch of a proposed flag. The design included 13 red and white stripes and 13 stars with six points each. They wanted to know whether or not she could sew something similar.
Before agreeing to the project, Ross suggested reducing the star points from six to five and arranging them in a circle. Satisfied with the changes, they commissioned her to begin the work. The next year, Congress voted to adopt this symbol as the first American flag. The vote happened on June 14, 1777. In other words, even Canby’s account precludes the idea that Betsy designed the first American flag. What else does history tell us?
The History Surrounding America’s First Flag
Canby’s story paints a tantalizing picture of how the first flag came into being. Yet, primary sources supporting his story prove scarce. It is conceivable, however, that Colonel George Ross might have recommended her for the job. After all, George Ross was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and Betsy’s uncle through marriage.
Historians also know that Washington and Morris worshipped at the same church as Betsy, making them likely acquaintances. And Betsy did sew flags. One receipt addressed to Betsy dated May 29, 1777, details work on a “ships colours” for the Pennsylvania State Navy Board for a price tag of more than 14 pounds. Unfortunately, we don’t know much more about the design of the flag associated with the receipt. No similar receipts have been uncovered detailing the creation of America’s first star-spangled banner.
Nonetheless, the origins of the American flag remain more mysterious. Some historians have even attributed the first design to Francis Hopkinson, a New Jersey delegate to the Continental Congress. A signer of the Declaration of Independence, historical documents demonstrate that Hopkinson played a role in designing seals for various departments within the US government.
What’s more, Hopkinson sought payment from the Board of Admiralty for his design of the “flag of the United States of America” in 1780. His petition for payment, however, was denied by Congress because “he was not the only one consulted” on the design. If the smoking gun in the first flag case is a receipt, Hopkinson has a clear leg up on Betsy.
An Anachronistic Concept
Of course, the whole concept of the American flag’s significance has evolved. When the American Revolution first broke out in 1775, colonists didn’t unite under a single banner. Instead, they fought under regimental or unit flags. The most famous of these? The coiled rattlesnake with the slogan, “Don’t tread on me.”
Some historians even claim that General Washington fought under the British Union Jack at the outset of the war. David Martucci, of the North American Vexillological Association, the world’s largest organization dedicated to studying flags, has thoughts on the subject. He theorizes the flying of the British flag represented a “compromise between the radicals who wanted to see a separate nation and the people who were more conciliatory and wanted to see some accommodation with the crown.”
At some point, however, Washington realized that flying the same flag as the enemy was a point of serious confusion. Hence, the eventual adoption of the stars and stripes in 1777. As for average Americans flying the flag? This practice didn’t become common until 1861 when the Civil War broke out. During the War Between the States, Northerners came to see the flag as a quasi-religious symbol. Just nine years later, within this new patriotic culture, the Betsy Ross story was officially born, and Americans eagerly embraced it.
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