"Bigfoot" Wallace of the Mier Expedition


“A motley, mixed-up crowd we were, you may be certain.  Broken-down politicians from the ‘Old States’ that somehow had got on the wrong side of the fence and been left out in the cold.  Renegades and refugees from justice, that had left their country for the country's good, and adventurers of all sorts, ready for anything or any enterprise that afforded a reasonable prospect of excitement and plunder. Dare-devils they were all, and afraid of nothing under the sun - except a due-bill or a bailiff.” – William A.A. “Bigfoot” Wallace describing the members of the Mier Expedition

“Bigfoot” Wallace was a legendary pioneer soldier and Texas Ranger who originally came to Texas in 1836 after learning of his brother’s death in the Goliad Massacre. He attempted farming in the La Grange area but grew tired of the profession and eventually set out for Austin, then San Antonio. When General Woll invaded San Antonio in September 1842, Wallace joined fellow Texans in defending the city. In retribution for Woll’s incursion, he joined the Sommerville and Mier Expeditions for filibuster raids into the Mexican Republic.

Wallace was captured after the Battle of Mier but survived the Black Bean Lottery. He spent another year and a half in Perote Prison before being liberated in August 1844. Upon returning to Texas, Wallace promptly joined the Texas Rangers. For the next twenty years, Wallace’s legend was shaped by his service in the Mexican-American War, fights with bandits along the border, and the Civil War. In his later years, Wallace was renowned for telling stories of his colorful career to anyone who would listen. Most considered “Bigfoot” Wallace to be an honest man, but from time to time, he certainly enjoyed stretching the blanket and embellishing his stories.

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