The Rifle Rangers or Adventures in South Mexico (1850) is a novel by Thomas Mayne Reid, set in Vera Cruz, Mexico, during the Mexican War (1846–1848).
The novel depicts the plight of American soldiers stationed in Mexico during the war and their effect on the native population. It follows the life of protagonist Captain Jack Haller as he helms the newly formed American battalion, dubbed the "Rifle Rangers". Accompanying Haller is a small band of fellow soldiers whom he leads on several missions through the Tierra Caliente portion of Mexico. The Rifle Rangers was Reid's first novel and is reflective of the author's wartime duty as a lieutenant in the First New York Volunteer Infantry, with which he traveled to the parts of Mexico described in the novel.
Plot summary
The novel opens with a narrator describing the beauty of the Land of Anahuac, with its picturesque, valleys, mountains, plains, and rolling landscapes. We learn the narrator is in the “Mexican gulf, a beautiful land but the people are unfavorable in their ideas of moral and material condition.” The narrator spends much of the opening chapters discussing the setting with positive natural imagery, depicting interior Mexico as quite romantic. He determines the division of Mexico into three regions: caliente, templada, and fria (hot, temperate and cold.) This is where his adventures begin.
The narrator has a short retrospective memory of New Orleans in which he saves an old mountain trapper friend named Bob Lincoln. We find out the narrator is named Captain Jack Haller. Cpt. Haller and Lincoln go to a volunteer meeting where the Captain signs up for volunteer service. Haller meets an old friend, "a young cotton planter-a free, dashing spirit" named Clayley and a sword-fight between Haller and a man named Dubrosc breaks out. Haller wins the sword-fight and becomes captain of the company of volunteers. Clayley is affected first lieutenant. The company is mustered into the service of the US government, and is named an independent corps dubbed the Rifle Rangers.
On orders, Cpt. Haller leads the company to the island of Lobos, fifty miles north of Vera Cruz to prepare for the Mexican War. After training for a period of time, the troops at Lobos re-embark and prepare a siege of Vera Cruz. In front of the city is the fortress-castle of San Juan de Ulloa. Two forts surround it on the north and south, Concepcion and Santiago respectively. At daybreak, the Rifle Rangers start chasing the enemy through the ridges behind Vera Cruz. They eventually climb the hill of Orizava, above the city of Vera Cruz and atop it they see the City of the True Cross. Guns start firing on the company, so the company holds. A Mexican horseman rides through the ranks into the hills, to a fort called Porto Nuevo, from which the guns were shooting; it is Dubrosc, but he disappears as quickly as he appears.
At the newly made camp, Major Blossom instructs Haller to find mules in the country for the soldiers. After a day touring the land, Cpt. Haller meets a small boy named "Little Jack" and his mustang, "Twidget", who join Haller's central crew. On their ride, Haller climbs a butte to see a forest that leads to a meadow with cattle aplenty. The company starts on a trail through forest, well hidden by underbrush and thickets. At the end of the trail they come upon a house in a clearing, and Haller continues to examine it alone. When he enters the clearing, Haller sees an unprecedented house that resembles a large birdcage made of bamboo. Nearby, he sees two girls swimming and being attacked by a cayman. He and his company save them. The father of the girls invites the men to dinner. He is named Don Cosme Rosales.
After dinner, the soldiers learn Don Cosme is a subterranean. He lives underground for the hottest part of the year. He introduces the soldiers to his wife and daughters. After a short conversation with the Don's family, one of the daughters expresses a wish to see her brother, Narcisso, who is returning from Vera Cruz soon. Major Blossom then delivers the news that her brother is likely not coming home because the Americans encircle Vera Cruz in anticipation of bombarding it. Don Cosme worries for the safety of his son, Narcisso. Haller explains that there is a Spanish ship in Vera Cruz that can save his son. Haller and the Don establish a contract where Haller receives all of Don Cosme's mules if he escorts Don Cosme to the Spanish ship. Don Cosme directs the soldiers towards the herd of mules.
The soldiers start corralling the mules when they notice a band of Indian soldiers approaching, called guerilleros. A battle ensues and one of Haller's men dies. When Haller reaches his fellow soldier's body, he sees the deserter Dubrosc from Lobos on his horse nearby. The soldiers realize they are trapped in the corral. The Mexicans outnumber them and escape is impossible. Haller decides to send Raoul, a trustworthy French cavalryman back to camp on the Major's speedy horse Hercules to ask for reinforcements. The soldiers notice the Mexicans are bringing down a cannon. Haller rallies his troops in response. Lincoln grabs Major Blossom's Prussian-made long distance rifle and kills one of the enemy artillerists in one shot from 800 yards away. Lincoln then kills another artillerist. After that, the artillery moves further away and the Mexicans bring in a Howitzer cannon. Realizing their dire situation, the Rifle Rangers decide to retreat via the mules they corralled. In a harrowing escape, Haller is lassoed by the neck and flung from his horse. Lincoln saves Haller by slicing the rope while the rest of the Mexicans run off when seeing the advancing American army, thanks to Raoul's courage.
As the soldiers ride back to Vera Cruz, they learn all communications between the city and the oncoming armies is prohibited. Don Cosme realizes nothing can be done to save his son. Haller promises him he will save Narcisso personally. Haller and Raoul sneak into the town under the guarded parapet archways through the aqueduct tunnels. They rise to walk on the streets and are stopped by a Mexican street patrol. They are arrested and tried, and found guilty of treason and are sentenced to be garroted. Then American bombs start falling on Vera Cruz. The men are thrown back in jail but Raoul breaks off his cuffs and frees Haller. A shell makes a hole in the roof so the men escape and find Don Cosme's son. All 3 escape via the tunnels and return to Don Cosme's house. After several days, Vera Cruz falls to the Americans. Haller brings Clayley, Lincoln, Chane, Raoul and Little Jack to Don Cosme's house. On the way, they see the bodies of several disfigured soldiers. A man runs forward, but Lincoln kills him. Upon examining Don Cosme's house, the men are ambushed by guerilleros and taken prisoner. They see Dubrosc among the captors. Suddenly Lincoln jumps up and attacks Dubrosc with his rifle, then runs through the thicket into the woods.
Raoul recognizes one of the guerilleros and realizes they are going to Cenobio's hacienda. Cenobia is a local smuggler that Raoul used to work with. The soldiers know whence they are headed but are blindfolded on their mules. Along the route, a woman stuffs a note into Haller's mouth, which he later reads when the company stops. It says his restraints are to be cut that evening and he must do his best to escape. Haller and his men learn that Narcisso is still in the area; the note Haller receives was delivered by Narcisso; the man Lincoln killed earlier was an ally sent to warn the Haller's company of the guerillero attack. The men enjoy a last meal at Cenobio's hacienda before being hanged. As the guerilleros dance, Guadalupe gives Haller a knife with which he frees himself and his men. Haller learns it was his lovely Guadalupe that saved them, not Narcisso. Soon thereafter, Lincoln shows up and helps Haller jointly cut a hole in the adobe cell. The men escape unharmed, but are chased by Spanish blood hounds.
They fight the blood hounds on a cliff and win. The pursuers from the hacienda arrive. Lincoln shoots one but cannot kill the others so the men perform an old Indian trick and leave their hats as fodder while they sneak away. A bolt of lightning separates Haller's company from its pursuers and they make it to Jose Antonio's house, another old smuggler friend of Raoul's. There they meet a priest who betrays them after their supper. Haller, Raoul, Chane and Clayley are again captured, but Lincoln escapes. Their captors are the Jarochos, soldiers of the infamous Jarauta, a robber-priest. Padre Jarauta introduces himself and attacks Raoul. Haller springs to his defense but fails. Because of Haller's vivacity, Jarauta decides to postpone the Americans' imminent death and charges them to a young Jarocho named Lopez. Lopez and a band of Jarochos led by Jarauta deliver Haller and his men to a large cliff, where they hang Haller by his ankles. Lopez falls and dies over the edge as Lincoln pulls Haller back up. Haller rejoices at seeing Little Jack and several more men at his rescue. The men ride towards El Telegrafo, the Mexican headquarters and hear the battle begin. Before they even reach the fort, the American flag is flying; the battle is won.
The Rangers then endeavor to set up an ambuscade for the fleeing Mexicans, which they ultimately take prisoner. They then return to the war-torn city. In the city, a fellow officer named Ransom challenges Haller to a duel. Before the duel begins, a band of Mexicans attack the party. At the head of the attack is Dubrosc. The following firefight is frenzy: Haller is covered in blood from a blow struck by an attacking Mexican and he fires a bullet. The bullet hits Dubrosc, who lies dead next to his horse. Among his personal effects, soldiers find a note saying he was a spy for General Santa Anna. He was sent to join the American army at New Orleans and to desert as soon as they reached Mexico. If he became captain of the Rifle Rangers, he would have surely given them up at La Virgen. After the battle, Ransom apologizes for the duel and the men befriend each other.
Haller and his men, fully recovered, relax after the battle, when Narcisso appears with an invitation to dinner. Haller agrees and seeks out Major Blossom so they can prepare for the ride. They have dinner with Don Cosme and his family several more times, until the war forces the men to leave Vera Cruz. They fight several more battles, about which Reid includes very little explanation, and Cpt. Haller returns to New Orleans in 1848. As he walks along the Levee with his wife, he sees Raoul and Bob Lincoln. They are headed to trap bears in the Rocky Mountains. Haller trades gifts with the men. Raoul receives Haller's rings, and Bob Lincoln receives Major Blossom's powerful Dutch rifle, with which he killed many Mexicans. Haller receives a letter from Clayley which implores him to return to Mexico, saying everyone there misses him, Guadalupe most of all. The last line of the story is "Reader, do you want me to come back?"
Character list
Captain Jack Haller - (Protagonist) leads the Rifle Rangers Bob Lincoln - Trapper, Haller's old friend Major Blossom - Cowardly ally with a powerful Dutch rifle Chane - Irish Rifle Ranger Clayley - American Rifle Ranger who falls in love with Luz Raoul - French smuggler and ally to the Rangers Little Jack - Short Rifle Ranger with a small horse named 'Twidget' Don Cosme - Spanish-born rancher with two daughters Dubrosc - (Antagonist) Spy for Santa Anna
Literary and historical background