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Revisiting the Purpose of the 1855 Callahan Expedition: A Research Note

On October 1, 1855, 111 Texas Rangers of the Callahan Expedition began crossing the Rio Grande in order to punish the Lipan Apaches who had been raiding Texas frontier settlements and then retreating to Mexico. The Indians had become accustomed to the United States Army soldiers stopping at the border; the governor of Texas, however, had authorized the Rangers to “follow them up and chastise them wherever they may be found.”1 Over the past century, many historians have labeled the expedition as a slave-hunting venture. The steady repetition of this interpretation has resulted in unproven allegations now being advertised as fact. For example, the Bullock Texas State History Museum claims on its website that “the announced purpose of the raid was retribution against the Lipan Apache, but most of the activity centered around recovering escaped slaves.”2 This research note presents the results of a critical analysis of the evidence that has been used to support the claim of slave hunting. Unexpectedly, the analysis revealed that none of the evidence is convincing. Contemporary nationwide newspaper reports and documents containing statements of those involved with the expedition clearly indicate that the