William A. A. Wallace facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William A. A. Wallace
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Wallace circa 1872
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| Birth name | William Alexander Anderson Wallace |
| Nickname(s) | "Bigfoot" |
| Born | April 3, 1817 Lexington, Virginia |
| Died | January 7, 1899 Bigfoot, Texas |
| Place of burial |
Texas State Cemetery
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| Allegiance | Republic of Texas United States |
| Service/ |
Texas Ranger Division |
| Battles/wars | Mexican Invasions of Texas
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William Alexander Anderson "Bigfoot" Wallace (born April 3, 1817 – died January 7, 1899) was a well-known Texas Ranger. He was involved in many important events and battles in the 1840s, both for the Republic of Texas and later for the United States. One of these was the Mexican–American War.
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Who Was Bigfoot Wallace?
William "Bigfoot" Wallace was born in Lexington, Virginia. His family came from Scotland and Ireland. When he was young, he heard that his brother and a cousin had been killed in the Goliad Massacre in Texas. This made him decide to move to Texas to get even. Years later, he felt that he had achieved his goal.
Wallace was a very tall and strong man. He was about 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed around 240 pounds when he was at his strongest.
Early Adventures and Battles
Wallace fought in several battles, including the Battle of Salado Creek, the Battle of Hondo River, and the Battle of Mier. After the Battle of Mier, he was captured and held in Perote Prison. He survived a scary event called the Black Bean Incident, where prisoners had to draw beans to decide who would be executed.
Wallace also took part in the Mexican–American War. He fought in the Battle of Monterrey. As a member of John Coffee Hays's Rangers, he sought revenge for his time in prison after the Mier Expedition. Later, he also fought in the Comanche Wars against the Comanche Native Americans.
Leading a Ranger Company
In the 1850s, Bigfoot Wallace became the leader of his own Texas Ranger company. His team fought against criminals along the border and also against Native American groups. He was very skilled at tracking people. Because of this, he was often asked to find runaway slaves who were trying to escape to Mexico.
He also worked as a mail driver, taking mail from San Antonio to El Paso. Once, Comanches stole his mules. Wallace then walked all the way to El Paso. When he finally arrived, he was so hungry he ate twenty-seven eggs before getting a full meal in town!
Later Life and Legacy
During the Civil War, Wallace helped protect the Texas frontier from the Comanches. For a time, he owned a small ranch on the Medina River. This land was given to him by the state of Texas.
In his later years, Wallace lived in South Texas, near a small village called Bigfoot. He never got married. He was known as a friendly and easygoing person who loved to sit in his chair and tell stories about his life and adventures. While he was an honest man, he liked to "stretch the blanket," meaning he would make his stories a bit more exciting than they actually were.
Bigfoot Wallace passed away on January 7, 1899. Soon after, the Texas government arranged for his body to be moved to the Texas State Cemetery.
The town of Bigfoot, Texas in Frio County is named after him. Also, Wallace Creek in Bandera County carries his name. There is even a local museum, the Big Foot Wallace museum, which displays items related to him and the community.
Bigfoot Wallace in Books and TV
Bigfoot Wallace has appeared in several stories and shows.
- The famous writer Larry McMurtry included a made-up version of Wallace in his book Dead Man's Walk. This book is a prequel to Lonesome Dove. In this story, Wallace is a Ranger who joins Augustus McCrae and Woodrow Call on an expedition. When they are captured, they have to draw beans to decide who lives or dies, just like in the real Mier Expedition. But in this fictional story, Wallace draws a black bean and is executed, which is different from what happened in real life. In the TV show based on the book, Keith Carradine played Wallace.
- In the History Channel TV series Texas Rising, the actor Robert Baker played Wallace.
- Wallace is also shown as a mentor to a young cattle rancher named John Chisum in a 2019 novel by Russ Brown called Miss Chisum.
