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Aylett was an adventurer, a soldier of fortune, as it were. He served as a filibuster, militia commander, Indian fighter, and even settled down for a period as a farmer, which he had to find dull and uninviting. While his physical dimensions are unknown, he must have been large and powerful in appearance. At least one report lists him as “six feet, six inches tall and weighing about 250 pounds.” Friends and neighbors in Virginia nicknamed him “Strap,” because of his size and prowess. This is a Southern term, bestowed on one whose physique would fit in with muscular weight lifters of today.
It is said that Strap “hunted the strongest game with no other weapon than his bare fist; and the wildcat, wolf, and bear soon became scare in the Colorado lowlands” of Texas. He was apparently a kind man and unaware of what his muscular prowess could do, regardless how innocently intended: “he playfully slapped men on the back with such force as to cause bruises and injury. . . . he knocked men down without the least intention of doing them harm.”
Overview
Even before Texas declared its independence in 1836, pioneers from all walks of life wanted to cash in on the exciting new opportunities this land had to offer. Whiskey swiggin’ Father Michael Muldoon was the first Catholic priest to serve non-Hispanics. Entrepreneur Sarah Bowman opened up numerous hotels, eateries, and brothels to provide comfort (in more ways than one) for gold seekers. And Three-Legged Willie became a legendary judge and lawmaker. Regardless of their reasons for wandering out West, the ...