Texas Armadillo

[Jim Van Eldik]

Since the subject has come up, I, as a historian, feel obligated to enlighten Forum readers about some of the lesser known history of the ubiquitous armadillo. In 1522, when Coronado attacked Montezuma at Mexico City, it was a terrible shock for the locals who for the first time had to face both horses, and fellows with steel helmets on their heads. Montezuma sought to come up with an counter force and organized his own cavalry outfit. These 500 picked men were mounted on buffaloes. They then gutted some 500 armadillos and used the shells for helmets. In Mexican military folklore this unit is referred to as the 1st Mexican Armored Cavalry.

It wasn't long before the leprosy problem raised its ugly head and soon the soldiers began losing noses, scalps, ears, etc. The elite unit was decimated. Thus in American history we simply refer to these guys as Montezuma's Headless Horsemen.