Brief History of Christopher B. (Kit) Acklin played by Trevor Donovan

Christopher B. (Kit) Acklin who was a Texas Ranger in the 1840s.

Although Christopher Black Acklin was not in the Texas Ranger Museum's Hall of Fame, his career as a Ranger was linked most notably Texas Ranger Hall Of Fame Inductee, Jack Coffee Hays.

Christopher (Kit) Acklin was born ca 1819 to Samuel Black Acklin & Elizabeth (Hunt) Acklin in Huntsville, Alabama. Huntsville was founded by Kit's grandfather,Col. John Hunt. C.B. Acklin's paternal grandparents were Christopher & Christian (Black) Acklin, who were my 5th great-grandparents.

I'm not quite sure when Christopher Black Acklin moved to Texas and joined the Rangers. He was listed as one of the participants in the August 12, 1840,Battle of Plum Creek.
In August 1844 Cicero Rufus Perry and Christopher Black Acklin were both severely injured and left for dead in a fight with Comanche Indians. Acklin is mentioned as Kit Ackland in the Battle of Bandera Pass. From the San Antonio Light (Sunday, May 15, 1955) and article entitled, "The Rangers No Indian Could Kill, by David Nevin:

"It was August of 1844 and the sun was flaming hot over Nueces canyon. Only a month before, Capt. Jack Hays' rangers had fought Indians to a standstill in this same canyon. Now Kit Ackland, Rufus Perry, James Dunn and John Carlin were out from San Antonio to recheck the canyon for Indian sign. They didn't see it--but it was there. A war party crouched on the canyon walls watching, waiting. Two of the four rangers were facing the most terrible fight of their lives--topping even Ackland's famous knife fight with a Comanche chief in the battle of Bandera Pass." While Carlin and Dunn were bathing in a creek that fed the Nueces, Acklin and Perry got into a horrific fight with the Indians. "The Indians fired at him (Acklin), bullets and arrows. He was hit twice in the body and an arrow battered out teeth and ripped through his cheek." "But he (Acklin) didn't stumble." "...he snapped off a shot (with his 5-shot revolver)...and stood his ground." The paralyzed Perry rolled over and also shot at the Indians. The Indians briefly lost the trail of the injured rangers and Acklin managed to carry Perry to a hiding place.

Carlin and Dunn "bareback and naked" headed towards San Antonio, 120 miles away after carrying Perry across the river while the bleeding Acklin "splashed across." When they arrived there they told Capt. Hays that Perry and Acklin were dead. "Six days after the battle Perry staggered into San Antonio on foot." "Acklin staggered into camp only two hours after Perry." "Both men wre in terrible condition--each had three wounds festering and they were tattered and bloody. Their wounded faces were swollen beyond recognition. But both lived."

There was a special place in the Mexican War for the Texans, including Captain Christopher B. Acklin. Acklin relinquished command 1 Aug 1846; resumed command 12 September 1846. Walter P. Laneassumed command in Acklin's place. One account of participation by the Texans can be found here.

C. B. Acklin moved to California (as did Captain Jack C. Hays). Acklin was in Mariposa County, Californiaby 11 November 1858; an obituary of one of his friends (George W. Harrison) died at Acklin's residence on that date. Other residents of Mariposa County wereGeneral John C. Fremont and his wife, Jessie Benton Fremont.

Christopher Black Acklin, who was a constable of Mariposa Co., California, according to the 1870 Census, died 13 December 1871, there.

Trevor Donovan stars in History Channel epic miniseries Texas Rising

Trevor Donovan has joined the killer cast of History’s miniseries Texas Rising (working title) from A+E Studios and ITV Studios America. Leslie Greif (Hatfields & McCoys) is exec producing the project which will detail the Texas Revolution against Mexico and the rise of the legendary Texas Rangers. Roland Joffé will direct.  Trevor Donovan, with APA and Michael Yanni Management, will play Kit Acklin, a handsome, wise-ass, expert horseman whose chivalry and equestrian skills are matched only by his gun-fighting prowess. Bill Paxton, Brendan Fraser, Ray Liotta, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Thomas Jane, Olivier Martinez, Chad Michael Murray, Michael Rapaport and Max Thieriot round out the all-star cast.

"Texas Rising" is produced by A+E Studios and ITV Studios America in association with Thinkfactory Media for HISTORY. Leslie Greif is executive producer for Thinkfactory Media.  Dirk Hoogstra, Elaine Frontain Bryant and Julian P. Hobbs serve as executives in charge of production for The History Channel

The synopsis:

In 1836, west of the Mississippi was considered the Wild West and the Texas frontier was viewed as hell on earth. Crushed from the outside by Mexican armadas and attacked from within by ferocious Comanche tribes – no one was safe. But this was a time of bravery, a time to die for what you believed in and a time to stand tall against the cruel rule of the Mexican General Santa Anna. The heroic General Sam Houston, the rag tag Rangers and the legendary "Yellow Rose of Texas,” lead this story of the human will to win against insurmountable odds. At the end, the Texas flags stood tall and victorious, claiming a piece of history for all eternity.

THIS ARTICLE IS RELATED TO: Television, Television, Trevor Donovan