The Devil’s Triangle, James Smallwood, Kenneth Howell, Carol Taylor, University of North Texas Press. Paper, $19.95. Non-fiction, Maps, Notes, Bibliography, Index.
This book is a well-written study of the War of Reconstruction in Texas between 1865 and 1877. Gangs of ex-Confederate soldiers returning home to Texas after the “Lost Cause“ harbored hatred and resentment toward freedmen (ex-slaves) and Northern sympathizers who tried to begin new lives after the Civil War.
For more than ten years, roving bands of robbers and highwaymen, acting under the guise of getting even for past grievances were determined to use the war as an excuse for the murder and mayhem they created. Most were really bandits and renegades using their hatred for a good excuse for their skullduggery.
One young ex-Confederate soldier, born and raised on a successful Texas farm, is featured in this book as one of the ringleaders operating throughout various Northeastern counties in Texas. Ben Bickerstaff came from a disciplined, hard-working family. He took to soldering at a young age, joined the Confederate Army when Texas went with the South and saw military action in a number of battles. He eventually became a prisoner of war and spent time in a Northern prison camp. A series of harsh experiences drove his hatred for the North, and by the time he returned home in Texas at Warts end, he was a bitter, battle-hard soldier determined to get even with everybody.
Bickerstaff was one of the organizers of the Ku Klux Klan, and apart from robbing and looting, he took part in the murders of many freedmen trying to live in their own new world. With peace officers few and far between, Bickerstaff and his followers created nearly constant fear and unrest in the entire Northeastern corner of the state of Texas. Due to his familiarity with the countryside learned from his boyhood, Bickerstaff and his followers were able to hide in heavily wooded areas where lawmen and bounty hunters could never successfully follow.
The book goes into detailed political maneuvers among those trying to create a. safe environment for law-abiding citizens living both in towns as well as on ranches. The emotional turmoil spilling over after years of war continued to cause harsh feelings among the people, and some even privately took sides with Bickerstaff’s hatred for the North. Bickerstaff’s crimes were horrific; folks who sympathized with the North were in peril until Bickerstaff’s own death at the hands of an armed group of townsfolk who had finally had enough of him. Bickerstaff was a married man, and it sounds like his wife was as tough as he was. Upon learning of his death, she angrily retrieved the body for burial in a place of her choice, even though the corpse had been beheaded.
We read about influential people such as Sam Houston trying to establish peace and tranquility in Texas newly returned to the Union. The history of Texas Reconstruction between 1865 and 1877 is fascinating and sometimes shocking. The authors have presented a serious, hard-hitting view of a difficult time in Texas history that has been mostly forgotten today. This book belongs in your Old West library.
Editor’s Note: The reviewer Phyllis Morreale-de la Garza is the author of numerous published books about the Old West, including 9 Days At Dragoon Springs, published by Silk Label Books, P.O. Box 399, Unionville, New York 10988 www.silklabelbooks.com
*Courtesy of Chronicle of the Old West newspaper, for more click HERE.
February 2, 2021 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on Old West Book Review: The Devil’s Triangle
In January of 1872, the Russian Grand
Duke Alexis went on what was called a “millionaire hunt.”
Because of his political influence, General Sheridan was instructed to make sure the 21-year-old Grand Duke had a good time. So General Sheridan selected George Armstrong Custer as the grand marshal, and Buffalo Bill Cody as the hunting guide.
Buffalo Bill enlisted Sioux Chief Spotted Tail and 100 of his braves as entertainment. According to Buffalo Bill “the Duke Alexis paid considerable attention to a handsome Indian maiden.”
Protocol dictated that the Grand Duke should kill the first buffalo.
The Grand Duke wanted to take his buffalo with a handgun. But after he emptied two pistols with no hits, Buffalo Bill gave the Grand Duke his buffalo rifle, “Lucretia”. The Grand Duke got his buffalo. Afterward, everyone drank champagne. Buffalo Bill, in his autobiography commented that he “was in hopes the Grand Duke Alexis would kill five or six more, if champagne was to be opened every time he dropped one.”
One can only imagine the battle for the Grand Duke’s attention that took place between Buffalo Bill Cody and General Custer. However, it seems that the Grand Duke actually liked General Custer quite a bit. General Custer got a big hug from the Grand Duke. The two took pictures together following the hunt. And when General Custer was killed, the Grand Duke sent money to General Custer’s wife Libby. Buffalo Bill did get three buffalo’s head broaches. And then, don’t forget the free champagne.
January 21, 2021 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on Grand Duke Alexis
By the mid 1880’s the cattle industry was going wild. Speculators were overstocking the grazing ranges of
Montana,
Wyoming and the Dakotas. And with several mild winters they were also saving money by not putting up feed for wintertime. The summer of 1886 was a dry one. By autumn the range was almost barren of grass… And then winter came early with record-breaking snow falls. January 9, 1887 was the worst day of the worst winter, with an inch of snow falling each hour for 16 hours. The temperature went as low as 63 degrees below zero. It ended up with the cattle industry decimated.
With no stored winter feed the cattle wandered into towns.
Great Falls, Montana had as many as 5,000 cattle eating trees and anything else eatable. Most ended up dying in the streets of the town.
In the spring the ranchers went out to check the damage. Where once cattle grazed the ranges, now there were only carcasses. Rotting cattle filled the rivers and streams so it was impossible to find water fit to drink.
The Continental Land and Cattle Company lost almost all of their 30,000 head. The Swan Land and Cattle Company found only 10% of their 5,500 three-year-olds. Hundreds of ranches went into bankruptcy… including
Theodore Roosevelt, who returned East.
As a result of the devastating winter, those ranchers who survived decreased the size of their herds. They realized they needed more control of the cattle and stretched barbed wire across their land. They also started doing more farming to provide plenty of winter-feed. This, in turn, changed the cowboy into a farm hand.
January 15, 2021 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on Cattle Industry Decimated
January 22, 1883, Bee, Sacramento, California – Passenger train No. 1, which left Sacramento Saturday night, was captured at Montello last night by masked road agents who relieved the train men of their watches and money and then locked them up in the tank. They then cut the engine, postal and express cars off and put them on the sidetrack, and called express messenger Ross, who, thinking he was at Tacoma, opened the car door.
He was commanded to step out, but declined, and shutting the car door was fired upon and wounded in the hand. He kept the door closed and returned the fire as best he could. Some fifteen or twenty shots were exchanged, the door being badly battered up.
The section men were robbed and locked up just before No. 1 reached Montello. When No. 2 arrived at Montello, Conductor Clement was ordered to pull out, which he did, reaching Tacoma as soon as possible and reported train No. 1 as in the hands of robbers.
The train was released and reported at Tacoma before an armed force could be dispatched from Tacoma. The passengers were not molested and nothing was lost except the money taken from train employees. Their watches were returned.
The man who took charge of the engine is described as 5 feet 9 inches high, and of light complexion. Conductor Casson, who had charge of the train, thinks there were six men and nine horsed, while Clement thinks there were fifteen. They rode off in a southerly direction.
The Chinese section hands robbed were badly demoralized and will not work. Four of them walked to Tacoma and had their feet badly frozen.
The No. 2 was the westbound overland passenger train, which stopped at the place where the robbers were at work, and was ordered on and hurried to Tacoma, four miles away, to give the alarm. Had they got through with No.1 before No. 2 arrived it was doubtless intended to rob the latter also.
The robbery took place in Elko County, Nevada, 100 moles from Elko and 167 miles from Ogden. The train was due at the latter place at 8 A.M., but was about three hours late in consequence of the robbery.
The Central Pacific Railroad Company has offered a reward of $500 for each man arrested and convicted, in addition to the regular reward of Wells, Fargo and Co. All detectives and officers have been notified.
December 30, 2020 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on Train Robbed By Road Agents
For pioneers headed out
west times were tough. But no matter what the circumstances, even the harshness of
Death Valley, they took time out to celebrate a Death Valley Christmas.
It was December of 1849. The Brier family, comprised of Rev. Brier, his wife Juliet and three children aged nine, six and four were traveling from Illinois to
California in an all male wagon train. Unable to keep up, the Briers were left behind. Finally forced to abandon their wagon, they continued on by foot.
On Christmas Eve the Briers entered Death Valley. Rev. Brier went ahead of his family to look for water. Juliet, carrying their four-year-old son pushed the cattle ahead. At midnight they came across a small fire and Rev. Brier. It was six more miles to the main camp and water. When they arrived, they washed off the alkali dust. Two teamsters headed in the same direction as the Briers showed up in camp. Meat was cooked, biscuits made, and coffee boiled.
Sitting by the warmth of the fire, the small group listened to Rev. Brier as he preached his
Christmas sermon. After the sermon was over, a man scouting ahead for another wagon train joined the group.
A Night in Death Valley
Although the Briers were no longer alone, their hard time was not over. They walked the remaining 400 miles to Los Angeles. Were it not for the determination of Juliet Brier, who was only five foot tall, the family would not have made it. During those last three weeks she not only steadied her husband, but she provided inspiration to all the men in the wagon train.
The Brier family arrived safely in Los Angeles where Rev. and Juliet Brier lived a long life, having more children. But they never forgot that Christmas in Death Valley.
December 25, 2020 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on Death Valley Christmas
John Chisum
The Old West had a couple of “Chisholms” who were cattlemen… Jesse Chisholm of the Chisholm Trail fame and John Chisum of Lincoln County, New Mexico. Although their last names are spelled differently, they often get confused. Since John Chisum is less well known, today we’ll take a look at this man.
John Chisum was born in Tennessee. Although, reportedly John’s father spelled his last name the same as Jesse Chisholm of the Chisholm Trail fame, they were not related, and for whatever reason, John changed the spelling of his name.
As a young man John and his parents moved to Texas. At the age of 30 John got into the cattle business. Seeing the opportunities better in
New Mexico, John moved his operation up there, and ran 80,000 head in Lincoln County.
With this cattle running over a vast isolated area, rustlers started picking them off. So, Chisum teamed up with a couple of other cattlemen named McSween and Tunstall. Their foes were a couple of cattlemen and merchants who were underselling cattle to the Army. And, Chisum felt they were able to sell the cattle cheaply because the cattle were stolen from him.
Before long there was an all-out war. Chisum, McSween and Tunstall recruited cowboys who were gunslingers. One such cowboy was Billy the Kid.
When the war turned in favor of the small cattlemen and merchants, and Chisum continued losing cattle to rustlers and Indians, he lost much of his wealth and power.
In 1884 John Chisum developed a neck tumor, and on December 22 he died in Eureka Springs, Arkansas where he had gone for treatment. An indication of the wealth he had at the peak of his career, when Chisum died, his estate was still worth a half million dollars.
December 10, 2020 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on John Chisum
Bill Crabtree was a Texas cowboy who wanted to be a great outlaw. And, try as he would, he constantly failed. It seems as if every time he turned around he was being arrested for something… from unlawfully carrying a pistol to murder, from which he was acquitted. In 1878, he got involved with the Horrell brothers. In May of that year, the Horrell gang, without the brothers, attempted to pull off a major-league robbery. In the process, the owner of the store that also operated as a bank, was killed. The outlaws got out of town in a hail of bullets. But, about a mile out of town Bill Crabtree’s horse fell dead. It had been hit by a bullet.
Now, here is where 1800’s forensics comes into the picture. The posse cut off one of the horse’s feet and took it to blacksmiths in the area. It was identified by a blacksmith as belonging to Bill Crabtree. Crabtree was arrested, and he talked like a mynah bird. Even though the Horrell brothers weren’t on the robbery, they were arrested as accessories. The rest of the gang hightailed it to Mexico.
On November 28, 1878, Bill Crabtree testified against the Horrell gang. That evening Crabtree was walking the streets a free man. But, his freedom didn’t last long, because as he was walking along the Bosque River, the blast of a shotgun almost cut him in half. Obviously, some member of the gang had returned from Mexico.
Incidentally, the Horrell brothers didn’t get a chance to serve their prison time. A short time after the death of Crabtree, vigilantes shot them dead.
November 18, 2020 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on William Crabtree and the Horrell Gang
As the western part of the United States was being settled the Great Plains, known as the Great American Desert, was considered unsuitable for settlement. So, it was decided to make it one big reservation for all the Indian tribes to occupy. So came the Medicine Lodge Treaty.
But, by 1865 farmers had found a way to raise crops in this “desert.” And, railroads and telegraph lines were crossing the area, presenting tempting targets for the Indians. Something had to be done. Prior to this, under the direction of the government, various churches had tried to civilize the Indian by making him a farmer. These were met with mixed success. But, the government still felt that it was easier to civilize than to kill.
It was decided to abandon the idea of a giant continuous reservation, for one that had clear boundaries in Western Oklahoma. So, on October 21, 1867 a federal peace commission met with representatives from the
Comanche, Kiowa,
Cheyenne, Arapahoe and other tribes at Medicine Lodge in Kansas to sign a treaty.
The government would provide rations, clothing, housing and schools. In exchange, the Indian would become a farmer, stay on the reservation, and stop attacking whites. The object was to get the Indian to give up his traditional ways, and become civilized.
As with other treaties, the Medicine Lodge Treaty was a failure: The treaty was so complicated that most of the chiefs who signed it didn’t realize its implications. The chiefs who signed the treaty didn’t represent all the Indians. And, although Congress set up the terms of the treaty, they wouldn’t appropriate the rations, clothing and housing spelled out in the treaty. So, the Indian wars continued.
October 23, 2020 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on Medicine Lodge Treaty
As a young man Lew Wallace practiced law in
Indiana. With the outbreak of the Civil War, he was named the adjutant general for Indiana, and served with distinction. Following the war, he went back to his law practice. But he worked just hard enough to pay his bills.
Then in 1878,
President Hayes, owing him a favor, appointed Lew Wallace the governor of the New Mexico Territory. Some say that Wallace was a bit obnoxious, and this was how President Hayes got rid of him.
On September 30, 1878, Lew Wallace and his wife arrived at Santa Fe,
New Mexico. By this time the initial incidents of the Lincoln County War had already taken place, and things were quiet. Then in February of 1879 another killing took place. Governor Wallace personally went to Lincoln County, and ordered a number of grand jury indictments and arrests. He also met with Billy the Kid, and agreed to pardon the Kid if he would testify in court for the prosecution.
Unfortunately, Governor Wallace was unable to follow through with his promise of pardoning Billy the Kid and went back to Santa Fe. When Billy the Kid realized he wasn’t getting a pardon, he escaped from jail, killing two of his guards in the process.
In March of 1880, just two and a half years after he arrived in Santa Fe, Wallace packed his bags and returned east. According to Wallace he was a failure.
Quite possibly while in New Mexico his attention was elsewhere. For upon his arrival in New York he delivered a book manuscript to Harper’s Publishing. It was the novel Ben-Hur.
October 17, 2020 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on Lew Wallace
It was 1864 in Jackson County, Missouri. Two men, Dick Merrick and Jeb Sharp had murdered a horse trader by the name of John Bascum. The two men were arrested and put on trial. The judge sentenced them to be hanged from the gallows. And, he said it must be done within twenty-four hours. There wasn’t much of an appeals process in the Old West.
So, on September 6, the townspeople frantically started building a gallows. Just before the twenty-four hour deadline was up, the two men were grabbed, sacks were put over their heads, and they were led to the gallows. Ropes were placed around their necks. The trap door sprung. Before the deadline, their lifeless bodies were hanging from the end of ropes. The townspeople congratulated themselves on a job well done.
Sheriff Clifford Stewart went back to his office to take care of the final paperwork. But, when he stepped inside his office, Sheriff Stewart had the surprise of his life. There in the cell were the murderers Dick Merrick and Jeb Sharp. At first, he thought it surely was a mirage. But it sure wasn’t.
Within a matter of hours, the situation had been sorted out. It seems that the night before two men had been arrested for drunkenness. And they had been grabbed by mistake. The men were still too drunk to protest, and Merrick and Sharp sure weren’t going to tell anybody they had the wrong men.
This story should persuade any person of the merits of living a temperate life. Oh, one other thing. Since the judge had required the sentence be carried out within twenty-four hours, and it wasn’t, the two killers were set free.
September 27, 2020 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on Wrong Men Hanged From the Gallows
It seems that everyone in the
Old West had nicknames… And some of them were very strange. But, none was as strange as Charles Bryant’s. He was called “Black Faced Charley.” It seems that he was shot point-blank in the face. The bullet just creased his cheek. But, the burnt powder coming out of the pistol imbedded in his face, giving him his nickname.
Later, Bryant joined the Dalton gang. And during the gang’s shootout with a posse was heard to say something like, “Me, I want to get killed in one heck of a minute of action.” Well, Bryant put it out there, and on August 23, 1891, he got his wish.
Being arrested, Bryant had to be transported to jail by Deputy U.S. Marshal Ed Short. Marshal Short was transporting the handcuffed Bryant in a train baggage car when he had to visit the john. Marshal Short gave his pistol to the railroad messenger and left. The messenger put the pistol in a desk drawer and went about his chores.
Unnoticed, Bryant moved around to the desk and got the pistol, just as Marshal Short entered the baggage car. Bryant placed one shot into Marshal Short’s chest. Short, carrying a rifle, shot Bryant…severing his spine. Bryant continued firing the pistol until it was empty. The rest of his shots went wild.
Bryant was killed in one heck of a minute of action just as he wished. Marshal Short helped the messenger pick up Bryant’s body. Marshal Short then laid down on the cot and died… also the victim of heck of a minute of action.
Both bodies were left on the train platform at the next stop.
September 21, 2020 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on Black Faced Charley
One Who Yawns was born in 1823. He was known as an easygoing person. But, as a young man, while the men were away, Mexicans attacked his village and killed the women and children, among who were his mother, wife and three children. This instilled in him a hatred for Mexicans that lasted throughout his life. A year after the attack on his village, One Who Yawns and some other braves retaliated, killing several Mexicans. In this battle he won his more popular Spanish name…
Geronimo.
Although he was a great leader, Geronimo was never a chief, and always deferred to his people’s true chiefs. For decades he succeeded in keeping settlers off
Apache lands using little more than a handful of braves. Although Geronimo never used a firearm himself, he made sure his braves had the best available. And they used field glasses for distance reconnaissance. He was a brilliant strategist who for years was able to evade the best the army could send.
By 1886 Geronimo was in his 60’s, and the number of whites in the area kept growing. So, on September 4 at Skeleton Canyon, Arizona, Geronimo surrendered to General Nelson A. Miles becoming the last American Indian warrior to formally surrender to the Army.
A number of times over the years Geronimo agreed to live on a reservation, and later, with justification, left it. So this time his people were shipped to Florida. After several years in Florida the army moved him to Oklahoma where he became a popular celebrity. He even rode in
President Theodore Roosevelt’s inaugural parade in 1905. Geronimo died at the age of 86, a romantic symbol of the Wild West.
August 31, 2020 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on One Who Yawns aka Geronimo
Clay Allison was a hard-drinking, prankster of the type who becomes a legend in his own time. During his lifetime, Allison only killed four people. But the stories about him that didn’t involve killing are as entertaining as those that did. There’s the story of Dentist Clay Allison looking up gunman Mace Bowman with the object of killing him. But, Bowman was a congenial person, and the two men ended up getting drunk together. Still curious about who was the fastest, they decided to test each other’s speed with some fast draws. Allison found Bowman was faster than he was. So, Allison suggested they strip to underwear, and shoot at each other’s bare feet to see who could move faster. They were either poor shots or fleet of feet, because a short time later the two men, out of breath, bellied up to the bar for another drink.
Then, there was the time on August 16, 1874, when Allison arrived in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He had a raging toothache. Now, Cheyenne had two dentists. So, Allison chose the closest one and climbed in his chair. The dentist drilled away at the tooth, only to discover he was drilling the wrong one. When the dentist announced his mistake, Allison angrily jumped out of the chair, and went over to the other dentist’s office. The other dentist took care of the problem.
With his pain gone, Allison returned to the first dentist, and pinned the dentist in his chair. Grabbing the dentist’s forceps, Clay Allison proceeded to pull, according to different stories, one, three or all of the dentist’s teeth. I can assure you that dentist never drilled on the wrong tooth again.
Clay Allison, you sure are a card.
August 18, 2020 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on Dentist Clay Allison
Ella Watson has been described as “a dare devil in the saddle, handy with a six shooter and adept with the lariat and branding iron.” She has also been described as a homely prostitute who happened to take the wrong form of payment for her services.
In truth she was homely. Ella Watson secretly married a
Wyoming Territory merchant named Jim Averill. Jim wasn’t liked by the cattle ranchers. That’s because Jim had acquired land traditionally used for grazing, and he rubbed salt in the wound by writing “anti-cattlemen” letters to the local paper.
Ella Watson filed for a homestead, and built a log cabin close to Jim Averill’s store where she started plying her trade as a soiled dove. She also started taking cattle as payment for her services.
The cattle ranchers accused Jim and Ella of cattle rustling. Now, quite possibly a
cowboy or two may have paid her with cattle not belonging to him… but because the local authorities wouldn’t take action against them, the cattlemen kidnapped Jim and Ella and lynched them.
It was well known who did the lynching. There were even five witnesses. But they were all either shot or disappeared. So the trial never took place.
Now, most people have never heard of Ella Watson, because after her death she acquired another name.
The town’s people started protesting the lynching. So the cattlemen planted stories in local newspapers changing the homely prostitute Ella Watson into a gun slinging gang leader by the name of “Cattle Kate”. She became so famous her story was written-up in New York’s “Police Gazette.”
July 10, 2020 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on Ella Watson – A Daredevil in the Saddle
In the early 1870’s
Chochise and his band were raiding and killing white settlers in southern Arizona, and resentment was running high against all Indians. Chief Eskiminzin was the leader of a small group of
Apache. Low on food and poorly clothed he brought his people to Camp Grant near
Tucson, Arizona. Eventually more than 400 Indians had assembled in the area, and the citizens were becoming fearful. Following an incident where a couple of settlers were killed, a mob of almost 150 men were assembled to punish the wrong doers.
Although Eskiminzin’s people had nothing to do with the killing, the mob attacked and killed about 100 of them, with most of them women and children. Eskiminzin lost two wives and five children.
Still Chief Eskiminzin wanted peace. But two month’s later a military attachment accidentally opened fire on his people. Eskiminzin had had enough. However, before he left the area he wanted to visit his old friend, Charles McKinney. So, on the evening of June 5, 1871 McKinney and Eskiminzin had dinner. Following the meal Eskiminzin suddenly stood up, drew his pistol and shot his friend McKinney dead.
Later Eskiminzin explained his action. He said: “I did it to teach my people that there must be no friendship between them and the white man. Anyone can kill an enemy, but it takes a strong man to kill a friend.”
Even though it was known that Chief Eskiminzin killed his friend, strange as it may seem, he never spent a day in jail for the killing, and neither did the mob that murdered his tribe.
June 13, 2020 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on Chief Eskiminzin
In order to get, what were to become the plains states, settled,
President Lincoln signed the
Homestead Act on May 20, 1862. And, it worked as thousands of people, who were soon called Sodbusters, took up the government’s offer for free land.
They expected to settle on treed land with running water similar to the places they left behind. But, what they found was a treeless plains.
With shelter the first priority, and no trees or stones to build one, they resorted to burrowing a cave in the side of a hill. It was called a dugout home. Although these dugouts were protection from wind and cold, they were dark, crowded and damp.
Being ever resourceful, they discovered they could build a home using one foot by two foot pieces of sod cut from the ground with a shovel or special plow. These pieces of sod were called “Nebraska marble.” As one pioneer put it, a house could be built “without mortar, square, plumb or greenbacks.”
A 12 ft by 14 ft home could be built in 10 days. The sod houses were ideal for the plains. They were cool in the summer, warm in the winter and in case of a prairie fire, wouldn’t burn.
However, there was the down side. The roof shed dirt into food and bedding, in addition to an occasional snake. When it rained, it would drip muddy water, forcing wives to hold an umbrella in one hand while cooking with the other.
But, these “sodbusters” rarely complained. It truly took a special person to settle the West.
May 24, 2020 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on Sodbusters
After the defeat of Custer in 1876, realizing there would be retaliations, the Indians broke up into smaller bands so they could move faster and not be easily found. But many of the bands were tracked down, and relocated to reservations.
Sitting Bull, in command of the western party, took his people to Montana, and avoided any major confrontations with the army. Four months after Little Big Horn, Sitting Bull met with American commander Nelson Miles. Sitting Bull refused to surrender. So Colonel Miles stepped up his campaign against him and his people.
With the scarcity of buffalo, the cold winter and the army’s constant pressure, Sitting Bull’s people began to suffer. So, on May 5, 1877, Sitting Bull decided to avoid war by going to Canada. The Canadian government, with a more tolerant attitude toward Indians, let them stay in peace. With plenty of buffalo and no harassment from the military, it was a great life. But within a couple of years the young warriors, who had grown up doing battle, became restless. They started making trouble with their neighboring tribes, and the Canadian government started putting pressure on Sitting Bull to leave Canada.
The final straw was the disappearance of Canadian buffalo. With promises that they would have plenty of food, and with most of his people having already returned to America, four years after he had left, and five years after his great victory at Little Big Horn, Sitting Bull returned to the United States leading just 187 Indians, most of who were old and sick.
May 6, 2020 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on Sitting Bull Goes to Canada
Deacon Jim Miller was a little man who was quiet, and he never cussed. He dressed like a traveling minister, and was an avid churchgoer. At the same time, he was one of the most ruthless assassins of the Old West. It’s estimated that 40 or more people died from lead that came from his guns… Some of them were even his relatives. His contracts were usually carried out on unarmed men from behind a rock or tree, while using a rifle.
There are those who say he was involved with the death of
Pat Garrett, the lawman who shot
Billy the Kid. A man named Brazel confessed to killing Garrett. But at the time, a mysterious man, who fit Deacon Miller’s description, by the name of Adamson, was negotiating the purchase of the ranch. Some feel that if he didn’t actually pull the trigger, he paid Brazel to do it. But like many theories about events from the Old West, we’ll probably never know the truth.
Deacon Miller’s last contract kill was on a lawman named Gus Babbitt. As was his style, Miller ambushed Babbitt. Unfortunately, Babbitt lived long enough to describe Miller. Miller and his three helpers were arrested.
Now, Deacon Miller was noted for being a smooth-talker. And he bragged that with his ability to con, and a high-priced lawyer, he was going to beat this rap. Some of the Ada, Oklahoma locals believed him. So, on April 19, 1909 they broke Deacon Miller and his three friends out of jail; escorted them to a barn; and hanged them. Deacon Miller went to his reward. And there was little doubt by anyone who knew him, the direction of that reward.
April 26, 2020 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on Deacon Jim Miller
On March 24, 1886, three hard cases were on the move. Unfortunately, an ice-swollen river stood between them and their destination. They came across a small rowboat, and decided to commandeer it. Now, normally the owner would chalk it off as a loss, but not this owner. He happened to be a tenderfoot easterner who had recently become the chairman of the Stockmen’s Association, a position that also carried with it the title of deputy sheriff. This easterner turned cowboy and rancher was a man of grit and determination who was later to hold the highest office in our land. His name was Theodore Roosevelt. This is the story of Teddy Roosevelt’s boat thieves.
Roosevelt had another boat made, and within a week, he and two cowboys were going after the thieves. After three days, they found them.
Because of the icy river, the group traveled eight days trying to get back home. With provisions almost gone, they finally came across a ranch. Roosevelt hired a wagon and driver to take him and the three ruffians the rest of the way. Roosevelt’s two companions remained with the boats.
It took two days and a night to get to the nearest town. Roosevelt stayed awake, with rifle at the ready, the whole time. To make sure he wasn’t jumped, Roosevelt had to walk along behind the wagon.
As deputy sheriff, Roosevelt received a fee for bringing in the men, and mileage for the over 300 miles he had traveled to retrieve them. It was a total of $50. But he had accomplished two things: First, he had upheld the law. Second, people would think twice before stealing anything from him again.
March 27, 2020 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on Teddy Roosevelt’s Boat Thieves
When the
Pony Express was formed they advertised for “Young skinny wiry fellows, not over eighteen. Must be expert riders willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred.” Because of the amazing men who answered that ad, only one mail pouch was lost during the existence of the Pony Express. The most amazing of the riders was Bob Haslam, who was known as Pony Bob. In May of 1860 he rode horseback 380 miles in 36 hours. But that wasn’t his most amazing feat.
On March 4, 1861
Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as the President of the United States. It was important that the people in
California get Lincoln’s inauguration speech as soon as possible. Pony Bob was responsible for a 120-mile stretch in Nevada. He covered the 120 miles on 12 horses in about 8 hours. To give you an idea of how fast he traveled, a racehorse runs the short distance on a racetrack at a little over 25 miles per hour. Counting the time taken for changing horses and any other delays, Pony Bob traveled the 120 miles at approximately 20 miles per hour.
But Pony Bob had to contend with conditions no jockey has ever had to contend. Right after he left Cold Spring, Nevada he was surrounded by Indians riding stolen Pony Express horses. Pony Bob shot three of the Indians. Then he took an arrow in the left arm. He caught another arrow in his mouth that broke his jaw and knocked out five teeth.
Outrunning the Indians, at the next relay station he stuffed a rag in his mouth and successfully delivered this valuable document to the next rider.
March 9, 2020 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on Pony Bob
Prior to 1873, in addition to silver and gold coins, those two metals backed paper money printed by the government. A person could actually exchange a dollar bill for a dollar’s worth of silver or gold. But in 1873, following the lead of many European countries,
Congress passed a law for the United States to stop producing silver coins, or using silver to back paper money. When this happened a financial panic took place. Obviously the bottom fell out of the silver market. A man who was a wealthy owner of a silver mine one day, found himself the owner of a worthless hole in the ground the next day. In addition… farmers or anyone who carried a heavy debt load felt this bill made for a tighter supply of money, and therefore harder to pay off their debt. Congress’ bill became known as the “Crime of ’73.”
With the United States going through widespread financial difficulties, it was mystically thought that going back to both silver and gold would solve all problems. The leader of the fight to go back to silver again was
Congressman Richard Bland, an ex-miner and farmer. He was so tireless in his efforts that he received the nickname “Silver Dick.”
Finally, five years after the Crime of ’73, on February 16, 1878, the
Bland-Allison Act was passed. Although it didn’t return the usage of silver to the level prior to 1873, it did require the government to resume purchasing and minting silver money.
Unfortunately, those who found it difficult to pay off their debt prior to the Bland-Allison Act found it just as difficult afterward.
February 22, 2020 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on Crime of ’73
Joel Fowler was born in Maryland, and he later migrated down to
Texas. He spent some time on the stage as an actor and entertainer. Not able to earn much of a living at this profession, he tried his hand as a law attorney. Running abreast of the law, in 1879 Joel headed up to
New Mexico. But this was still not someone who one would think would end up on the wrong end of a vigilante hanging.
In Santa Fe Joel Fowler spent some time on both sides of a bar, as well as on stage. One time while wildly drunk he shot up the town. Luckily, no one was hurt. Over the next couple of years Joel gave up the thespian life in favor of taking lives. While on a posse he killed a man. Later in a shootout with supposed rustlers, he killed two more men. In September of 1883 he shot a man, and caused another to commit suicide.
In November of the same year he sold a ranch he had owned for a considerable amount of money. Following the sale he went on a drunk in Socorro, and ended up knifing a man. For the citizenry this was just too much. So Joel was arrested and within a month tried, found guilty, and sentenced to be hanged. Joel was able to use his training as a lawyer, and got a stay of execution from the
New Mexico Supreme Court. But the locals weren’t happy about this. And on January 22, 1884 they broke into the jail and took him out for a old-fashioned vigilante hanging.
Although Joel Fowler wasn’t a religious man, with the noose around his neck, Joel started calling on heavenly angels. This prompted one of the vigilantes to say, “It’s a cold night for angels, Joel. Better call on someone nearer town.”
February 4, 2020 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on Joel Fowler – A Vigilante Hanging
When the cry of silver or gold goes out, immediately hundreds and even thousands of people flock to the area. Overnight, the area is dotted with crude structures called homes. And stores, restaurants and the mandatory saloons pop up right along with the homes. What doesn’t happen immediately is the town’s infrastructure… regulations to insure people are civilized, and a means of enforcement when people aren’t civilized. That’s what happened with Denver, Colorado. But, on January 13, 1859, some of the citizens of
Denver decided it was time for law and order. This led to Denver’s first trial.
A makeshift court was assembled along the
Platte River, which would always be known as the locale of Denver’s first trial. The hardened criminal was brought before the court. The man was charged with stealing… six cans of oysters. That’s right oysters. They were a delicacy to the miners. And, those six cans were probably the last oysters in town. Besides, they were valued at $30.
He was found guilty. And, since there was no jail in the area, his punishment was 20 lashes. However, there were those who thought he should be hanged.
When they discovered that he was drunk at the time he stole the oysters, and, since most of the jury were probably heavy drinkers themselves, the final verdict was amended. They decided the offender should be banned from the settlement.
However, realizing that the draw of gold might mean that he would sneak back, they added one more caveat to his sentence. That was that if he returned to the village anyone could shoot him on sight.
I understand he was never heard from again.
January 15, 2020 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on Denver’s First Trial
Johnny Baker was born on January 12, 1869. While still a young kid he met and became enthralled with
Buffalo Bill Cody. At the age of 9 little Johnny would hold Buffalo Bill’s horse, and run errands for him. At this time Buffalo Bill was appearing on the stage and the subject of many a dime novel. About five years later
Buffalo Bill came up with the idea of starting a Wild West show. Johnny Baker was only 14 years of age… but he talked both his parents and Buffalo Bill into letting him join up. It was discovered that Johnny was a pretty good shot. So he became the shows trick shot expert under the name “The Cowboy Kid.”
One of the features of the Wild West show was a shootout between
Annie Oakley and The Cowboy Kid. Whether planned or not, the Cowboy Kid never won.
Even after the Wild West show closed, Johnny remained loyal to Buffalo Bill. And, after Buffalo Bill’s death Johnny tried resurrecting Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. But it didn’t last long. Still wanting to be a part of the circus atmosphere, he went to work for the Miller 101 Shows, which were more like a rodeo. For a while Johnny was their arena director. And then they closed their doors.
Johnny still yearned for the excitement he experienced while traveling with Buffalo Bill. He started working with the town of Denver, Colorado to open a museum. And in 1921 the Buffalo Bill Memorial Museum was opened.
Johnny Baker ran the museum until his death. It stands today, not just a monument to a great showman, but also an indication of the love Buffalo Bill’s unofficial foster son had for the showman.
January 10, 2020 | Categories: Old West History | Comments Off on The Cowboy Kid
The Devil’s Triangle, James Smallwood, Kenneth Howell, Carol Taylor, University of North Texas Press. Paper, $19.95. Non-fiction, Maps, Notes, Bibliography, Index.
January 22, 1883, Bee, Sacramento, California – Passenger train No. 1, which left Sacramento Saturday night, was captured at Montello last night by masked road agents who relieved the train men of their watches and money and then locked them up in the tank. They then cut the engine, postal and express cars off and put them on the sidetrack, and called express messenger Ross, who, thinking he was at Tacoma, opened the car door.
It seems that everyone in the Old West had nicknames… And some of them were very strange. But, none was as strange as Charles Bryant’s. He was called “Black Faced Charley.” It seems that he was shot point-blank in the face. The bullet just creased his cheek. But, the burnt powder coming out of the pistol imbedded in his face, giving him his nickname.
After the defeat of Custer in 1876, realizing there would be retaliations, the Indians broke up into smaller bands so they could move faster and not be easily found. But many of the bands were tracked down, and relocated to reservations.
