In this collection of true stories from the Old West, we’ll discuss Bass Reeves, one of the first black deputy Marshal west of the Mississippi. We’ll also take a look at the opposite end of the spectrum with Cherokee Bill – the son of a buffalo hunter who became one of the deadliest outlaws of Indian Territory. Finally we’ll celebrate the life and death of Brit Johnson, a former slave who’s quest to retrieve his wife and children from the clutches of captivity would inspire John Wayne’s The Searchers.
 
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Black Cowboys

True tales from the Old West! Gunfighters, outlaws, lawmen, frontiersmen, and Native Americans – the real people and events that shaped the American frontier.

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Regarding Old West feuds, Arizona’s Pleasant Valley War ranked among the most violent. Also known as the Graham-Tewksbury feud, this conflict would rage on for over a decade and see a death toll from between twenty to fifty men, some of whom fell at the hands of a notorious up-and-coming killer by the name of Tom Horn. And, of course, this would not be the last feud that Tom was involved in. After leaving Arizona, he’d hire on with the Pinkertons, and it wouldn’t be long before they sent him up to a little place in Wyoming known as Johnson County. The cattle barons seemed to be getting fed up with the rustlers and looking for men like Tom Horn, who weren’t afraid of getting their hands dirty.

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Commadore Perry Owens | Texas History Lessons - https://youtu.be/GLxTmx3w7VY?si=-og4PtxwZTJYtBxu

Frank Canton | Johnson County War - https://youtu.be/psestaX_qqY?si=nKUg7w7ngdGdChMR

Tom Horn: In Life & Legend by Larry D. Ball - https://www.amazon.com/Horn-Life-Legend-Larry-Ball/dp/0806151757/ref=sr_1_1?crid=EYOCZ7IPMJ8A&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.LnF9Ra8txfb9_U0HIcm8ug.Fhby2anYEnNBJIUwsl1JZR721EEnwP-Zz0y5nEO3A2s&dib_tag=se&keywords=larry+d+ball+tom+horn&qid=1716395499&sprefix=larry+d+ball+tom+horn%2Caps%2C158&sr=8-1

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Tom Horn | Range Wars (Part 2)

“Killing men is my specialty. I look at it as a business proposition, and I think I have a corner on the market.” – Tom Horn, scout, lawman, detective, and assassin. 
As a young man, Tom Horn walked the rough cow towns of Dodge and Newton before cutting his teeth and fighting Apache down in Arizona. Graduated to the Range Wars, and in time, Horn would put his talents to use for the wealthy cattle barons of Wyoming, possibly killing as many as 17 men in the process.
Or at least he did before being executed for a murder that many believe he did not commit. 
Today, we’ll discuss Tom’s background, his early life as a cowboy, and his time working for the Army in Arizona and Mexico. Also discussed are the Apache, Al Sieber, Geronimo, and the Pleasant Valley War. 

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Tom Horn | Apache Wars (Part 1)

Lonesome Dove, the 11th novel of famed author Larry McMurtry, was published in 1985. Four years later, the characters Augustus McCrae and Woodrow F. Call were immortalized on screen by actors Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones. But did you know that much of Lonesome Dove was inspired by real-life people and events? Today, we discuss the real history behind Lonesome Dove—Charles Goodnight, Oliver Loving, Bose Ikard, Nelson Story, and more! We also discuss favorite Lonesome Dove quotes and a little behind-the-scenes trivia. 

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Satanta | Kiowa - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_tbWm_hDh0

Remembering Larry McMurtry | Texas History Lessons -https://www.texashistorylessons.com/remembering-larry-mcmurtry/
 
Texas Cattle Drives | Texas History Lessons -https://www.texashistorylessons.com/the-texas-cattle-drives-of-1866-to-1/

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The REAL Lonesome Dove

There is no new episode this week. Instead, I thought I'd share a compilation of previously released material. In this collection of true stories from the Old West, we’ll discuss Comanche Jack Stilwell, his heroics during the Battle of Beecher Island, and his brother’s time in Tombstone. Afterward, we’ll join Billy the Kid and his pals over at White Oaks and discuss the Kid’s arrest at Stinking Springs. We’ll take some sage advice from the legendary Wyatt Earp, delve into the lives of Alabama outlaw Rube Burrow and Old West conman Soapy Smith, join Kit Carson as he faces off against the Comanche at Adobe Walls, draw inspiration from sharpshooter Annie Oakley and finally, we’ll take a look at the circumstances surrounding the death of Billy the Kid.
(0:00) Comanche Jack vs Wyatt Earp
(10:27) Billy the Kid & the White Oaks Standoff
(14:17) Wyatt Earp Speaks
(26:59) Rube Burrow
(1:15:43) Billy the Kid’s Arrest at Stinking Springs
(1:20:49) First Battle of Adobe Walls
(1:45:54) Soapy Smith
(2:31:41) Billy the Kid’s Escape from Lincoln
(2:37:07) Cullen Baker
(3:21:58) Annie Oakley

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Legends of the Wild West | Outlaws, Gunfighters, & Lawmen

Considered by many to be the first Mountain Man, John Colter first came west with the Lewis and Clark Expedition. When they head back to civilization, Colter instead chooses to stay behind. He’d live with the Crow tribe and go on to be the first American to cast eyes on the Teton Mountains, Colter’s Hell, and what’s now known as Yellowstone National Park. Later, as a fur trapper, Colter would survive numerous close calls with the Blackfeet. At one point, he’d be stripped naked and forced to run for his life. What was Colter’s early life like? Was he really a Ranger under Simon Kenton? And how would Colter finally die?
 
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Looking for the Lewis & Clark series? Start here -  https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-the-corps-of-discovery-part-1/
 
Mountain Man: John Colter by David Marshall - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1682684423?ref=yb_qv_ov_prnt_dp_rw
 
11 Bang Bang on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Real11BangBang
 
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Black Cowboys

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