Bloody Beaver

By 1845, tensions were high in the Mexican territory of California. Not only were the U.S. and Mexico on the brink of war, but even the native Hispanic Californios were looking to separate themselves from the official government down in Mexico. Into this social and political turmoil came the Pathfinder – John C. Fremont. At his helm was a small battalion of Mountain Men and Delaware scouts under the leadership of famed frontiersman Kit Carson. Join me today as we discuss Carson’s role in the Bear Flag Revolt, the Mexican-American War, the battle of San Pasqual, and his numerous transcontinental trips from the West Coast to Washington, D.C. Also, how do you pronounce Fremont’s name? Let's talk about acute accents! Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Into History for ad-free and bonus content! 

Kit Carson ventured west as a teenager, looking to escape the drudgery of civilization. And in the years to come, he’d find all the excitement a youngster could hope for in the life of a mountain man. For over a decade, Carson would embark on a series of fur-trapping expeditions from New Mexico and Arizona up to present-day Montana and as far west as California. According to Carson, these were the happiest days in his life – there in the mountains, far from the habitations of civilized man, with no other food than that which he could procure with his rifle. Sadly, the good times never last forever. By the early 1840s, the beaver trade was played out, Carson’s Arapaho wife passed away, and he soon found himself embarking on a brand new career as a guide for up-and-coming explorer John C. Fremont. This partnership would elevate both men to the status of living legends. What was life like for Kit Carson post-fur trade? Who exactly was John C. Fremont guy? Why’d they call him the Pathfinder? And how much of Fremo

When it comes to the Old West, they don’t get much more legendary than Kit Carson. Although soft-spoken and physically small, this larger-than-life mountain man would go on – during his own life – to become a national hero, and in death, he’d be immortalized in bronze. But who was Kit Carson? What sort of a man was he? What was his childhood like, and what events shaped him into the legend he’d become? Was Carson a courageous hero or a bloodthirsty killer and the living embodiment of manifest destiny? Or just somewhere in between? And just how short was he anyway? Also discussed are the Blackfeet, Jim Bridger, the Mountain Man rendezvous, and Carson’s encounter with a giant known as the bully of the mountains. Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Into History for ad-free and bonus content

“It makes no difference what men think of war. War endures. As well ask men what they think of stone. War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner.” – Blood Meridian Blood Meridian, set mainly in the American Southwest during the late 1840s, tells of an unnamed protagonist known only as the Kid. We follow the Kid as he runs away from home and makes his way to Texas before becoming involved in an ill-fated adventure into Mexico. He survives a massacre at the hands of the Comanche and is eventually recruited into a gang of scalp hunters led by John Glanton and his second in command – the absolutely terrifying Judge Holden. The gang then proceeds to cut a murderous swath of destruction throughout northern Mexico before reaping their just rewards. Here’s the fun part: Blood Meridian is loosely based on real-life people and events, including John Glanton and Judge Holden. Today, we’re going to focus mostly on Glanton, an ex-Texas Ranger and War hero

Dangerous Dan Tucker would arrive in the southwest in the mid-1870s, pin on the badge of a Sheriff’s Deputy, and, in a very short amount of time, tally up a body count surpassed only by the likes of John Wesley Hardin and Deacon Jim Miller. To quote historian Leon Metz, Tucker was a better lawman and more dangerous than high-profile figures like Wyatt Earp and Wild Bill Hickok. But who was he really? Is it true that Dan Tucker once took out half a dozen of the Tombstone Cowboys in one fell swoop? And what about the stories of Doc Holliday giving Dan a wide berth due to his deadly reputation? FYI: The photo used in the thumbnail is NOT Dan Tucker. There are no known photos of Tucker. Pictured instead is disgraced Dodge City marshal Billy Brooks. Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Into History

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In November of 1868 – at just the tender age of fifteen – John Wesley Hardin killed his first man. And, a few weeks later, he’d kill yet again; this time, three soldiers who came looking for him. Fearing a hangman’s noose, Wes struck first, dispatching two troopers with a shotgun and finishing the third with an old cap and ball colt. And you better believe the hits just kept on coming. Before it was all said and done, Hardin would be responsible for anywhere between twenty to possibly as many as fifty killings, each of which – according to him – were justifiable. But how true is that? Was John Wesley Hardin a persecuted hero or a homicidal killer? How’d the son of a minister become one of the deadliest gunmen of the Old West? And did he REALLY kill someone just for snoring? Also discussed are Wild Bill Hickok, the Bloody Bender family, the Sutton-Taylor Feud, and John Selman Sr. *This is a compilation of a previously released series. My apologies to those who've already heard it, but I experienced a few setb

How wild or violent was the Wild West? Were gunfights a daily occurrence, or is that just a byproduct of Hollywood and dime novels? Also discussed are the murder rates for Deadwood and Dodge City, Red Dead Redemption, cowboys sharing toenail clippers, the mysterious Last Stand note, and fighting grizzly bears with a tomahawk! Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Billy the Kid’s Last Stand - https://youtu.be/1dC5USI0ZgI?si=w8OoKrp1-7jey0UV Homicide Rates in the Old West | University of Ohio - https://cjrc.osu.edu/research/interdisciplinary/hvd/homicide-rates-american-west Historias Unknown - https://open.spotify.com/show/1YRxl7bTBqM4jfm8P4fGCd?si=8aad41518c4e4e6c E Spooky Tales - https://open.spotify.com/show/58BqtCJ2nNwruHRuZIM8Ax?si=1f714ac66d3f42e6 Join Into History for ad-free and bonus cont

There is a lot of misinformation about Billy the Kid's death. This is your comprehensive guide to cut through the noise and determine fact from fiction. Thank you to all of the historians whose research I rely upon. (1:15) – Did Pat Garrett receive the bounty? (8:13) – Did Pat Garrett’s deputy say that he shot the wrong man? (10.33) – Did Garrett bury the body before anyone could see it? (19:15) – Why was there not a photograph? (22:39) – Did Billy the Kid have a beard? Did Garrett accidentally kill a Mexican? (25:32) – Billy Barlow (26:02) – Were Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid friends? (27:49) – Was Billy too smart to be killed by Pat Garrett? (30:50) – Were the residents of Fort Sumner in on the hoax? (33:23) – Anecdotal stories (34:50) – Brushy Bill’s history of tall tales (38:12) – Brushy Bill’s scars (39:26) – Brushy Bill Roberts Autopsy (41:15) – Did Brushy Bill know things nobody could have known? (42:36) – Was Billy the Kid left-handed? (43:10) – The Billy the Kid Historical Coalition (44:12) – Brushy

Although John Bull remains relatively unknown today, the English-born gambler is considered one of the deadliest gunmen of the Old West. Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Deadly Dozen Vol. 1 by Robert K. Dearment - https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Dozen-Twelve-Forgotten-Gunfighters/dp/080613559X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1JK493YH4C89U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QGna202QisyEY7OQCkSOd5OPt0qxbYaurRTjH1x02NaxEKQC1YbQ5eAvYVONnlGCJelVs2ixVH3Wq1DAIhRtn50qFv2XrHabFqWhLwPhLko.PyNkpU5z0i6iNdZMpageYgxXVeXnBGFgmi2Cn3yFxS8&dib_tag=se&keywords=deadly+dozen+robert+k+dearment&qid=1718635339&sprefix=deadly+dozen+robert+k+dearment%2Caps%2C154&sr=8-1 Join Into History for ad-free and bonus content! https://intohistory.supercast.com/ Book Recommendations! https://www.amazon.com/shop/wildwestextravaganza/list/YEHGNY7KFAU7?ref_=aip_sf_l

On the night of July 14th, 1881, Sheriff Pat Garrett killed Billy the Kid. In doing so, he helped create a legend and ensured that his legacy would forever be intertwined with the notorious outlaws. And let’s be honest – it isn’t that great of a legacy. Many consider Garrett a coward, at best, a no-good backstabbing Old West Judas who betrayed his friend for a handful of silver. Moreover, Pat is also labeled as a rank liar and an egomaniac. A glory seeker would turn on his mother if that meant earning a little dough and building up his reputation.  And, over 26 years after he gunned down The Kid, Pat himself would be shot and killed under similar circumstances. A murder that to this day remains unsolved. Who killed Pat Garrett? How accurate is the narrative surrounding the former Sheriff of Lincoln County? Is all the hate deserved? And who was Garrett anyway? What was his life like before he met the Kid? And what became of Pat in the decades following that fateful night at Fort Sumner? This is a compilation o

In July of 1901, 14-year-old Willie Nickell was shot dead in an ambush. He had been less than a mile away from home attempting to open a gate when two bullets struck him in the back. A little over two years later, noted assassin Tom Horn was executed for Willie’s murder. In years prior, Tom had been an enforcer for various cattle barons throughout the state of Wyoming, and at the time of Willie’s death, he was employed as a Range Detective on John C. Coble’s Iron Mountain Ranch. And, well, let’s say that John Coble did not get along with the dead boy’s father, Kels Nickell. Not only had Kels filed a homestead on land that Coble considered his own, but he then had the absolute gal to begin fencing it off. And, if that isn’t bad enough, Kels nearly killed Coble during the summer of 1890. The two had been arguing at a train depot when Nickell whipped out a knife and slashed the rancher’s belly wide open. Coble pulled through, and despite charges being filed, Kels Nickell pretty much got off scot-free. At least,

Tom Horn first arrived in Wyoming in 1892. He had spent most of a decade chasing Apache down in Arizona before diving headfirst into a feud known as the Pleasant Valley War. Although Tom’s actions during the feud remain unclear, he most likely fought on the side of the Tewksbury’s against their avowed enemies, the Grahams. And despite wearing the badge of a Gila County Sheriff’s deputy, Horn would participate in the lynching of at least three men. This was followed by a stint with the Pinkertons, a job that saw Tom working on the behest of the cattle barons up in Johnson County, Wyoming. Once again, Horn’s involvement is somewhat shrouded in mystery, but he is suspected of assassinating at least two men on behalf of the large ranchers. Whether or not that’s true is unknown, but Tom did help to put an end to the notorious Red Sash Gang. Next, Horn would drift south and find employment as a Range Detective at John Coble’s Iron Mountain Ranch, doing pretty much the same work he had done in Johnson County: invest

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. Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Commadore Perry Owens | Texas History Lessons - https://youtu.be/GLxTm

“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. Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join

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. Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ 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.texash

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

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?   Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Looking for the Lewis & Clark series? Start here -  https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-the-corps-of-discovery-part-1/   Mountain Man:

Today, we’ll follow the Lewis and Clark Expedition as they return to civilization. We’ll also discuss the lives of a few key figures post-expedition. What ever happened to Sacagawea? What about her son, Pomp? How about George Drouillard? Finally, we’ll examine the mysterious death of Captain Meriwether Lewis.   Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Part 1 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-the-corps-of-discovery-part-1/   Part 2 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-sacagawea-daniel-boone-part-2/   Part 3 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-the-shoshone-part-3/   Part 4 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-york-fort-clatsop-part-4/   Part 5 in the Lewis &

In July of 1806, Captain Meriwether Lewis and three of his companions had a violent confrontation with the Blackfeet, resulting in at least one dead warrior. This encounter would lead to strained relations between the United States and the Blackfeet Confederacy and result in decades of bloodshed. But is the official story – as told by the Corps of Discovery – truly what occurred? The Blackfeet don’t think so! Also discussed is the re-crossing of the Bitterroot Mountains, the splitting up of command, and the curious pronunciation of the Marias River. This is part 5 in the series on Lewis and Clark—links below for the previous four installments.   Part 1 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-the-corps-of-discovery-part-1/   Part 2 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-sacagawea-daniel-boone-part-2/ Part 3 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-the-shoshone-part-3/ Part 4 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://w