The story is told of how the great Sioux leader American Horse made a painful mistake in battle. It was sometime in the 1860s, before he had become...
American Horse’s Embarrassing Mistake
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Mark Boardman
Buckskin Frank Leslie Murdered Wife Mollie
Mollie Edwards was a prostitute in southeast Arizona when she met Buckskin Frank Leslie. In 1887, Mollie moved in with Frank at his ranch, about 19...
What History Has Taught Me: Mark Boardman
My favorite Old West character is Jim Miller. We still don’t know everything he did or all the people he killed. We have more to discover about this...
Whigs and Democrats Go to Blows for Marion
The Tutts were Whigs and the Everetts were Democrats, and both wanted to control Marion County in northern Arkansas in 1844. It quickly escalated...
Davis Waite Demolishes a Corrupt Denver in 1893
When Davis Waite took office of Colorado governor in January 1893, the first order of business: drain the swamp that was the corrupt political...
James Ford Wreaks Havoc
James Ford led a double life in the early 1800s. He was a landowner, businessman and civic leader in western Kentucky and southern Illinois. He...
The Late Glen Campbell’s Roll in 1969’s True Grit
The late singer and entertainer Glen Campbell made his mark on Westerns when he starred as Texas Ranger La Boeuf in 1969’s “True Grit.” Director...
Sam Mason Gets What He Gave
Sam Mason was a robber and killer in post-Revolution America, roaming the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers with a gang of cutthroats. Mason was one of...
The Many Faces of the Late Sam Shepard
The late playwright Sam Shepard is well known to Western fans for the laconic cowboy figures he played on the big screen. Frank James in The...
True West–Inspired
Sam Shepard’s 1980 play True West is one of his best known efforts. It examines the relationship of two brothers—previously estranged—as they come...
The Farrington Brothers’ Short-Lived Outlaw Career
The Farrington brothers were fairly typical outlaws, former Confederate soldiers who turned to crime after the war. They robbed a train in their...
Crazy Horse Never Died
The legend, the myth, the legacy of Crazy Horse didn’t end with his death. American Indians of several tribes—including some who opposed him in the...