True Tales and Amazing Legends of the Old West

Description

MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT THE WEST— most of it clouded by exaggeration and fabrication. Since 1953, True West magazine has been devoted to celebrating the West’s true colors, giving the men and women who settled there accurate voices, exploring every triumph and tragedy of their time—and exposing every vice and virtue. True Tales and Amazing Legends of the Old West commemorates these unforgettable cowboys, Indians, and city slickers through a mix of classic histories and brand-new narratives, all illustrated with photographs—many reproduced here for the first time—of the people and places that gave rise to America’s Western mythology. With twenty-six stories that blend fact with folklore, this collection abounds with accounts of the famous and the infamous, including Sacagawea, Wild Bill Hickok, Pancho Villa, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Davy Crockett, and Wyatt Earp. Also here are lesser-known figures whose stories were pivotal to shaping the culture of the era, such as European conquistador Francisco Coronado, rancher “Black Billy” Hill, and fearless lawman Orlando “Rube” Robbins. Other tales recount the wide open plains, lawlessness, drama, mayhem, and promise embodied in the Old West. Whether you’re a history buff, an Old West devotee, or simply someone who is fascinated by the characters of America’s early years, these timeless tales and photographs epitomize the legendary spirit of what it meant to settle the West. [From the back cover] Introduction.9 1 Sacagawea’s Improbable Reunion by R.G.Robertson.10 2 Rendezvous by R.G.Robertson.18 3 The Alamo by JanaBommersbach.29 4 How Did Davy Really Die? by Bob BozeBell.36 5 Luck of the Draw by JohnHaradon.40 6 Dead in the Water by DownsMatthews.45 7 The Real Wild Bill by Joseph G.Rosa. 49 8 From Troy Grove to the Tin Star by Joseph G. Rosa.56 9 Orlando “Rube” Robbins by R.G.Robertson.63 10 The Split by Chuck Hornung and Gary L.Roberts.69 11 Fifty Things You Don’t Know about Wyatt Earp by Bob BozeBell.77 12 The Wild Bunch by Daniel Buck and AnneMeadows.83 13 The Coming of the Sacred Dog by R.G.Robertson.91 14 “If They’re Hungry, Let Them Eat Grass” by Larry H.Johns.98 15 The Warrior Who Killed Custer? by JanaBommersbach.105 16 Judgment at Jacksboro by Johnny D.Boggs.112 17 “Take No Prisoners” by Linda R.Wommack.119 18 Swallowed by the Earth by MikeCoppock.126 19 A General Named Dorothy by NeilCarmony.133 20 Raid on Columbus edited by Neil Carmony and excerpted from Tough Times in Rough Places: Personal Narratives ofAdventure, Death and Survival on the Western Frontier.145 21 Truth Failed to Hide in a Tin by Larry K.Brown.154 22 One for the Grave by Leo W.Banks.160 23 Eating His Weight in Democrats by Jana Bommersbach.165 24 O Homo by Leo W.Banks.169 25 Chompin’ at the Lip by TomCarpenter.175 26 Vera McGinnis by Jana Bommersbach.181