Episodes

Jim Clyman is a name that pops up consistently in all the books I’ve read on mountain men and fur trappers, but I never really dived into the guy until now. Veteran of the War of 1812, General Ashley’s 1824 Expedition, AND the Black Hawk War, as...

There's just no denying that Texas produced its fair share of stone-cold killers in the latter part of the 19th century. Men like John Wesley Hardin, King Fisher, Clay Allison, and of course the notorious Deacon Jim Miller. And then there’s Bill...

In the summer of 1877 Chief Joseph and the peaceful Nez Perce went to war with the U.S. Government in a running fight that spanned four states and 1,170 miles. Who was Chief Joseph? Why’d Buffalo Bill call him “the greatest Indian ever...

Discovered sometime prior to 1952 in the Florida Mountains of Southwestern New Mexico, the “Last Stand Note” - written on a piece of tobacco paper and stuffed inside an empty shell case - reads as follows: This is our last shell and about 10...

When Felipe Espinosa and his younger brother Vivian were feeling bloody, the bodies were sure to follow. And in the spring and summer of 1863, there was certainly no shortage of bodies. Some victims were shot at long distances while others were...

This is a Podcast Swap, hosted by my friend Michael from the podcast Texas History Lessons! After you give this a listen make sure you check out his website for the latest episode of Texas History Lessons - hosted by yours truly - on the 1919 Texas...

In 1864 famed frontiersman Kit Carson took a force of several hundred soldiers into the heart of the Llano Estacado in an attempt to punish the Comanche for their recent raids. What followed was a bloody fight now known as the first Battle of Adobe...

Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, Doc Holliday, Jesse James, Wild Bill Hickok - These are the names of legends. Names I think most people – even those with no interest in old west history – will find familiar. But for every one of these guys, there were...

“I will show you that I can kill men with as much skill and rapidity as anybody. From this time on I ask no quarter and I will give none” – these were the words spoken by Bloody Bill Anderson, shortly before he executed and scalped over...

Frontiersman Hugh Glass was mauled by a grizzly bear in 1823. Left for dead, stripped of his belongs, and covered in maggots, he defied all odds and made a 250-mile journey on foot through hostile territory. But that’s only half the story. On this...

On May 6th, 1877, just ten months after the battle of Little Big Horn, the legendary Crazy Horse led nearly 900 Lakota & Cheyenne to Fort Robinson, Nebraska. It was time to surrender. Five months later in October of 1877 Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce...

This is Part 2! If you have not already done so, give Part 1 a listen! As the Liver-Eater's reputation grew he began working as a guide for prospectors and a scout for General Miles, against the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Nez Perce. Later he'd take jobs in...

Liver Eating Johnson was blood kin to the grizzly that bit Jim Bridger’s ass and YOU are molesting my podcast! The man known to some as the Crow Killer was many things. Fur trapper, scout, "Indian fighter", a guide, a hunter, a soldier, possibly a...

Sergeant Luther James Dorsey was a member of the buffalo soldiers, the all-black cavalry regiments who served on America’s frontier. From the Indian Wars to the Korean war, these men bravely – and against all odds and prejudice – cemented their...

In the summer of 1868 Major George A. Forsyth, under orders from General Sheridan, raised a company of fifty "first-class hardy frontiersmen" to seek out and engage hostile Native Americans. These scouts soon found themselves outnumbered and...

It’s not every day that your boss offers you a hundred and fifty dollars to murder somebody. I think we can all agree that’s not a normal occurrence. But then again, the tough kid wasn’t normal. The real story behind legendary Texas Ranger Frank...

Bill Tilghman - the legendary lawman best known for hunting down bad guys in Indian Territory - got his start as a teenaged buffalo hunter on the Kansas frontier. After that he spent years patrolling the tough streets of Dodge City with the likes of...

The old shoe salesman wasn’t as spry as he used to be. A fact his aching and crackling joints made abundantly clear to him each and every morning when he climbed up out of bed. But he found that once he got a few cups of strong coffee in him, he...

Joe Medicine Crow was a mighty war chief amongst his people, the Crow. The Apsáalooke. The Children of the large beak bird. Joe was raised in the traditional way of the Crow and fulfilled all four requirements to become a War Chief of the Crow...

Ned Christie: Ruthless Cherokee outlaw or courageous hero? Murderer or innocent man? If someone had asked me a year ago who Ned Christie was, I’d have probably said he was just another Indian Territory outlaw. In the same vein as Cherokee Bill or...

In the spring of 1883, a group of very dangerous men began gathering outside of Dodge City, Kansas. Men with names like Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Shotgun Collins, and Doc Holliday. Killers, all of ‘em. Men familiar with the weight of a revolver in...

When one thinks of the great judges of Yore, certain names stand out above the rest. Names like Judge Harold T. Stone. Judge Judith Sheindlin. Judges Wapner, Mathis, and Joe Brown. Judge Reinhold, Judge Dredd and Mike Judge all bear remembering. But...

I've labored long and hard for bread, For honor, and for riches, But on my corns too long you've tread, You fine-haired sons of bitches. These are the words of Black Bart, the gentleman bandit who preferred to leave poems at the scene of the crime...

A quick correction and new info pertaining to my most recent episode - #30 - on King Fisher.

Check out Bob Boze Bell's wonderful article for more information. And thank you all for listening!