Author Archives: Mustang
The Cowboy War
To say that Tombstone, Arizona was a violent place would be a gross understatement. There were gunfights, fistfights, knifings, and people getting falling-down drunk. This is what one might expect from a mining town that capitalized on saloons and houses … Continue reading
Cowboys and Carpetbaggers
Pima County, Arizona was a wild and dangerous place in the 1870s —and remained so for the next twenty years. The reasons for this are several: discovery of silver, availability of whiskey, political corruption, and a dramatic increase in the … Continue reading
“Your own tombstone”
Frederick Brunckow was a German-born, college educated mining engineer who migrated to the United States sometime in 1850. His movement to the western United States came as a result of joining up with the Sonora Exploring and Mining Company. In … Continue reading
The Sons of Little Dixie
The term Little Dixie refers to a 17 county region of mid-to-upper Missouri along the river of that name. It was first settled by migrants from Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. Accordingly, antebellum settlement in this area was indistinguishable from that … Continue reading
Captain Sam Walker
Samuel Hamilton Walker was the son of Nathan and Elizabeth Walker, the fifth of seven children. He was born on 24 February 1817 at Toaping Castle, Maryland. What we know about him is mostly third hand, but this doesn’t detract … Continue reading
The Story of Phantly Bean
Kentuckian by birth in 1825, Phantly Roy Bean, Jr. was the youngest of five children born to Phantly Roy Bean, Sr., and the former Anna Henderson Gore. Poverty combined with little hope for useful employment near the homestead sent young … Continue reading
The Sergeant Major
It is difficult to determine which of these positions has the greatest prestige: a sergeant major of Spanish Marines [1], or a Governor of Texas. Martín de Alarcón served in both capacities. He also served as a Knight of the Order … Continue reading
Old Ben
In Texas history, scholars refer to this man as Old Ben Milam. He wasn’t old at all when he met his fate —just 47 years of age. Benjamin Rush Milam was born in present-day Frankfort, Kentucky on 20 October 1788. … Continue reading
Deadwood Dick
I enjoy researching and writing about the Old West because there is no history quite as colorful or as interesting as that of America’s westward expansion. Unhappily, very few of our present-day colleges or universities offer courses in American history … Continue reading
The Overland Stage
Despite Hollywood depictions of the old west stagecoach, the reality of this venture —the overland stage, was considerably different. The journey was tough, extremely dangerous, and very short lived. Stagecoach service existed in England in 1300’s, but the first recorded … Continue reading
