On September 11th, 1857, over a hundred men, women, and children were brutally slaughtered. The victims belonged to a wagon train that had left Arkansas months prior, bound for California. They followed the Cherokee Trail before cutting north till they reached Fort Bridger. Up until then, things had gone relatively well. They were making good time and figured they’d reach their destination by late fall. Little did they know they were headed straight to their deaths. You see, to get to California from Fort
Bridger, they’d need to first pass through Utah. Where, as fate would have it, a war was brewing between the United States government and the Church of Latter-day Saints. A conflict that would ultimately lead to Mormon militiamen and their Paiute allies committing one of the most horrendous atrocities in all of American history. But why? What could have possibly motivated such an attack against a peaceful wagon train? And who gave the command? Was it just a militia leader gone rogue, an attempted robbery gone wrong, or did the orders come from the top dog
himself, Brigham Young? And just how accurate was the massacre’s portrayal on the Netflix series American Primeval?
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Pierre Delacote! https://www.delacote.ca/
American Massacre | Sally Denton – https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/american-massacre-the-tragedy-at-mountain-meadows-september-1857_sally-denton/442012/#isbn=0375412085
Blood of the Prophets | Will Bagley – https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/blood-of-the-prophets-brigham-young-and-the-massacre-at-mountain-meadows_will-bagley/338626/#isbn=0806136391
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1:14:09
The Battle of Beecher Island
The late summer of 1868 found Major George Forsythe and his scouts fighting for survival. For nine long days, they hunkered down on a little sand bar as they faced off against an overwhelming force of Cheyenne Dog soldiers. Fierce warriors who were joined on the battlefield by none other than the legendary Roman Nose. But why? Why did Major Forsythe go kicking a hornet’s nest deep in the heart of Cheyenne territory? And who exactly was Roman Nose? What made him such a formidable opponent? And what’s horse meat taste like anyway?
This is an encore presentation. This episode originally aired January 25, 2021.
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1:11:34
John Riley & the San Patricios
The Saint Patrick’s Battalion, also known as the San Patricios, was a hard-fighting unit of foreign soldiers, mostly Irish, who deserted the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War. From the Siege of Fort Texas to the Battles of Monterey, Buena Vista, Cera Gordo, and beyond, these Irishmen served with valor and distinction. Surrounded, outgunned, far from their homeland, and branded as traitors, the men of the Saint Patrick’s Battalion had nothing to lose. But why? Why’d they turn their backs on their adopted country and join forces with the enemy? What would become of the San Patricios who were ultimately captured? And who exactly was their leader, John Riley?
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Street Dogs | San Patricios - https://youtu.be/1asy-BWEaAM?si=V7s4M49Yf7kdP7Zc
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35:55
Whisperin' Jim Smith | Avenging Nemesis
Whisperin’ Jim Smith was a deputy and railroad detective who
was said to have written more red history with his pistol than any two men of his time, who had enough dead outlaws to his credit to start a fair-sized
graveyard. Despite having a bestselling novel and several movies bearing his name, Whisperin’ Jim remains a relatively unknown figure. Join me today as we discuss a man who a contemporary described as the “very incarnation of a relentless, inexorable, indomitable, avenging Nemesis.” Also discussed are Bat Masterson, Pat Garrett, and horse thief extraordinaire Doc Middleton.
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Deadly Dozen Vol 3 by Robert K. DeArment - https://www.abebooks.com/9780806140766/Deadly-Dozen-Forgotten-Gunfighters-Old-0806140763/plp
Whispering Jim Smith by Allen P. Bristow - https://books.google.com/books?id=m1okARB4qCgC
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35:15
Mart Duggan | Leadville's Deadly Marshal
For a brief period in the 1870s, Mart Duggan served as the lone vestige of law and order in the violent boomtown of Leadville, Colorado. Originally from Ireland, Duggan got his start out West prospecting for gold. He quickly garnered a deadly reputation, and by the time he arrived in Leadville, he had a total of 7 notches already on his gun. And when the town marshal was shot dead in April of 1878, it was Duggan who took his place. Despite being fearless, Duggan just couldn’t adjust to an ever-changing landscape. As the West became more and more civilized, Dugan failed to adapt. And it was this failure, along with his somewhat heavy-handed tactics, that would ultimately lead him to an early grave.
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True tales from the Old West! Gunfighters, outlaws, lawmen, frontiersmen, and Native Americans – the real people and events that shaped this iconic period of American history. Saddle up and discover the true history of the Wild West - the good, the bad, and the ugly.