Bloody Beaver

In November of 1868 – at just the tender age of fifteen – John Wesley Hardin killed his first man. And, a few weeks later, he’d kill yet again; this time, three soldiers who came looking for him. Fearing a hangman’s noose, Wes struck first, dispatching two troopers with a shotgun and finishing the third with an old cap and ball colt. And you better believe the hits just kept on coming. Before it was all said and done, Hardin would be responsible for anywhere between twenty to possibly as many as fifty killings, each of which – according to him – were justifiable. But how true is that? Was John Wesley Hardin a persecuted hero or a homicidal killer? How’d the son of a minister become one of the deadliest gunmen of the Old West? And did he REALLY kill someone just for snoring? Also discussed are Wild Bill Hickok, the Bloody Bender family, the Sutton-Taylor Feud, and John Selman Sr. *This is a compilation of a previously released series. My apologies to those who've already heard it, but I experienced a few setb

How wild or violent was the Wild West? Were gunfights a daily occurrence, or is that just a byproduct of Hollywood and dime novels? Also discussed are the murder rates for Deadwood and Dodge City, Red Dead Redemption, cowboys sharing toenail clippers, the mysterious Last Stand note, and fighting grizzly bears with a tomahawk! Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Billy the Kid’s Last Stand - https://youtu.be/1dC5USI0ZgI?si=w8OoKrp1-7jey0UV Homicide Rates in the Old West | University of Ohio - https://cjrc.osu.edu/research/interdisciplinary/hvd/homicide-rates-american-west Historias Unknown - https://open.spotify.com/show/1YRxl7bTBqM4jfm8P4fGCd?si=8aad41518c4e4e6c E Spooky Tales - https://open.spotify.com/show/58BqtCJ2nNwruHRuZIM8Ax?si=1f714ac66d3f42e6 Join Into History for ad-free and bonus cont

There is a lot of misinformation about Billy the Kid's death. This is your comprehensive guide to cut through the noise and determine fact from fiction. Thank you to all of the historians whose research I rely upon. (1:15) – Did Pat Garrett receive the bounty? (8:13) – Did Pat Garrett’s deputy say that he shot the wrong man? (10.33) – Did Garrett bury the body before anyone could see it? (19:15) – Why was there not a photograph? (22:39) – Did Billy the Kid have a beard? Did Garrett accidentally kill a Mexican? (25:32) – Billy Barlow (26:02) – Were Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid friends? (27:49) – Was Billy too smart to be killed by Pat Garrett? (30:50) – Were the residents of Fort Sumner in on the hoax? (33:23) – Anecdotal stories (34:50) – Brushy Bill’s history of tall tales (38:12) – Brushy Bill’s scars (39:26) – Brushy Bill Roberts Autopsy (41:15) – Did Brushy Bill know things nobody could have known? (42:36) – Was Billy the Kid left-handed? (43:10) – The Billy the Kid Historical Coalition (44:12) – Brushy

Although John Bull remains relatively unknown today, the English-born gambler is considered one of the deadliest gunmen of the Old West. Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Deadly Dozen Vol. 1 by Robert K. Dearment - https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Dozen-Twelve-Forgotten-Gunfighters/dp/080613559X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1JK493YH4C89U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QGna202QisyEY7OQCkSOd5OPt0qxbYaurRTjH1x02NaxEKQC1YbQ5eAvYVONnlGCJelVs2ixVH3Wq1DAIhRtn50qFv2XrHabFqWhLwPhLko.PyNkpU5z0i6iNdZMpageYgxXVeXnBGFgmi2Cn3yFxS8&dib_tag=se&keywords=deadly+dozen+robert+k+dearment&qid=1718635339&sprefix=deadly+dozen+robert+k+dearment%2Caps%2C154&sr=8-1 Join Into History for ad-free and bonus content! https://intohistory.supercast.com/ Book Recommendations! https://www.amazon.com/shop/wildwestextravaganza/list/YEHGNY7KFAU7?ref_=aip_sf_l

On the night of July 14th, 1881, Sheriff Pat Garrett killed Billy the Kid. In doing so, he helped create a legend and ensured that his legacy would forever be intertwined with the notorious outlaws. And let’s be honest – it isn’t that great of a legacy. Many consider Garrett a coward, at best, a no-good backstabbing Old West Judas who betrayed his friend for a handful of silver. Moreover, Pat is also labeled as a rank liar and an egomaniac. A glory seeker would turn on his mother if that meant earning a little dough and building up his reputation.  And, over 26 years after he gunned down The Kid, Pat himself would be shot and killed under similar circumstances. A murder that to this day remains unsolved. Who killed Pat Garrett? How accurate is the narrative surrounding the former Sheriff of Lincoln County? Is all the hate deserved? And who was Garrett anyway? What was his life like before he met the Kid? And what became of Pat in the decades following that fateful night at Fort Sumner? This is a compilation o

In July of 1901, 14-year-old Willie Nickell was shot dead in an ambush. He had been less than a mile away from home attempting to open a gate when two bullets struck him in the back. A little over two years later, noted assassin Tom Horn was executed for Willie’s murder. In years prior, Tom had been an enforcer for various cattle barons throughout the state of Wyoming, and at the time of Willie’s death, he was employed as a Range Detective on John C. Coble’s Iron Mountain Ranch. And, well, let’s say that John Coble did not get along with the dead boy’s father, Kels Nickell. Not only had Kels filed a homestead on land that Coble considered his own, but he then had the absolute gal to begin fencing it off. And, if that isn’t bad enough, Kels nearly killed Coble during the summer of 1890. The two had been arguing at a train depot when Nickell whipped out a knife and slashed the rancher’s belly wide open. Coble pulled through, and despite charges being filed, Kels Nickell pretty much got off scot-free. At least,

Tom Horn first arrived in Wyoming in 1892. He had spent most of a decade chasing Apache down in Arizona before diving headfirst into a feud known as the Pleasant Valley War. Although Tom’s actions during the feud remain unclear, he most likely fought on the side of the Tewksbury’s against their avowed enemies, the Grahams. And despite wearing the badge of a Gila County Sheriff’s deputy, Horn would participate in the lynching of at least three men. This was followed by a stint with the Pinkertons, a job that saw Tom working on the behest of the cattle barons up in Johnson County, Wyoming. Once again, Horn’s involvement is somewhat shrouded in mystery, but he is suspected of assassinating at least two men on behalf of the large ranchers. Whether or not that’s true is unknown, but Tom did help to put an end to the notorious Red Sash Gang. Next, Horn would drift south and find employment as a Range Detective at John Coble’s Iron Mountain Ranch, doing pretty much the same work he had done in Johnson County: invest

Regarding Old West feuds, Arizona’s Pleasant Valley War ranked among the most violent. Also known as the Graham-Tewksbury feud, this conflict would rage on for over a decade and see a death toll from between twenty to fifty men, some of whom fell at the hands of a notorious up-and-coming killer by the name of Tom Horn. And, of course, this would not be the last feud that Tom was involved in. After leaving Arizona, he’d hire on with the Pinkertons, and it wouldn’t be long before they sent him up to a little place in Wyoming known as Johnson County. The cattle barons seemed to be getting fed up with the rustlers and looking for men like Tom Horn, who weren’t afraid of getting their hands dirty. Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Commadore Perry Owens | Texas History Lessons - https://youtu.be/GLxTm

“Killing men is my specialty. I look at it as a business proposition, and I think I have a corner on the market.” – Tom Horn, scout, lawman, detective, and assassin. As a young man, Tom Horn walked the rough cow towns of Dodge and Newton before cutting his teeth and fighting Apache down in Arizona. Graduated to the Range Wars, and in time, Horn would put his talents to use for the wealthy cattle barons of Wyoming, possibly killing as many as 17 men in the process. Or at least he did before being executed for a murder that many believe he did not commit. Today, we’ll discuss Tom’s background, his early life as a cowboy, and his time working for the Army in Arizona and Mexico. Also discussed are the Apache, Al Sieber, Geronimo, and the Pleasant Valley War. Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join

Lonesome Dove, the 11th novel of famed author Larry McMurtry, was published in 1985. Four years later, the characters Augustus McCrae and Woodrow F. Call were immortalized on screen by actors Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones. But did you know that much of Lonesome Dove was inspired by real-life people and events? Today, we discuss the real history behind Lonesome Dove—Charles Goodnight, Oliver Loving, Bose Ikard, Nelson Story, and more! We also discuss favorite Lonesome Dove quotes and a little behind-the-scenes trivia. Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Satanta | Kiowa - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_tbWm_hDh0 Remembering Larry McMurtry | Texas History Lessons -https://www.texashistorylessons.com/remembering-larry-mcmurtry/   Texas Cattle Drives | Texas History Lessons -https://www.texash

There is no new episode this week. Instead, I thought I'd share a compilation of previously released material. In this collection of true stories from the Old West, we’ll discuss Comanche Jack Stilwell, his heroics during the Battle of Beecher Island, and his brother’s time in Tombstone. Afterward, we’ll join Billy the Kid and his pals over at White Oaks and discuss the Kid’s arrest at Stinking Springs. We’ll take some sage advice from the legendary Wyatt Earp, delve into the lives of Alabama outlaw Rube Burrow and Old West conman Soapy Smith, join Kit Carson as he faces off against the Comanche at Adobe Walls, draw inspiration from sharpshooter Annie Oakley and finally, we’ll take a look at the circumstances surrounding the death of Billy the Kid. (0:00) Comanche Jack vs Wyatt Earp (10:27) Billy the Kid & the White Oaks Standoff (14:17) Wyatt Earp Speaks (26:59) Rube Burrow (1:15:43) Billy the Kid’s Arrest at Stinking Springs (1:20:49) First Battle of Adobe Walls (1:45:54) Soapy Smith (2:31:41) Billy the Kid

Considered by many to be the first Mountain Man, John Colter first came west with the Lewis and Clark Expedition. When they head back to civilization, Colter instead chooses to stay behind. He’d live with the Crow tribe and go on to be the first American to cast eyes on the Teton Mountains, Colter’s Hell, and what’s now known as Yellowstone National Park. Later, as a fur trapper, Colter would survive numerous close calls with the Blackfeet. At one point, he’d be stripped naked and forced to run for his life. What was Colter’s early life like? Was he really a Ranger under Simon Kenton? And how would Colter finally die?   Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Looking for the Lewis & Clark series? Start here -  https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-the-corps-of-discovery-part-1/   Mountain Man:

Today, we’ll follow the Lewis and Clark Expedition as they return to civilization. We’ll also discuss the lives of a few key figures post-expedition. What ever happened to Sacagawea? What about her son, Pomp? How about George Drouillard? Finally, we’ll examine the mysterious death of Captain Meriwether Lewis.   Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Part 1 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-the-corps-of-discovery-part-1/   Part 2 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-sacagawea-daniel-boone-part-2/   Part 3 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-the-shoshone-part-3/   Part 4 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-york-fort-clatsop-part-4/   Part 5 in the Lewis &

In July of 1806, Captain Meriwether Lewis and three of his companions had a violent confrontation with the Blackfeet, resulting in at least one dead warrior. This encounter would lead to strained relations between the United States and the Blackfeet Confederacy and result in decades of bloodshed. But is the official story – as told by the Corps of Discovery – truly what occurred? The Blackfeet don’t think so! Also discussed is the re-crossing of the Bitterroot Mountains, the splitting up of command, and the curious pronunciation of the Marias River. This is part 5 in the series on Lewis and Clark—links below for the previous four installments.   Part 1 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-the-corps-of-discovery-part-1/   Part 2 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-sacagawea-daniel-boone-part-2/ Part 3 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-the-shoshone-part-3/ Part 4 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://w

Despite being a slave, York enjoyed unprecedented freedom during the Lewis and Clark expedition. Unfortunately, this would not last, and once back in Missouri, York returned to a life of bondage. Unlike the other men of the Corps of Discovery, York was not paid for his services, and William Clark refused to grant him his freedom. What was York’s ultimate fate? Are the rumors true of him returning west and living among the Crow? And what’s it like eating almost nothing but boiled elk meat for months at a time? Also discussed are the Corps of Discovery’s time at Fort Clatsop and their journey east back to the Nez Perce.  Part 1 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-the-corps-of-discovery-part-1/   Part 2 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-sacagawea-daniel-boone-part-2/ Part 3 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-the-shoshone-part-3/ Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.

In the spring of 1805, the Lewis and Clark expedition departed from the Mandan and followed the Missouri River west into Montana. They would need to cross the Rocky Mountains before the snow began to fall, and to that, they would need to find the Shoshone. Also discussed are the hunting on the upper Missouri, the portage of the Great Falls, and a fortunate encounter with the Nez Perce. This is part 3 in the Lewis and Clark series; links below for the previous two installments. Part 1 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-the-corps-of-discovery-part-1/   Part 2 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-sacagawea-daniel-boone-part-2/ Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/     Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose - https://www.amazo

One aspect of the Lewis and Clark expedition that’s often overlooked is that much of their success hinged largely on the good graces of the various Indigenous people on whose land they were crossing. Today, as we follow the expedition up Missouri, we’ll take a look at several such encounters, first with the Oto and Missouri tribes, then Arikara, the Yankton, and finally a near-disastrous confrontation with the Lakota – one that had the potential to significantly alter history as we know it. We’ll also examine the Corp of Discovery’s time among the Mandan, a possible meeting with the legendary Daniel Boone, and introduce a young girl who turned out to be one of the most valuable members of the expedition – a teenage mother known as Sacagawea. By the way, how exactly is her name pronounced? And was she really Shoshone? This is PART 2 in a series on Lewis and Clark - link down below for PART 1! Part 1 in the Lewis & Clark series - https://www.wildwestextra.com/lewis-clark-the-corps-of-discovery-part-1/ Check out

In the Spring of 1803, the United States acquired the Territory of Louisiana, a largely uncharted tract of wilderness stretching from Canada all the way down to New Orleans, over 800,000 square miles that, as the maps were concerned, remained a mystery. President Thomas Jefferson ordered an expedition to explore Louisiana west to the Pacific Ocean to understand this new purchase better. Tasked with leading this endeavor – officially known as the Corp of Discovery – were Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. The Corp of Discovery was to travel some 8,000 miles, navigating their way up the Missouri River before turning west and crossing the Rocky Mountains. If everything went as planned, they’d locate an all-water route linking the Missouri to the Pacific and return to civilization as heroes. Sounds great in theory, but would Lewis and Clark be able to pull it off? Who exactly were Lewis and Clark? What exactly was the Louisiana Purchase? How’d they choose the men who would accompany them on the expediti

From Airship, the studio behind American Scandal, American History Tellers, and History Daily, comes a new true crime history podcast that takes you inside the minds of some of our most notorious felons and outlaws, exploring the dark side to the American dream. The debut season tackles one of the country’s most sensational cases: The Menendez Murders. In 1989, Lyle and Erik Menendez brutally shot their parents. Prosecutors said it was a million dollar inheritance that led two greedy kids to murder. But the picture-perfect facade this family built hid troubling abuse; could these teenagers have been driven to kill, or was it even in self-defense? Episode one is out now! Go to americancriminal.com, or search for and follow American Criminal wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They say Claude Dallas was the last of the Mountain Men; A modern-day cowboy and fur trapper just living life on his terms. A throwback to the Mountain Men like Jim Bridger, Jed Smith, and Kit Carson. The only thing was the authorities just wouldn’t let Dallas be. First, it was the FBI, then the Bureau of Land Management, and finally, a pair of Game Wardens out of Idaho. Dallas had sworn he’d never be arrested again, and sure enough when the smoke cleared, both Game Wardens lay dead on the ground. For over the next year, Claude Dallas was the subject of a nationwide manhunt. He would be captured and sentenced to prison, but he escaped, causing yet another manhunt – this time making it on the FBI’s top 10 most wanted. Believe it or not, Claude Dallas is still alive and free. Considered a hero to many – a living, walking, talking embodiment of the old motto, live free or die. But just how accurate are these sentiments? Is Claude Dallas truly a hero, a good man who refused to be victimized by an oppressive gover