Bloody Beaver

The Battle of White Bird Canyon was one of the most lopsided defeats the U.S. Army ever suffered in the American West. On June 17, 1877, Captain David Perry led roughly one hundred soldiers and scouts into Idaho’s White Bird Canyon, believing they could quickly subdue the Nez Perce. Instead, the Nez Perce delivered a crushing defeat. In less than an hour, 34 soldiers lay dead as dozens more were forced to flee on foot. The Nez Perce, fighting for their very survival, lost not a single warrior. This stunning victory was only the beginning. Just two weeks later, Nez Perce warriors annihilated Lieutenant Rains and his command of ten men, once again without suffering a single casualty. These early triumphs showed the tactical brilliance and determination of the Nez Perce people, who had long endured broken treaties, land seizures, and violence from settlers. Once a peaceful nation led by figures such as Chief Joseph and Looking Glass, they were pushed into war after decades of betrayal and deception. The conflict

In October of 1884, 19-year-old Elfego Baca made history during the legendary Frisco Shootout. After pinning on a fake badge and arresting a drunken cowboy named Charlie McCarty, Baca found himself surrounded by dozens of angry ranch hands. The standoff escalated into a 33-hour siege in which as many as 80 cowboys fired more than 4,000 rounds into the adobe building where Baca took cover. Remarkably, not a single bullet struck him. Acquitted of murder on multiple occasions and later serving as sheriff, U.S. marshal, lawyer, and politician, Baca became a folk hero of the New Mexico frontier. Buy Me A Coffee – https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for ad-free and bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Teton Ridge has snagged the film and TV rights to Larry McMurtry’s legendary Lonesome Dove series, promising a fresh take on the Pulitzer Prize-winning saga of retired Texas Rangers on a perilous cattle drive from Texas to Montana. The original adaptation in 1989 became a Western classic, but will the remake live up to its legacy? And did you know that many of the characters and events in Lonesome Dove were inspired by real-life people and events? Today, we explore the remake rumors as well as the true history behind Lonesome Dove: Charles Goodnight, Oliver Loving, Bose Ikard, Nelson Story, and more! We’ll also share our favorite Lonesome Dove quotes and a bit of behind-the-scenes trivia. Buy Me A Coffee – https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free and bonus content! https://www.patreon.c

The Nez Perce War erupted in 1877 after decades of broken treaties, stolen land, and violent confrontations between settlers and the Nez Perce people. At the center of this struggle was Chief Joseph, a leader who had spent years trying to keep peace, only to be forced into leading his people on one of the greatest fighting retreats in American history. This is not just a story of betrayal, courage, and survival; it’s about the final stand of a people fighting for their very existence and the man who became their reluctant war leader. Who was Chief Joseph? What was his early life like? And what events led to the Nez Perce War? Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mysterious Dave Mather was one of the Old West’s most elusive figures. Born in Connecticut and orphaned at a young age, Mather drifted west, where his life became a blur of gunfights, gambling halls, and questionable alliances. He wore a badge in towns like Dodge City and East Las Vegas, but just as often found himself standing trial for murder. Known for surviving situations that should have ended him, Mather’s story takes an even stranger turn at its end. At the height of his notoriety, he vanished completely. Theories about his fate range from the believable to the bizarre: that he fled to Canada, started over under a new name, or died in some forgotten corner of the frontier. And then there are the claims that Dave Mather was abducted by a UFO in northern Mexico. Buy Me A Coffee – https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Check out the website https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for ad-f

Tom “Bear River” Smith tamed one of the wildest towns in the Old West without firing a single shot. Armed with nothing more than a badge, a banjo, and a pair of fists that made even the toughest cowboys think twice, Smith brought order to Abilene, Kansas, at a time when cattle drives and rowdy trail hands turned the streets into chaos. But how did a man who hated using guns manage to subdue some of the most dangerous men on the frontier? And what chain of events led to one of the most brutal and shocking killings in frontier history? Who exactly was Bear River Smith? Could his no-guns approach to law enforcement have worked long-term? And how famous would he be nowadays had he not been replaced by the legendary Wild Bill Hickok? Buy Me A Coffee – https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for ad-free and bonus content! https://www.pat

King Fisher was no ordinary Texas gunfighter. This is a man who once killed a circus tiger so that he could make a pair of chaps from its hide. He boasted of killing 37 men, and at the height of his power, commanded over 100 armed bandits, ruling South Texas like his own personal kingdom. Known for his gold-embroidered jackets, rattlesnake hatbands, bells on his spurs, and those infamous tiger-skin chaps, Fisher was equal parts deadly and flamboyant. Who was King Fisher? How does a man go from outlaw warlord to wearing a sheriff’s badge, only to end up gunned down in one of the most mysterious ambushes in Old West history? From cattle raids in the lawless Nueces Strip to a bloody night inside San Antonio’s Vaudeville Theatre, this is the strange, violent, and unforgettable story of John King Fisher. Buy Me A Coffee – https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Free N

For centuries, the Northern Paiute have told of the Si-Te-Cah, a mysterious tribe said to have lived on tule rafts across Nevada’s Lake Humboldt. Described as fierce warriors with red hair and even cannibalistic tendencies, the Si-Te-Cah were eventually trapped and wiped out at Lovelock Cave. Skip ahead to 1911, and miners discovered thousands of artifacts and mummified remains buried deep inside the cave, including a body reportedly over six feet tall with striking red hair. Some claim this proves the Si-Te-Cah were giants, while others argue the legend grew over time from real but ordinary conflicts. Who were the Si-Te-Cah? Did they truly exist, or are they just another Wild West tall tale?   Buy Me A Coffee – https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Check out the website https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for ad-free and bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Learn more a

The Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine is one of the most enduring legends of the American Southwest. Said to be hidden somewhere in the Superstition Mountains east of Apache Junction, Arizona, this mythical mine is named after Jacob “Dutchman” Waltz, who supposedly discovered a rich vein of gold in the 19th century and concealed its location before his death in 1891. Over the decades, thousands of treasure hunters have searched the rugged terrain of the Superstition Wilderness in hopes of finding Waltz’s fabled treasure. The legend blends fact and fiction: Waltz did exist and was known to carry gold, but geological evidence casts doubt on the existence of a true vein of precious metal in the volcanic range. Which begs the question: Does the lost mine really exist, or is it just another tall tale of the Old West?   Buy Me A Coffee – https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest   Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/  

Clay Allison was one of the lesser-known yet deadlier of the Old West gunslingers. Join me today as we follow Allison on his adventures in Dodge City, his encounters with Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday, and finally his tragic demise in Pecos, Texas.   Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for ad-free and bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Clay Allison by Chuck Parsons – https://www.abebooks.com/9780933512368/Clay-Allison-Portrait-Shootist-Parsons-0933512368/plp   The Colfax County War by Corey Recko – https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-colfax-county-war-violence-and-corruption-in-territorial-new-mexico-volume-22-ac-greene-series_corey-recko/51761961/#isbn=1574419323   Tall Tales and Half Truths of Clay Allison by Donna Blake Birchell – https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/tall-tales-and-half-truths-of-clay-allison/37

This is a special bonus episode from the excellent Crimes of the Centuries podcast. When members of the incredibly wealthy Osage Nation started dropping dead of mysterious ailments in 1920s Oklahoma, few people in state power paid it much mind. After all, many of those who could do something about it were benefiting from the deaths. Eventually, with the help of a still-evolving agency called the FBI, federal authorities uncovered an unthinkable conspiracy known today as the Reign of Terror. "Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. Crimes of the Centuries - https://www.centuriespod.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clay Allison might not be as famous as Billy the Kid or Jesse James, but he was every bit as deadly. He was also just a tad bit insane. Clay got his start riding for Nathan Bedford Forrest during the Civil War. Then, after a brief career as a Texas Cowboy, Clay drifted west and found himself knee-deep in the Colfax County War. From New Mexico to Colorado and beyond, Allison left a trail of bodies in his wake. But unlike many of the other notable gunmen of the time, Clay was not an outlaw. He just refused to back down. Who was the real Clay Allison? How’d the son of a preacher become one of the most feared gunfighters of the Old West? And are the stories of him tying a ribbon around his Johnson and severing the heads of his enemies true? Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for ad-free and bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/w

Stagecoach Mary Fields worked hard, she drank hard, and if the situation called for it, she fought hard. And despite being born a slave, Mary lived to become one of the freest souls ever to draw a breath. Or a .38 revolver.   Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for ad-free and bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Stagecoach Mary | Black Cowboys - https://open.spotify.com/episode/5PLVtMGwyLGnm7MLBtdcrT?si=92XhBIToT22kOAS7alGWPQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 gon

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. Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free and bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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?    Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for ad-free and bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Street Dogs | San Patricios - https://youtu.be/1asy-BWEaA

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.   Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for ad-free and bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra   Deadly Dozen Vol 3 by Robert K. DeArment - https://www.abebooks.com/9780806140766/Deadly-Dozen-Forgotten-Gunfighters-Old-0806140763/plp  

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.   Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for ad-free and bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Learn more about your ad

Seth Bullock first pinned a badge in Montana, where he presided over the territory’s very first legal execution. That’s in addition to serving as a territorial senator and establishing Yellowstone National Park. Bullock then drifted east to the Black Hills and helped tame the lawless boom town of Deadwood. And let’s be honest, Bullock’s time in Deadwood is what he’s mostly known for, thanks to the HBO drama of the same name. But how accurate was that portrayal? What was Bullock’s life like before Deadwood? How’d he go from being a frontier Sheriff to serving as a bodyguard for the President of the United States? And is it true he raised an entire regiment of cowboys to fight in World War I? Join me today as we discuss the real-life Seth Bullock, a man Teddy Roosevelt once described as a true westerner and the finest type of frontiersman. And yes, we’ll also take a look at whether or not Bullock had any run-ins with the notorious Al Swearengen.  This episode is brought to you by Huel. New customers get 15% o

By the mid-1920s, Al Capone was the undisputed kingpin of Chicago and was working feverishly to expand his empire. The only thing standing in the way of his ambitions was an overzealous Nebraska lawman known as Richard “Two Gun” Hart. The mysterious Hart claimed to be half Native American and appeared like something straight out of a Hollywood Western. Still, he was said to be both fearless and incorruptible, going down in history as one of the most effective Prohibition Agents of all time. But Richard Hart harbored a dark secret that even his wife and children were unaware of. The straight-shooting lawman and the notorious gangster were connected in more ways than one.   Today’s sponsor is QUINCE! - quince.com/wildwest Check out the website for more true tales from the Old West https://www.wildwestextra.com/   Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/   Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/   Join Patreon for ad-free and bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra L