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INVESTIGATING THE OLD WEST?
American Frontier History Apache Arapaho Arikara Bat Masterson Benteen Blackfeet Black Kettle Buffalo Soldiers Calamity Jane Cattlemen Cheyenne Chief Joseph Clanton Cochise Comanche Cowboys Crazy Horse Crow Custer Deadwood Desperadoes Dodge City Geronimo Gunfights Gunslingers Indian Territory Jesse James Gang John Henry 'Doc' Holliday Kiowa Lakota Lawmen Lincoln County War Little Big Horn Mandan Monasetah Mountain Men Nez Perce OK Corral Outlaws Quanah Parker Quantrill Rain-in-the-Face Red Cloud Reno Roman Nose Rosebud Rustlers Sam Graham Scouts Shoshone Sioux Sitting Bull Tombstone Tom Horn US Cavalry Vigilantes Washita Western History 'Wild Bill' Hickok Wild West William 'Billy the Kid' Bonney William F. 'Buffalo Bill' Cody Wyatt Earp
THE ENGLISH WESTERNERS' SOCIETY
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A member of Westerners' International, the English Westerners' Society, was founded in November 1954, the ninth such group organised and the first outside the United States. It is an educational, non-profit making organisation whose object is to pursue and promote the study of American Frontier History. To this end, the Society issues publications and holds meetings. |
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Response from fellow scholars in the United States has been helpful and positive
over the years. The very first Elmo Scott Watson
Prize for Historical Journalism was gratefully received and the
Society has been the recipient of four Heads Up
Award in recent years from
Westerners' International.
The award has three categories
for which separate awards are given. One to corrals or posses formed before
1973, one to a corral or posse organized in 1973 or later and one to a foreign
corral. Judging is on programs, membership, publications, activities and
community contributions.
2011 Winner of the Westerners International
'Heads Up Award' for Overseas Corrals
2013 Winner of the Westerners International
'Heads Up Award' for Overseas Corrals
2015 Winner of the Westerners International
'Heads Up Award' for Overseas Corrals
2017 Winner of the Westerners International 'Heads Up Award' for Overseas Corrals
The regular publications of the Society are the Brand Book and the Tally Sheet. The latter is a newsletter publication issued three times a year containing Society news, current information, articles, book reviews and book lists. The Brand Book is the Society's printed journal, presenting original research papers to members and occasional out-of-print items. Since 1964, a series of Special Publications have been issued and a number of these are still in print.
The Society holds its Annual General Meeting and Lunch in London, normally on the first Saturday in October, and other occasional meetings may be arranged at alternative times and places during the year. For many years the venue for the Annual meeting was the stately Over-Seas House, Park Place, off Piccadilly and overlooking Green Park. Since 2007 the Society has held its Annual meeting at Doggett's Coat and Badge, 1 Blackfriars Bridge, City of London, SE1 9UD. Doggett’s Coat and Badge is blessed with one of the best locations in London. Based on the south bank of the river with stunning views of the Thames, The City, St Paul’s Cathedral and beyond.
The English Westerners' Society Charter See English Westerners' Society Charter .
Membership of the Society (£15.00 annually) is open to residents of the British Isles, and includes receipt of the regular publications, voting rights, and use of free information and Tally Sheet advertising services.
Associate Membership ($30.00 annually) is open to those resident outside the British Isles and includes receipt of the regular publications only.
Membership Applications are welcomed. Please supply your name and address, together with a note of any particular Frontier History interests. Cheques, in Pound Sterling or US Dollars please, should be made out in favour of 'The English Westerners' Society' and sent to: Mike Bell, 43 Russell Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, B28 8SF, United Kingdom or E-mail Kevin Galvin the Secretary EWS if you wish to make a prior enquiry.
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Policy
In accordance with all other organisations and societies, updated
regulations require members to be informed and reminded of the situation with
regard to members’ personal details.
The Society retains a record of members’ names,
addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses. These details are used to
send to members publications, details of meetings, and other news and items
relevant to the EWS. They are never shared with or given to any other
organisation or individuals. (This policy has always applied to the EWS.)
A member’s records are deleted within three months of ceasing to
be a member.
Members wishing to get in touch with
another member should seek permission from that member via the Secretary.
Recently Published, the Latest and Future Brand Books
and Special Publications
For Brand Books and Special Publications published see Recent Publications.
Brand Book - Volume 47 (2 Titles)
The first Brand Book in Volume 47 (Winter 2013) is The 'Fighting Seventh' at Canyon Creek by Francis B. Taunton and it delves into an engagement on 13th September 1877, just over 12 months after the regiment had suffered a terrible defeat at the Little Bighorn. This time their opponents were the Nez Perce led by Chief Joseph. It is a fight that the regiment itself has failed to describe in its own history. Why this is the case is unknown as it can not be described as either a defeat or a success. Six companies under the command of its regimental commander, Colonel Samuel D. Sturgis, whose son had been killed with Custer, participated. Many readers will know about the flight of the Nez Perce in 1877 from their homeland in an attempt to reach Canada with the US Army in hot pursuit. The Seventh were ordered to intercept the Nez Perce but the encounter on the 13th September was only possible because some of the Nez Perce had committed some minor depredations and the smoke from burning buildings enabled Sturgis's command to locate them in Canyon Creek. What followed is told in this book.
The final Brand Book in Volume 47 is a double issue (2 & 3) and covers Spring and Summer 2014, entitled "Jim Cummings, the last of the Jesse James gang", it is by Robert Wybrow and tackles the story behind the robbery of a St. Louis and San Francisco train on 25 October 1886 that was supposedly committed by Jim Cummings who had been a member of the Jesse James gang. Cummings participation in the robbery was claimed by David S. Fotheringham, the train's express messenger. As a result of this claim the newspapers were quick to provide details of Cummings past involvement with Jesse James, describing him as possibly the last member of the gang who could answer his name at a roll call with the exception of Frank James. Fotheringham's description of the robber and of the robbery itself didn't add up and there were those who suspected he knew more of the event than he was prepared to tell. This is a fascinating account of how the real Jim Cummings past association with the James gang was used to identify him as the the robber when the act itself was actually carried out by others.
Brand Book - Volume 48
The first Brand Book in Volume 48 (Winter 2014) is Corporal Edward Scott, Frontier Cavalryman written by Allan Radbourne. Scott was an African-American who served in both the 9th and 10th U.S. Cavalry from 1878 to 1887. Scott participated in a number of engagements during his service including the fight at Milk River where his troop, who went to relief of another column, were themselves besieged by Utes. His final encounter was with a band of Apaches led by Geronimo. By this time he was serving as a corporal in K Company, 10th U.S. Cavalry. His company had been in pursuit of the Indians and followed them into Mexico. Scott would be wounded in the fight and was rescued by Lieutenant Powhatan Clarke who would receive the Medal of Honor for his gallantry. Scot's wound would lead to the amputation of a leg. He was medically discharged in 1887 and returned to civilian life in Washington D.C., it was here he met his wife Sarah and settled down.
Frederic Remington, Illustration, that appeared in Harper's Weekly, 21 Aug 1886 depicting rescue of Corporal Edward Scott by Lieutenant Powhatan Clarke.
Black Elk, Mexican Joe & Buffalo Bill: The Real Story is the second Brand Book in Volume 48 (Spring 2015) and is written by Tom F. Cunningham. He tells the real story behind Black Elk's time in Europe based on his extensive research, as a result of his dissatisfaction with earlier work that tended to dismiss Mexican Joe's outfit as "a show that left little trace." Readers will have been familiar with Black Elk from his autobiography Black Elk Speaks written on his behalf by John G. Neihardt and Colonel William F. Cody, better known as Buffalo Bill, needs no introduction. Less may be known about Mexican Joe, who was “Colonel” Joe Shelley and not to be confused with another Wild West Show performer with the same nickname, Jose Barrera. This book provides insights into Black Elk's time with Mexican Joe's show from May 1888, after being left behind with three other young Lakota's who had been with Buffalo Bill's Wild West tour, until he left Mexican Joe's outfit in the spring of 1889 through ill-health. He would eventually rejoin with Buffalo Bill and eventually return to the Pine Ridge Reservation in the USA that same year.
The third and final book in the Brand Book in Volume 48 ( Summer 2015) is Edge of Darkness: The Final Days of Ben Thompson by Douglas W. Ellison and is about Ben Thompson (2 November 1843 – 11 March 1884), a Yorkshire man born in Knottingley, who travelled at the age of eight with his parents to the USA. He would become famous as a man of the gun and at times was a gunman, gambler, and lawman of the Old West. He was a contemporary of “Buffalo” Bill Cody, Bat Masterson, John Wesley Hardin, and “Wild Bill” Hickock, some of whom considered him a friend, others an enemy. Thompson fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War, and later for Emperor Maximilian in Mexico. When hired in 1881 as marshal in Austin, Texas, the crime rate reportedly dropped sharply. Thompson was murdered at the age of 40 in San Antonio, Texas in the “Vaudeville Theater Ambush” whilst attending a show with the rancher King Fisher. This book tells the story of Thompson’s final days leading up to both his and Fisher’s death.
Ben Thompson and King Fisher
Brand Book - Volume 49
The first Brand Book in Volume 49 (Winter 2015) is 'Reminiscences of Sam Graham' edited and annotated by Chuck Parsons. Sam Graham was one of the few Texas Rangers of the Frontier Battalion who left his memoirs for later generations. The original manuscript is now in the collection of Texas State Archives and Library in Austin and was written in the early 1930's and donated to the Archives on 13 November 1936. Graham joined the Texas Rangers on 8 July 1878 and served for five years, almost continuously until his discharge on 31 August 1882.
The second Brand Book in Volume 49 (Spring 2016) English By Birth, Scottish by Blood by Peter G. Russell and Leslie Hodgson and is on a member of Custer's Seventh Cavalry, Trooper John Stuart Stuart Forbes, who had enlisted as John S. Hiley on 22 January 1872 in New York. He was assigned to Company E; participated in the Yellowstone Campaign (1873); the Black Hills Expedition (1874); and killed with Custer’s column at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. This publication is a fitting tribute to the memory of John Stuart Stuart Forbes particularly as 2016 marked the 140th anniversary of the battle where he gave his life for his adopted country. This volume also includes Letters to Private John S. Hiley by Leslie Hodgson and Peter G. Russell.
Photograph of the monument on Last Stand Hill where John Stuart Stuart Forbes is recorded as J. S. Hiley.
(Photograph courtesy Kevin Galvin)
The final Brand Book in Volume 49 (Summer 2016) is Bat Masterson A Denver Sporting Man: Further Fist Fighting Out West by Keith F. Robinson's relates the story of Bat Masterson in his middle years. Masterson was a well-known as a lawmen, which was only one of many adventurous careers he pursued. Later he followed a number of equally dangerous modes of employment that included gambling, saloon owner, and that of a sporting man. This publication follows Bat's life as a sporting man whilst living in Denver. Masterson was a resident in Denver c. 1882-1902, it was during this period he became active in the fight game as a backer, second, referee and promoter; all of which became essential preparation for his later career as a New York sportswriter specialising in boxing. His stay in Denver however was not always welcome by some of its residents.
Brand Book - Volume 50
The first Brand Book in Volume 50 (Winter 2016) is Mexican Joe Volume II: The Running Wolf Years by Tom F. Cunningham is the second volume and continues the story of Mexico Joe Shelley and his Wild West show that toured the United Kingdom. This volume opens with a report on an attempt on the life of Mexican Joe by an Indian known as Running Wolf in November 1887. Newspaper reports stated this had been the fourth attempt of Running Wolf to shoot his employer. To what extent that this was a publicity stunt is discussed given that at the time Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show was touring England. Running Wolf, it was claimed was an Apache who was a fearsome savage with seventy scalps to his name and had been a member of Geronimo's band who had broken out of the reservation in 1886.
The second and final Brand Book in Volume 50 (Spring & Summer 2017) is The Battle of the Robe Entrenchments, Wolf Creek, and the Great Peace of 1840: The Anatomy of War, Trade, and Diplomacy on the Southern Plains by Phillip Robinson. In this book Phillip reminds us that although warfare between the tribes on the plains however bloody it might become, it was not necessary what tribes sought. Trade was a key component of of inter tribal relationships and only when diplomacy failed would a tribe resort to violence. This book examines this in the period 1837 and 1840 on the Southern Plains.
Brand Book - Volume 51
The first Brand Book in Volume 51 (Winter 2017) is The End of the Road: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in Bolivia by Daniel Buck and Anne Meadows. This book looks at the lives of Butch Cassidy (Robert LeRoy Parker) and the Sundance Kid (Harry Alonzo Longabaugh) after they moved to South America in February 1901, initially Argentina and then finally Bolivia where the duo would be killed on 6 November 1908 in San Vincente, Bolivia.
The second Brand Book in Volume 51 is Ballads, Banjos & Bullets: Trailing The Tangled Lives of IRA 'Dick' Brown & Fannie Garrettson by Chris Penn. The story begins when in January 1907 a white-haired visitor to Los Angeles spun some colourful tales to a reporter on a local newspaper. Ira 'Dick' Brown's story was published in The Los Angeles Herald. The author having stumbled on the story some years ago has brought the story up todate with his research into contemporary records. 'Dick'Brown would meet Fannie Garrettson the woman who would feature in his life for a number of years in 1874 at McDaniel's Thratre, Cheyenne, Wyoming. Both had very colourful lives after they separated in 1878.
The third and final Brand Book in Volume 51 (Summer 2018) is "Poor John" John Harrison Younger 1851-1874 by Robert J. Wybrow. This book tells the story of John Harrison Younger who according to a letter written by his brother Cole was "hunted down and shot like a wild beast, and never was a boy more innocent." John Younger's life was short but he was not so innocent and had killed his first man in January 1866.
Brand Book - Volume 52
The first Brand Book in Volume 52 (Winter 2018) is Salvador or Martinez? The First Fork on the Trail of Mickey Free by Allan Radbourne. This paper is a revised and updated version of one first published under the same title in the Brand Book (Volume 14, Number 2) in January 1972. Mickey Free is widely remembered as the boy whose abduction would lead to the confrontation between Lieutenant George N. Bascom and the Chiricahua apache chief, Cochise at Apache Pass in 1861. This paper looks at the two versions of Mickey free's origins hence the title of the paper.
Mickey Free
The second Brand Book in Volume 52 (Spring 2019) is Sheriff Thomas Cody: A Man to Match a Mob by Douglas W. Ellison. On the night of the 14 April 1904 Azel Galbraith who had confessed to the cold-bloodied killing of his wife and son was being held in a cell in Gilpin County Court House in Central City, Colorado. Outside a mob had gathered and wanted to submit Galbraith to their brand of justice but Sheriff Thomas Cody stood on the steps of the court house and shouted to the crowd that he would shoot the first man who came up the steps. His oath of office meant despite whatever he may think of the killer he would defend him even at the cost of his own life if that should prove necessary. Douglas Ellison tells the story behind this event and the background to the murders perpetuated by Galbraith who would be found guilty and hung for his crime on the 6 March 1905. Cody would go on to become the Mayor of Central City. He would die on 15 May 1926 aged 70 years-old. His obituary reminded readers of his dramatic facedown of the mob in 1904.
Gilpin County Court House
The final Brand Book in Volume
52 (Summer 2019) is
Who Are Those Guys? Of Myths and Manhunters: the Union Pacific
Bandit Hunters by Mike Bell.
By 1901 the Union Pacific had run out of patience. Two train robberies in two
years – one at Wilcox, Wyoming in 1899 and one at Tipton, Wyoming in 1900 –
spurred them into action. Guards had been placed on trains after the Wilcox
robbery but that clearly did not deter the Tipton robbers.
In January 1902, William Canada, head of
the UP's Secret Service Division, hired former North Platte, Nebraska, Sheriff
Timothy T. Keliher to bring together a force that would hunt down and destroy
any further gangs of train robbers.
In their first year the Union Pacific Mounted Rangers, popularly known as
the Bandit Hunters, were led by Arthur Grosvenor Porter, a cousin of Teddy
Roosevelt. Porter left in 1903 but the Bandit Hunters carried on, led personally
by Keliher. Equipped with a special train, they rode the rails from Cheyenne to
the Utah line, regularly running their horses alongside the track to deter
robbers. By 1905 Buffalo Bill took an interest in the Bandit Hunters, and
featured them in his 1907-1909 tour of the United States.
There are a number publications at various stages and we will keep you updated.
Special Publications
Special Publication 10. More Sidelights of the Sioux Wars was sent to members as the Brand Book for 2002/2003. This Special Publication contains four articles, two by Barry C. Johnson on Herendeen and Cadet Marcus Reno, an article by Rod MacNeil on the Custer's Approach to the Little Big Horn River and the fourth is by Francis B. Taunton on the Yellowstone Campaign of 1873. It contains maps, colour and black and white photographs. (Please also note this Special Publication was issued in lieu of Volume 36 - there were no Brand Books numbered Volume 36.) NO LONGER AVAILABLE.
Special Publication 11A. Vignettes in Violence a Special Publication issued as Volume 1 of the Golden Jubilee Publication contains a Foreword by Joe Rosa, an Introduction by Barry Johnson and contains four articles, one by Chuck Parsons on an Englishman James W. Grahame who found adventure in Texas, the second article is by Robert Wybrow about Missouri being one of the most peaceful States, the third is by Jeffrey Burton on The Duellists of Devil's River and the fourth is by Roy O'Dell on Frank Clifford - a man who had not necessary attracted the attention he deserved as an outlaw. It contains black and white photographs and illustrations. (Please Note because this Special Publication was sent to all member, as a result Volume 37 comprised of only one Brand Book.)
Special Publication 11B. The Secrets of Box 20: Custer's War Department File 1861-1897 edited by Barry C. Johnson including Foreword and Introduction is a Special Publication and Volume 2 of the Golden Jubilee Publication. Although General George Armstrong Custer's personal file has been available to researchers since the 1950's , up until then all were regarded as confidential, there was very little interest in Custer's file and Johnson explains why. The importance of this work however is the methodical way that Johnson has put this publication together. First explaining the how the Adjutant General's Office (AGO) compiled such records known as A.C.P. files after "The 'Appointments, Commission and Personal Branch" whose responsibility it had been to maintain the files. Then he assesses the the contents of Custer's file, which contains very little information regarding Custer's campaigns or battles, before giving readers an insight into the AGO in Custer's time. The file itself is published in chronological order as the original file had been kept loosely and had clearly resulted in the files themselves becoming disorganised. The formatting of the original files has been retained included the spelling and it is believed this publication is the first time that the files have been reproduced in print.
This publication was sent to those members who were in the Society in 2007-2008 (This publication was in lieu of the Brand Books for 2007-2008 and is Volume 41.(New Members from 1 September 2008 are able to purchase this publication at the discounted members price.)
Special Publication 12A. Monahsetah: The Life of a Custer Captive This special publication, written by the late Peter Harrison and edited by Gary Leonard tells the story, based on Peter's extensive research, of Monahsetah, or Meotzi, was a young Cheyenne Indian woman captured by the 7th U.S. Cavalry following Custer's attack on Black Kettle's village on the Washita River in November 1868. Controversy has existed for decades over the question of whether Custer procured some sort of sexual relationship with Monahsetah and whether she bore a child by him. The book allows the reader to make up his or her own mind on this issue. It also fleshes out her long and adventurous life. In addition to her experiences at the Washita, she was wounded during the Sand Creek massacre, helped Custer procure the release from the Cheyennes of two women, was involved in the rescue of two of the German girls, and lived through one of the most tumultuous eras of Cheyenne history. She also was married several times. Her first husband was the son of Cheyenne Chief White Antelope, while later husbands included a retired mountain man, and a former Fort Marion captive who was later a scout for the Army.
Special Publication 12B. Deadly Days in the Old West: More Vignettes in Violence, is the second volume in The English Westerners' Society publications to celebrate its Diamond Jubilee. It is a collection of carefully researched accounts of the bad men of the Old West and their nefarious ways, all written by Society members with international reputations as experts in their fields. The authors include Jeffrey Burton, Roy O'Dell, Chuck Parson, Michelle Pollard and Robert J. Wybrow.
On-Demand and Other Publications
A number of books have now been produced by members of the Society some of which are available on demand from Lulu.com.
A print on demand revised edition of An Indian Called 'Wounded Knee' - Miss Viola Clemmons and the White Lily Company in England & Wales, 1891-92 is now available and Black Elk, Mexican Joe & Buffalo Bill: The Real Story has been available in the same format since July 2017. Both by Tom F. Cunningham.
Robert J. Wybrow has produced two books that are available. Although well-known as an historian of the James-Younger Gang, and their life and times, Bob Wybrow has now unearthed the story of two unlikely outlaw brothers who committed a deadly robbery in Minnesota in October 1896, and made their getaway by bicycle. Hans and Lewis Kellihan robbed the Bank of Sherburne, in the village of Sherburne, Minnesota, killing a bank employee as they made their getaway. But they were not able to go too far before the law caught up with them ... Death Rode Away On a Bicycle is a softback publication, 60 pages, including notes and illustrations. The book is £9.75 (excluding VAT), plus postage, and is available via Lulu.com. EWS members can buy it postage free and at a discounted rate of £6.50 by ordering through Gary Leonard.
The other book is Jesse James: Prince of Robbers! a series of articles on this well-known figure and is a publication that our members are more likely to associate Bob Wybrow with. Again available via Lulu.com. It is 496 pages and is a softback book at £20.00 (excluding VAT).
In addition to the two on-demand books, Bob Wybrow has also edited Eyewitnesses to the Northfield Tragedy which collects accounts of the raid by witnesses and participants. This is the first time that eyewitness accounts of the final robbery of the James-Younger Gang have been collected and is an essential addition to the literature on the Missouri outlaws.
The book is published in paperback, and is 128 pages long, including notes and illustrations. The book is available to UK members from Society Chairman Ray Cox, 4, Lulworth Close, Halesowen, West Midlands, B63 2UJ, (e-mail rymd.cox@gmail.com) at a special price of £8.00 and to members overseas, including the USA and mainland Europe $12.50, both prices to include postage and packaging. Remittances should be made out to The English Westerners’ Society and enclosed with your order. Would members please include a telephone number when ordering copies, as this will facilitate delivery to your address by the courier.
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Society
News
REMINDER
Subscriptions
for 2021/2022 were due from 1st September
2021. Members should send their subscriptions to: Mike Bell, 43 Russell Road,
Hall Green, Birmingham, B28 8SF. Cheques should be made
payable to "The English Westerners' Society".
Awards
The Society won theWesterners International Heads Up Award
for 2016 and 2017 Award.
Having won the Heads Up Award in 2011 and 2013 we were surprised but
extremely pleased to complete a hat trick of wins with our notification that we
had won for a third time for 2015. Associate member Chuck Parsons, along
with co-author Jack DeMattos was also placed first in the 2015 Co-Founders Best Book Award
for their book The Notorious Luke Short: Sporting Man of the Wild
West
Society received it's second Heads Up Award. Having waited 40 years for
the first award, the Society were once again honoured to receive the award for 2013.
The Society received the Heads Up Award for 2011
from Westerners International, our co-ordinating body. This was the first
time for 40 years that we have received such an award and the committee
believe this is largely due to our Golden Jubilee Publication, edited by
Barry Johnson and we thank him for his work in delivering this 2-volume
publication in particular the final volume. Associate member Chuck
Parsons was also placed first in the 2011 Co-Founders Best Book Award
for his book Captain John R. Hughes Lone Star Ranger.
Photograph Gallery
See photographs on
English
Westerners' Society Photograph Gallery.
Members Books
Barry Johnson's tribute to the late Colin Taylor, who was one of the Society's
Vice-presidents, is now published. The book is entitled Colin Taylor: Ethnologists of
the Plains Indian. It is still available free to members of the Society,
thanks to the generosity of Barry. Please contact the Chairman, Francis Taunton
direct to receive your copy.
Prue Westbrook wrote a few years ago what she describes herself as a "factual"
novel set in the time of Red Cloud's War. The title is Red Shadow on the
Moon and is set within the context of the run up to what became known as
the Fetterman Massacre, Red Cloud comes across an injured white boy on the
outskirts of his village. But who is he and what can his arrival in Red Cloud's
village mean? For more information visit her website at
www.pruewestbrook.com.
We are also pleased to note that Prue has recently won a short story writing
contest organised by the Fort Laramie Historical Association. Her story
concerned the 1866 Christmas Ball at the fort, when those attending dramatically
heard the news of the Fetterman Massacre.
Westerners International have given a brief but favourable review of the late Jeffery
Burton's The Deadliest Outlaws.
Sandy Barnard's book A Hoosier Quaker Goes to War: The
Life and Death of Major Joel H. Elliott, 7th Cavalry tells the story
of this officer serving with Custer's Seventh Cavalry when he was killed at the
battle of the Washita. Elliott had served with distinction during the Civil War
which for a young man brought up in a closely-knit community of decidedly
pacifist Quakers was remarkable. This book is available direct from
AST Press
or can be purchased on Amazon. Sandy has also been awarded the Jay
Smith Award by the Little Big Horn Associates for his book Custer's First
Sergeant: John Ryan that was published in 1996. The award is for a
book whose research and writing about the Little Big Horn story have withstood
the test of time.
Sandy's latest publication is Photographing Custer's Battlefield: The
Images of Kenneth F. Roahen published by the University of Oklahoma
Press. the book provides a selection that relate to the Custer Battlefield of
the 10,000 photographs that Roahen had taken and were donated to the Big Horn
County Historical Museum in Hardin, Montana by his niece. He matches those with
images he has taken to illustrate the changes in the terrain from when Roahen
was photographing the battlefield.
Jeff Broome who has written a number of books as well as articles for the
Society and Denver Westerners, has for his latest major work,
Golden
Jubilee
Golden
Jubilee. The English Westerners' Society celebrated its 50th Anniversary in
November 2004. To mark the event a Golden Jubilee
Publication was planned to be published,
which would comprise of two volumes. The General Editors of Volume 1 were Barry Johnson one of
the Society's two Vice-presidents and Francis Taunton the then Vice-chairman. Volume 1 -
"Vignettes in Violence"
was sent to members who had
paid their 2004-2005 subscriptions. Volume 2 of the Golden Jubilee Publication
was finally published in 2012 (almost in time for the 60th Anniversary!!) and
entitled
The
Secrets of Box 20: Custer's War Department File 1861-1897 edited by
Barry C. Johnson including Foreword and Introduction. This publication was sent to members in lieu of the Brand Book for 2007-2008
(Volume 41).
Diamond Jubilee
In 2014 the Society celebrated its Diamond Jubilee. To mark the event a series
of Diamond Jubilee publications have been planned. The first of these was
Monahsetah: The Life of a Custer Captive. This was a limited first
edition of 100 copies. The book is the culmination of over twenty years research
by Peter Harrison and five years of careful editing by Gary Leonard. Monahsetah
was a young Cheyenne woman captured by George Armstrong Custer's 7th Cavalry
following his attack on Black Kettle's village on the Washita River in 1868. For
decades, there has been a controversy over whether or not she bore Custer a
child. Peter Harrison's research throws considerable light on this question, but
also fleshes out Monahsetah's long and eventful life. The cover painting
'Good-bye Sallie Anne' portrays Monahsetah's release from military custody in
June 1869 was reproduced by Jerry Thomas a member of the Society. The second publication in the Diamond Jubilee series is
Deadly Days in the Old West: More Vignettes in Violence. It is a collection of carefully researched accounts of the bad men of
the Old West and their nefarious ways, all written by Society members with
international reputations as experts in their fields. It is planned to produce one more publication dealing with
the Indian Wars.
Golden
Jubilee Ties and EWS Polo Shirts
SPECIAL OFFER The Commemorative Golden Jubilee Tie
was limited to 50
only.
A Special Price of £10.00 including postage and packaging. Place your order with Barry Corbett, Paddock
Gill, Frog Lane, Felton, Bristol, BS40 9UN. Cheques should be made
payable to "The English Westerners' Society".
Overseas members should contact Treasurer by
e-mail to confirm
method of payment and cost, which will be approximately $20 including postage
and packaging. This is however dependant on
exchange rate at the time of the order. GET YOUR CHEQUE IN THE POST. EWS Polo Shirts are available in three sizes;
Medium, Large and Extra Large. Each Polo Shirt has the logo shown and
is Bottle Green in colour. Anyone interested should contact Kevin Galvin.
The unit price is £16.00 including postage and packaging. Members who attend
the AGM can purchase their polo shirt there for £13.50 and save on the
postage and packaging. Overseas members should contact Kevin by
e-mail to
confirm method of payment and cost, which will be approximately $35 including postage
and packaging. This is however dependant on
exchange rate at the time of the order.
Articles
Articles: The English Westerners' Society have published material on the American West
in both the Brand Book and the
Tally Sheet since its founding in
1954. Many of the original articles are now out of print. It is intended that a
selection of these works will be published on the website to engender further
interest in the Society and encourage new authors to write in the future. It is
also hoped that these articles will help students in the UK and abroad who have
decided to cover the subject of the American West as part of their studies.
The first is an article
They Wore the Yellow
Ribbon written by Mary Christian on the lives of the wives who
followed their husbands as they moved from post-to-post in the U.S. Army in the
period 1860-90.
The second article was written in 1961 and appeared in the Brand Book,
Vol. 3, No. 3 April of that year and was Publication No. 68. The Brand
Book was then a Quarterly Publication. The article is
The Men at
Fort Stanton and was written by Philip J. Rasch.
In 1959 Colin Taylor wrote an article for the The English Corral of the
Westerners entitled
The Plains'
Indian Shirts, it appeared in the Brand Book, Volume
1, Issue No. 3, January 1959. It was illustrated with a drawing that depicted
how a Plain's Indians' shirt was made plus a number of photographed examples.
Unfortunately the photographs did not photocopy well and attempts to locate the
original illustrations at this stage has failed. The original text has now
been reproduced courtesy of Robert Wybrow and a new drawing added that reflects
the original plus a new set of colour images depicting typical shirts in
replacement of those published in the 1959 publication.
Book Reviews
Book
Reviews: The English Westerners' Society have provided through the
Tally
Sheet, reviews on books covering the full range of Western topics. Some
of the reviews published in previous edition's of
the Tally Sheet are published on this
website on a monthly basis and will remain on the website for approximately 12
months.
January 2017 Book Review is on Comanches: The History of a People by T. R. Fehrenbach and reviewed by Tom F. Cunningham.
February 2017 Book Review is on Joe: The Slave Who Became An Alamo Legend by Ron J. Jackson Jr and Lee Spencer White and reviewed by Chuck Parsons
March 2017 Book Review is on Give Me Eighty Men: Women And The Myth Of The Fetterman Fight by Shannon D. Smith and reviewed by Francis B. Taunton.
April 2017 Book Review is on Guerrilla Warfare in Civil War Missouri by Bruce Nichols and reviewed by Robert J. Wybrow.
May 2017 Book Review is on A Frontier Life: Jacob Hamblin, Explorer and Indian Missionary by Todd M. Compton and reviewed by Raymond Cox.
June 2017 Book Review is on The Woman Who Loved Jesse James by Cindi Myers and reviewed by Michelle Pollard
July 2017 Book Review is on A Big Year In A Bad Life by Jeffrey Burton and reviewed by Robert J. Wybrow.
August 2017 Book Review is on Custerology: The Enduring Legacy of the Indian Wars and George Armstrong Custer by Michael A. Elliott and reviewed by Francis B. Taunton
September 2017 Book Review is on The Old West: A Poetic Documentary by Lindell Ross and reviewed by Raymond Cox.
October 2017 Book Review is on Calamity Jane: A Readers Guide by Richard W. Etulain and reviewed by Chuck Parsons.
November 2017 Book Review is on Wyatt Earp's Vendetta Posse Rider: The Story of "Texas Jack" Vermillion by Peter Brand and reviewed by Steve Goldsmith.
December 2017 Book Review is on The Civil War Guerrilla: Unfolding the Black Flag in History, Memory and Myth edited by Joseph M. Beilein Jr and Matthew C. Hulbert and reviewed by Robert J. Wybrow.
January 2018 Book Review is on Tom Tennille And The Disappearance Of Jim Clements: Echoes Of The Sutton-Taylor Feud And Texas Reconstruction by Wayne Tennille and reviewed by Chuck Parsons.
February 2018 Book Reviews are on
Jay Cooke’s Gamble - The Northern Pacific Railroad, the Sioux, and the Panic
of 1873
and Custer And The 1873 Yellowstone
Survey - A Documentary History
both by M. John Lubetkin
March 2018 Book Review is on Jesse James Prince Of Robbers – A Collection Of Essays On The Noted Missouri Outlaw And His Times by Robert J. Wybrow and reviewed by Michelle Pollard.
April 2018 Book Review is on Fort Bascom: Soldiers, Comancheros, and Indians in the Canadian River Valley by James Bailey and reviewed by Raymond Cox.
May 2018 Book Review is on Against the Grain: Colonel Henry M. Lazelle and the U.S. Army by James Carson by and reviewed by Chuck Parsons.
June 2018 Book Review is on Ma'Heo's Children: The Early History of the Cheyenne and Suhtaio Indians from Prehistoric Times to AD 1700 by Brian Keefe and reviewed by Gary Leonard.
July 2018 Book Review is on Mapping The Four Corners – Narrating The Hayden Survey Of 1875 by Robert S. McPherson & Susan Rhodes Neel and reviewed by Raymond Cox
August 2018 Book Review is on
No Hope For
Heaven, No Fear Of Hell: The Stafford-Townsend Feud of Colorado County, Texas,
1871-1911
by James C.
Kearney, Bill Stein, and James Smallwood
September 2018 Book Review is on Cowboy and Indian Trader by Joseph Schmedding with introduction by Jack Schaefer and reviewd by Keith Robinson.
October 2018 Book Review is on Heroes without Glory – Some Good Men of the Old West by Jack Schaefer and reviewed by Raymond Cox.
November 2018 Book Review is on Powder River: Disastrous Opening Of The Great Sioux War by Paul L. Hedren and reviewed by Francis B. Taunton.
December 2018 Book Review is on La Questione Indiana, Da Colombo Al Terzo Millennio (The Indian Question, from Columbus to the Third Millennium) by Massimiliano Galanti and reviewed by Tom F. Cunningham.
January 2019 Book Review is on Regular Army O! – Soldiering on the Western Frontier, 1865-1891 by Douglas C. McChristian and reviewed by Raymond Cox.
February 2019 Book Review is on America's Best Female Sharpshooter: The Rise and Fall of Lillian Frances Smith by Julia Bricklin and reviewed by Tom F. Cunningham.
Please remember as with any review, they are the comments of the reviewer only and ultimately we always recommend that you read the books for yourself and make your own judgement.
Events
The 64th Annual Meeting that was scheduled
for October 2020 took place on Saturday, 2nd October
2021. A number of interesting talks were given that included
the Story of the Pony Express, Doc Holiday: His Early Life and Family and Why
the West Fascinates Us ... .The 64th Annual Meeting was scheduled to take place on Saturday, 3rd October 2020. Due to the pandemic the meeting was cancelled. A number of interesting talks were planned but will now be presented at future meetings offered and will include the Story of the Pony Express and the 1890 Ghost Dance that culminated with Wounded Knee Massacre.
EWS Spring Meeting scheduled for Saturday, 14th March 2020 at Doggett's Coat & Badge, Blackfriares Bridge, London, SE1 9UD due to the Coronavirus (Covid 19) outbreak in the UK was cancelled in the interest of the health and safety of our members.
The 63rd Annual Meeting took place on Saturday, 5th October 2019 at Doggett's Coat & Badge. As usual there was a mix of presentations which included a talk on Jesse and Frank James and one on the story of Wells Fargo. Members had plenty of time to socialise, pick up a bargain in the book auction and talk about their specific interest whether it be Lawmen and Outlaws, the life of the Cowboy, the conflict between Native Americans and the U.S. Army and settlers, plus any other aspect of the Wild West.
Because of COVID the meetings planned for
the CAGB in 2020 and 2021 had to be cancelled.
Subject to any changes that might arise from the pandemic the next
Gathering of the CAGB takes place on Saturday, 11th June 2022 in
Birmingham at the National
Motorcycle Museum,
members of the
English Westerners' Society are invited to attend. The event will include
presentations by Jeff Broome via Zoom on his latest book, and Kevin Galvin on
Custer's Chief of Scouts, Charles Varnum.
The 62nd Annual Meeting took place Saturday, 6th October 2018 at Doggett's Coat & Badge. As usual there was a mix of presentations, time to socialise, and the book auction. Once again the meeting was well attended and we enjoyed a number of great presentations from Mike Bell on the continuing saga of the Wild Bunch and from Mary Christian on the subject of 'Mail Order Brides'. Both were most informative in particular the latter. After lunch the usual auction was held but also a new innovation in the form of a Pow Wow were members talked about their own interest in the American West.
The 61st Annual Meeting took place at Doggett's Coat & Badge on Saturday, 7th October 2017. The meeting was well attended and those present enjoyed a number of presentations as well as having the opportunity to hear reports from the committee during the AGM. All members of the committee were re-elected but there were a number of changes in roles with Raymond Cox being appointed the Chairman, Francis Taunton becoming a Vice-Chair and Kevin Galvin stepping into the role of Secretary. We can also announce the appointment of Richard Eggington as the Assistant Secretary which will take effect in March 2018.
Members gathered on the Terrace at Doggett's Coat & Badge in 2017 at the 61st AGM.
60th AGM. The 60th Annual General Meeting was held at Doggett’s Coat & Badge, situated at the southern end of Blackfriars Bridge, overlooking the River Thames, on Saturday 1st October 2016. As in the past, we had the exclusive use of the terrace bar, where we socialised, took lunch and other refreshments, and the recently refurbished conference room, where we will held our meeting. The meeting started at 10AM with tea and coffee. After a short AGM, which re-elected the committee and in addition Mike Bell also joined as the Assistant Secretary. Thirty members and guests were present and they enjoyed four presentations.
Members gathered on the Terrace at Doggett's Coat & Badge in 2016 at the 60th AGM.
Reports from the Annual General Meetings
59th AGM. The 59th Annual General Meeting was once again held at Doggett’s Coat & Badge, situated at the southern end of Blackfriars Bridge, overlooking the River Thames, on Saturday 3rd October 2015. Before lunch Mike Bell gave his presentation that covered the exploits of Butch Cassidy and his celebrated Wild Bunch. After lunch the members present enjoyed a talk by Allan Radbourne on the Pawnee Battalion, the auction then followed and the day ended with a talk by Brian Keefe on the origins of the Cheyenne. With the formal event over a number of those present adjourned to other bar at Doggett's to continue their discourse on the Old West.
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Members gathered on the Terrace at Doggett's Coat & Badge that overlooks Blackfriars Bridge for the traditional group photograph in 2015. |
Earlier reports from Annual General Meetings.
Links To Home Ranch, Other Corrals, Booksellers and Western History Sites
Please note links are checked to see they still connect. If you discover the site has moved please let us know.
Home Ranch
Westerners
International (known as WI) is a non-profit foundation that was
organized in 1959 to promote communication and cooperation between Westerner
chapters (or Corrals as they are known), and to stimulate interest and research
in the history of the American West. The WI “home ranch” is now located at the
Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum on the campus of West Texas A&M
University in Canyon, Texas. where
the Buckskin Bulletin is published quarterly and sent to the
representative for each Corral still active. Copies of the Buckskin
Bulletin can be downloaded from their website.
Volume XLV, Issue 3, 2012 contains the announcement of the Heads Up
Awards for 2011 to the Society and a report on our 56th AGM.
Notice of the 2016 Heads Up Award to the Society is contained in
Volume L, Issue
3, 2017
Other Corrals
Other corrals online or now on Facebook include:
Scottsdale Corral of Westerners is based in Arizona who meet on the fourth Wednesday of each month.
Chicago Corral of Westerners was founded in 1944 and was the earliest Corral to which a number of early members of the English Corral of Westerners belonged.
Chisholm Trail Corral according to its website meets on the second Tuesday of each month except for June, July, August, and December at the Greens Country Club (unless otherwise noted)13100 Green Valley Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73120. Their website appears not to have been updated since 2007 although the Corral is still shown as active by Westerners International.
Los Angeles Corral of Westerners normally meets every second Wednesday of the month at Almansor Court, 700 S. Alamansor, Alhambra, California, which is 8 miles north of Downtown LA. It was founded in 1946 and they have a very active membership.
Tucson Corral have a presence on the internet and in 2013 celebrated their 60th Anniversary. They gather together monthly to have fun, share a meal and listen to a presentation about the great and fascinating history of the American West. Their in-house publication is The Smoke Signal is an internationally recognised publication.
Booksellers
Uptons. There are other specialist Custeriana, Indian Wars and Frontier Military Bookshops around but starting with the best saves so much time. Email to request their latest catalogue.
Looking for books check out Abebooks.com they list over 30 million books from over ten thousand dealers.
AST Press which is run by member Sandy Barnard have a number of books specialising on the Indian Wars and Custeriana.
Book Express. For new book searches - the Internet's largest discount bookstore. Discounts appear to be substantial.
Western History Web Sites
The Old West Page. Western History enthusiast Jim Janke has assembled a reasonably staggering list of related links. Ought to be something for everybody. Remember to bid a fond farewell to anyone nearby before you go in there.
Overland Trail. Another massive collection of Western History links to ride into the sunset. The History section alone boasts access to 2,500 other sites.
Oregon and California Trails Association. Added at the kind invitation of the Webmaster. An E-mail discussion group exchanging views on the subject of 19th Century transportation.
The Smithsonian Institution. Gives an overview of its Departments and Archives.
The National Archives. In Washington D.C. but linked to regional and specialist centres.
The National Cowboy Hall of Fame. Previously the headquarters of Westerners International in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. This site includes a virtual tour.
Museum of the Fur Trade. This site tells the story of the Fur Trade. the museum itself is located in Chadron, Nebraska. It stands on the site of James Bordeaux’s trading post which was established for the American Fur Company in 1837. If you ever get the opportunity to visit you will not be disappointed.
Buffalo Bill Historical Centre. Not really one museum but five museums in one location. Located in Cody, Wyoming, this museum is a must to visit particularly if you are planning a trip to Yellowstone Park.
Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave. This museum is located on
Lookout Mountain in Golden, Colorado and most definitely worth a visit.
British Links of Interest to Westerners
Custer Association of Great Britain The Custer Association of Great Britain was formally founded on 10th June 2000 and its aim is to promote the life and times of General George Armstrong Custer, the Battle of the Little Bighorn, the Frontier Army, the Plains Indian Wars in general and the culture of those tribes.
Museums in the UK All of the links have been updated but if you find some no longer find the museums named websites please let us know. Most sites provide between minimal information but there are those that provide a virtual walk through on screen. Mainly they have American Indian and other Western items to view, so next time you are passing plan a visit. The British Museum's collection is relatively small in comparison to its other collections but definitely worth the trip and entry is still "free". Hastings is another museum that you may not have considered but it does have a first class collection.
LAST UPDATED 27 FEBRUARY 2022
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