WPL Index

Our London-based publishing house currently deals with work emanating from the distinguished pens of the

Publications comprise fully-researched works on both popular and lesser known aspects of the Frontier West. We hope to continue to deserve the comment from Californian bookseller Richard Upton in which he observes that we provide 'something new for even the most advanced student'.

The following works are now available, priced in both pounds sterling and US dollars. Members of English Westerners' Society should order directly from the Society as they receive the discounted members price.

The prices below excludes postage and packaging which will confirmed with order.

Do scroll down further for a listing of our classics, still available from this source at reasonable prices despite vaulting values on the American resale market:

Baronet in an Earth Lodge (96pp) The ‘Singular Adventures’ of Irish Baronet Sir St. George Gore, famed for his epic hunting exploits in early Colorado and other Western States.

The Guns Long Hair Left Behind: The Gatling Gun Detachment and the Little Big Horn. (24pp) Should Custer have been better armed or would it have cramped his style? The debate of the day is raised again in this new examination by Lee C. Noyes which also contains a rare copy layout plan, from Dr Thomas B Marquis, of the Seventh Cavalry marching in formation.

The Northfield Tragedy (89pp) John Jay Lemon's book first published a century and a quarter ago, probably within weeks of the dramatic raid by the James-Younger Gang on the First National Bank of Minnesota on September 26, 1876. This is a modern reprint with a foreword by Robert J. Wybrow, one of the acknowledged experts both in the UK and USA of the James brothers and the exploits of their many associates.

'James W Kenedy: Cattleman, Texas Ranger, Gambler and 'Fiend in Human Form' (28pp) A tale from the annals of Dodge City in the 1870's. Was his celebrated victim the real 'Miss Kitty' of fictional Western fame? Something of the life of this rich-boy-gone-bad is told here including his pursuit by Wyatt Earp and an all-star posse of the most intrepid lawmen.'

The Battle for Apache Pass (32pp) Captains Roberts and Cremony needed water for their men and horses. It was to be found only at a spring high in the rocky bastions of Apache Pass where Cochise and Mangas Colorodas held the clifftops above them. Accounts of the participants and maps from Larry L Ludwig tell the ensuing story'. The story of the Battle for Apache Pass from the original reports of the California Volunteers, with editorial by Allan Radbourne.

Captain Tom Bell and his Legion of Ruffians (102pp) The story of Captain Tom Bell (real name Thomas Jefferson Hodges), an outlaw leader with a gang of 30 to 40 men of all backgrounds and creeds. Bell's 'Legion of Ruffians' pillaged the state of California from the Oregon border to the southern lakes. Tom made his name during a short period between May1855, after his escape from jail, and October 1856. Tom Bell was hung on 4th Oct 1856 but his gang reformed under an equally violent leader known as "Rattlesnake Dick" (real name Richard H. Barter) and continued to commit criminal acts.

The Saffron Walden Scalplock Shirt (34pp) By Neil Gilbert is the story of the scalplock or hair fringed shirt that occupies a prime location at the Worlds of Man Gallery at Saffron Walden Museum and related aspects of Plains Indian culture.

More Sidelights of the Sioux Wars (96pp) Contains four well-researched articles; George Herendeen: The Life of a Montana Scout by Barry C. Johnson, Approach to the Little Big Horn River by Rod MacNeil, "I Have a Right to Sing" - The Court-martial of Cadet Marcus A. Reno at West Point by Barry C. Johnson and Yellowstone Interlude: Custer's Earlier Fights with the Sioux by Francis B. Taunton.

"Horrid Murder & Heavy Robbery": The Liberty Bank Robbery (18pp) By Robert J. Wybrow is a re-examination of the identities of the men who perpetrated the bank robbery that took place on 13th February 1866 and was attributed to the James Gang.

"Vignettes in Violence". (108pp) This is Volume 1 in a two volume series edited by Barry C. Johnson and Francis B. Taunton to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the English Westerners' Society. It contains a series of articles on Western outlaws and law enforcers written by Chuck Parsons, Robert Wybrow, Jeffrey Burton and Roy O'Dell.

Black Twin: Dark Lord of the Oglala (18pp) By Gary Leonard. 'My friend' said Red Cloud to the commissioner, 'take pity on me, if you would have me live long'. He was talking about another chief named Black Twin, whom he said was 'wild, like the antelope' but admitted that he was afraid to make a move without the mysterious leader's approval. This intriguing work examines the forgotten power of 'the most prominent Oglala' during the Sioux wars.

"My Arm was Hanging Loose": The Pinkerton Attack on the James Family Home (48pp) By Robert J. Wybrow as a result of new material this is a re-examination of famous bungled raid on the home of the James Brothers - Frank and Jesse over the night of 25/26th January 1875 by operatives of the Pinkerton Detective Agency. It was during this raid that their mother lost an arm.

The Battle at Rainy Butte: A Significant Sioux-Crow Encounter of 1858 (69pp) By Brian L Keefe account of the 1858 confrontation that took place at Rainy Butte almost twenty years before the Little Bighorn when the Sioux consolidated their hold upon the Northern Plains. It started here.

"Stinging Blow" - The Battle of the Big Hole: 9 August 1877 (24pp) By Francis B. Taunton. A short article on the battle of The Big Hole that took place on 9th August 1877 between forces under the command of Colonel John Gibbon and the Nez Perce led by Chief Joseph.

The Life and Death of Outlaw Harry Tracy (35pp) By Frank James with Foreword by Robert J. Wybrow. This account of the outlaw Harry Tracy was despite its recorded authorship in 1902 when first published was not written by Frank James but ghosted by a journalist and author Robertus Love. Tracy was one of many young men who had turned to crime and Frank hoped that this story would disgust and horrify other young men so that they themselves would not follow in this outlaw's footsteps as such it was described as a fine moral and thrilling story.

Company C, Indian Scouts, Arizona, 1882 (24pp) By Allan Radbourne who tells the story behind one term of enlistment for a typical Indian Scout company in 1882. The enlistment of Indian Scouts by the U.S. army was first authorised in 1866 and had become routine by the 1880s.

The Outlaw and the Lawman: Some Reminisces of Cole Younger and Harry Hoffman (56pp) Compiled and introduced by Robert Wybrow and Laura Heywood. Harry Hoffman was a lawman in the Jackson County Marshal's Office from 1909-1917 and was an authority on some of the old time outlaws. He was born in 1873 and died in 1964. Laura Heywood who along with Robert Wybrow compiled this Brand Bok actually met Hoffman in 1959 when she was 13 years-old and corresponded with him until his death. Hoffman had been a friend of Jesse James Jnr and despite being a lawman was an admirer of Cole Younger. Hoffman was also the director and general manager of the company that produced the film that starred Jesse James Jnr, as his outlaw father and in which Harry played Cole Younger. This collection of reminiscences of this old-timer is probably the most complete collection published.

Wakanyan: Symbols of Power and Ritual of the Teton Sioux (22pp) This is by the late Colin Taylor is reproduced by kind permission of Mr Samuel W. Corrigan, Editor of The Canadian Journal of Native Studies. This work was originally given as a lecture and subsequently published as a paper in the aforementioned journal. In this work Colin brought out the observations of the American anthropologist, Lewis Henry Morgan, who felt that Indian artefacts were "silent memorials" which could unlock the social history of the past.

"Wash My Hands in Your Heart's Blood" Some Incidents in the Life of Mattie Collins (31 pp) By Robert Wybrow. Mattie Collins is well known to those interested in the James Gang especially because of her relationship to Dick Liddil and minor part in the assassination of Jesse James. There were other darker facets to her life, involving three murders. She was born in 1851 and died in 1936.

A Blackburn Man in the Frontier Army: The Life and Recollections of Sergeant Jacob Howarth (40 pp) by Barry C. Johnson. Voices from the ranks were seldom" were seldom heard according to Johnson and most only deal with the period of military service. Jacob Howarth was born in Blackburn, Lancashire in 1853, he would run away to see the world and end up enlisting in the U.S. army in 1871 and was then assigned to the Company F, 11th U.S. Infantry, who were serving in Texas. He only served five years but had no regrets and returned to his native country in late November1876 having achieved the rank of sergeant. In 1926 he wrote by request what he himself described as "a simple and truthful narrative of events [in Texas] ... without colouring of any kind."

Mochi: Cheyenne Woman Warrior (32 pp) by the late Peter Harrison. Peter as many members will be aware died on the 31 January 2009. He had been working on his book about Monasetah and his research had produced a wealth of information on the Southern Cheyenne. This book is a result of some of that research and was finalised by Gary Leonard who took over editorial control of the Brand Book after Peter's untimely death. It is a fascinating account of Mochi, a Cheyenne woman who was as fierce as any warrior. With her husband Medicine Water, she was responsible for the death of five members of the German family (the parents and three of seven children) and capture and taking into captivity of four surviving female members. The attack on this immigrant family took place on the 11th September 1874 on the West Kansas Plains.

Fist Fighting Out West: Dan Stuart versus General Mabry and the Texas Rangers (28 pp) by the Keith Robinson tells the story of the attempts by Dan Stuart a boxing promoter to match two contenders for the heavyweight championship of the world in El Paso after the abdication of James J. Corbett as the champion. This proposed fight led to State and Federal legislation outlawing boxing. Seven companies of territorial militia were put on alert and 250 infantrymen and five troops of cavalry were confined to Fort Bliss awaiting development. The two contenders tried desperately to stay out of jail and avoid being shot and Dan Stuart sparred with Adjutant General Mabry of the Texas Rangers. The fact the fight took place was down to the ingenuity of no less a person than Judge Roy Bean.

Texas Wants 'Em (30 pp) Written by Robert Wybrow an acknowledged expert on the James brothers and the Youngers. In this book whose title reflects the headline in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, "Texas Wants 'Em. Depredations of the Youngers in the Lone Star State", he had set out to see if whether the claims made by Texas that the James-Younger gang committed felonies in that State had any basis for being fact. He widened his article to also focus on another Missourian, Jim Reed, who most definitely had been involved in criminal activity within the State. A most interesting read for those who of us who take a particular interest in the James-Younger gang and known associates.

Aspects of Lakota Leadership (24 pp) This publication contains two short articles. The first is by the late Joseph Balmer (1914-2006), a native of Switzerland and one of the founder members of the English Corral of Westerners in 1954 (now the English Westerners' Society). Joe was an acknowledged expert on the Indian Wars and based his views from the Indian side of the conflict, although he was certainly not uncritical. Joe also could read and write Lakota and had corresponded in his younger days with many old-time warriors. His paper introduced by Barry Johnson is about the leadership of the Brule Sioux (Sichangu or Burnt Thighs) from the mid-1700s to 1825 The latter date is when on the 22nd June 1825 Brule headmen/tribal leaders signed a treaty of peace and friendship with the United States. The second article is by Kingsley Bray on Sitting Bull and Lakota Leadership, Sitting Bull is perhaps the most iconic Indian leader on the Plains and achieved a unique status among his people, the Hunkpapa tribal division of the Teton Sioux or Lakota. His article describes the structure of the Hunkpapa bands, tribal and national-level organisation, historical developments between 1800-1851 and through into the 1860s.

Henry Starr and his Era (44 pp) It is not a definitive account of the life of the outlaw Henry Starr but as well has providing information on his criminal career it also provides a great deal of information on his known associates from the start of his career in crime in 1891. During his 32 years in crime Henry Starr robbed more banks than both the James-Younger and the Doolin-Dalton gang's put together. As just a teenager in the Oklahoma Strip, Henry, the nephew of livestock rustler Belle Starr, received his initiation in crime at an early age. He started robbing banks on horseback in 1893 and ended up robbing his last in a car in 1921. In the late 1890’s he organised a gang that robbed a number of small banks in the Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas area. Starr shot and killed Floyd Wilson, a deputy of Judge Isaac Parker in 1903. For that murder he was sentenced to hang but eventually after two appeals and pleading guilty to manslaughter his sentence was reduced and he would be released after a pardoned in 1903.

Starr never seemed to able to give up his life of crime and he would return to prison on two further occasions. Finally after robbing a bank in Harrison, Arkansas on 18 February 1921, he was shot in the back by the former president of the bank. Starr received medical attention but died on 21 February 1921. Henry Starr is buried in the Dewey Cemetery north of Dewey, Oklahoma. There is no marker, but he is buried next to headstone labelled as ‘Baby Starr.’ Rather uniquely, although not the first, before his return to crime and death for the final time he had produced and starred in the silent movie, 'A Debtor to the Law', in 1919. The film was about the double bank robbery in Stroud, Oklahoma on the 27 March 1915 for which he received his last custodial sentence.

Making Pacts With Old Enemies: The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 (46 pp) Brian O'Keefe covers the lead up to the 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty that brought together a number of the Northern and Southern Plains tribes together despite their long time enmity towards each other. The fact that so many tribes would gather for the conference was down to the efforts of men like Thomas 'Broken-Hand' Fitzpatrick, a government agent, and Father Pierre 'Black Robe' DeSmet. The Crows were one of the last of the tribes to gather and they staged a grand entrance, their late arrival, from a white man's perspective heralded the conference and subsequent treaty a success. Although official records record this as the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 it was referred to by white's as "The Fitzpatrick Treaty" or "Horse Creek Treaty". To the Indians it went by other names like the "Great Smoke" and "The Treaty of the Long Meadows". As with all US Government treaties it would not last as they were never able to deliver on promises made, and although for a few years inter-tribal warfare was reduced it would begin again as the tribes fought to protect their traditional hunting grounds from each other and white encroachment.

The Secrets of Box 20: Custer's War Department File 1861-1897 (70 pp) 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 as been retained included the spelling and it is believed this publication is the first time that the files have been reproduced in print.

Wild Bill Hickok's Hays City Brawl With Soldiers Of Custer's 7th Cavalry (32 pp) This account of of the famous brawl outside Tommy Drum's Saloon in Hays City, Kansas on 17th July 1870 between "Wild Bill" Hickok and members of Company M of Custer's Seventh Cavalry is well-known. Company M were commanded at the time by Thomas Ward Custer, the General's younger brother, who would also meet his death at the Little Bighorn in 1876 in the same year that Hickok would die after being shot in the back in Deadwood. The author, Jeff Broome, has worked tirelessly to uncover the facts, made challenging by the various but widely false accounts perpetuated over time. The discovery in 2000 of Sergeant John Ryan's memoirs by Sandy Barnard and subsequent publication helped to shed new light on the incident but also on the two soldiers; John Kile and Jerry Lonergan. This book provides a reader with a much richer picture of these two men, in particular Kile, as well as clearing up the facts of the fight.

Viola’s dramatic career, although ultimately a monumental failure, could not have been accomplished at all without the patronage and comprehensive backing of Colonel W. F. 'Buffalo Bill' Cody, who was simultaneously engaged on a tour of Great Britain with his Wild West Show. The most compelling element in this dramatic spectacular was a band of ten authentic Lakota Indians, whose recruitment from Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota, was facilitated by Buffalo Bill.

The White Lily has generally been ignored by Cody scholars but it now emerges as not merely a side issue but rather an indispensable component in the story of Buffalo Bill's momentous 1891-92 season, in which several key figures from the previous winter's turbulent events on Pine Ridge Reservation took part. Recently rediscovered press coverage and other archive sources cast considerable light upon the at times harrowing personal experiences of the Lakota participants, as well as upon Buffalo Bill's own movements during this time and the truth about the precise nature of his entanglement with Viola.

In the process, the outrageously mendacious manner in which the tragic train of events culminating in the previous December's infamous slaughter at Wounded Knee was shamelessly rebranded and placed before the British public as the entertainment sensation of the age is highlighted now as never before.

So far as can be determined, this is the first occasion on which a full listing of the White Lily Company's British dates and venues has been made available in published form.

Wyatt Earp - Fair and Square Referee? Fist Fighting Out West II (36pp). Keith Robinson's Robinson first book about Fist Fighting Out West featured the fight between two heavyweight championship contenders fighting for the title after the abdication of James L. Corbett. The fight was won by Bob Fitzsimmons. Corbett came out of retirement and planned to fight Tom Sharkey in San Francisco. He pulled out of the fight and Fitzsimmons stepped in as his replacement prior to fighting Corbett himself at a later date. The fight took place on 2 December 1896. With no referee agreed by the day of the fight, Wyatt Earp who resided in the city was nominated by the Sharkey camp and the Fitzsimmon's camp saw no reason to object to this ex-lawman refereeing despite some warnings from others that the fight would be fixed. This account of the events surrounding that fight make interesting reading and the final result still remains controversial in boxing history.

The 'Itazipcho' Hoop: Sans Arc Lakota Tribal Organization and Leadership in the 19th Century (40pp) by Kingsley M. Bray. This paper examines in detail the social and political organization of one of the seven tribal divisions of the Lakota or Western Sioux, the Sans Arcs or Itazipcho (Without Bows). A chronological vantage point in the 1850s is used to focus this paper to look at earlier developments in the robe trade period of Lakota history, and later developments in the Sioux Wars and early reservation period. The Sans Arcs were the smallest of the seven tribal divisions probably less than 200 lodges by 1865 with a population of approximately 1,200 according to the papers author.

Witness to the Passing of a Legend: The Death and Burial of Jesse James (40 pp) by Michelle Pollard. This first class account of the death in St. Joseph, Missouri and subsequent burial of Jesse James at his home in Kearney, Missouri. Jesse James who at time was living under the name of Thomas Howard who was shot in the back by Bob Ford as he hung a picture on the wall in his parlour.

Portraits in Gunsmoke (110pp) Outlaw Country; They Fought for "The House", The James Gang in West Virginia; Murder at Mound Valley.

Sufficient Reason? (97pp) Monograph on General Alfred Terry's celebrated order to Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer prior to his departure to the Little Bighorn in 1876 where his Seventh Cavalry would suffer defeat at the hands of the Sioux and Cheyenne on 25th June 1876 Custer's immediate command of 5 companies would be all killed and where the remaining 7 companies under the command of Major Marcus Reno and Captain Frederick Benteen would be severely mauled.

''No Pride in the Little Big Horn" (80pp) Don Russell; Weir and the Custer's; The Enigma of Weir Point; "Operation Whitewash''? Early Nineteenth Century Crow Warrior Costume; The Army of the Frontier l865-1891

Missionaries, Indians and Soldiers (48pp) Geronimo's Contraband Cattle; Plains Indians and Missionaries

Volume 1 contains a concise biography of George Armstrong Custer by Fred Dustin & Custer's Trial: The Aftermath - A review by the Judge Advocate General Holt of Custer's 1867 court-martial and the Final Action by General Grant.

Price: £6.50 ($13.00).

Volume 2 is Army Failures Against the Sioux in 1876: An Examination by Francis B. Taunton. This article was first written in 1963 and it was felt that it should be republished. Although it has not substantially altered it includes a new editorial introduction and preface and includes three maps and an appendix on troop dispositions in the Department of Dakota prior to the campaign.

Price: £6.50 ($13.00).

Volume 3 is "Such Signal Success"? Confrontation Along The Washita is a collection of essays compiled and edited by Kevin E. Galvin, which includes an introduction by Sandy Barnard, a short biography of Captain Francis M. Gibson of the 7th U.S. Cavalry by Barry C. Johnson, Gibson's account of the Washita and the 1948 debate by Elmo Scott Watson and Don Russell on whether the Washita should be described as a battle or a massacre.

Price: £8.00 ($16.00).

Volume 4 will be an article's on the Powder River Battle in 1876. This is still in the editorial stage.

The People of the Buffalo - A two volume publication that is a series of studies by leading authorities in Native American Indian ethnology in honour of Dr John C. Ewers is distributed in the UK by Westerners Publications Limited.

Hill of the Sphinx by David Jackson a leading authority on the battle of Isandlwana.

Now Available
“This book remains an essential read for anyone with a serious interest in the battle.” (Ian Knight)

“No student of the Anglo-Zulu War should be without a copy.” (Major (Retired) R. P. Smith. Curator 24^th Regiment Museum)

More comments on “Hill of the Sphinx”

“Jackson’s slim volume is a breath of fresh air. If you are new to the subject, you couldn’t have a better starting point.”

(Stephen Coan, The Witness)

“If you read only one book on the subject of this battle then make this that one book…. Not to be missed.” (1879 Memorials)

“This is an attractive and extremely well-researched work, which deserves a place in the collections of all with a serious interest in the subject.”

(Ian Castle, Army Historical Research)

Anglo Zulu War Research Society Review

The directors have pleasure in presenting the accounts of the company for the year ended 30th September 2010.

Click HERE to place an order for any of the above, or for broader enquiries on past material in your interest field feel free to EMAIL WESTERNERS PUBLICATIONS LIMITED