Bad as Brooks' journey was, it could have been worse. In 1874 the German family set out from Georgia to Colorado. The Pacific Railroad was in operation by then, but the family of nine was carrying its belongings in wagons. Rather than following the railroad, they took the old stage route, having been told it was safe. It was not. The party was attacked and quickly overcome by a band of Cheyenne Indians. The mother, father, and three children were killed, while four girls were taken as captives. Obviously, it was a terrifying experience for the girls, and their life with the Indians was one of torment. However, by that time, an Indian captivity quickly became a cause célèbre. The two youngest girls were freed by the army in a raid, and the other two later in a trade. Item 107 is a first edition from 1927 of Girl Captives of the Cheyennes, written by Grace E. Meredith, niece of Catherine German, eldest of the four surviving sisters. The story is told from Catherine's perspective. This copy is signed by all four sisters, who amazingly enough, all went on to live normal lives. $850.

 

Here is one more overland journey:  Experiences of a Forty-Niner A Member of the Wagon Train First to Enter California in the memorable Year 1849. The author was William Graham Johnston, and he finally got around to publishing his tale in 1892 in this limited run (50 copies) book. Johnston, just 20 years old at the time, gathered a group of friends from Pittsburgh who set out to cross the country in search of their fortune. This is an account of their journey and experiences. Apparently, their gold digging didn't pan out for Johnston, as he soon returned to Pittsburgh where he became a quite successful printer, writer, industrialist, banker and businessman. He retired to Watertown, New York - I can't imagine why unless he really, really liked snow - where he lived until 1913. Item 93. $2,350.

 

Old West Books may be reached at 719-260-6030 or oldwestbooks@earthlink.net. Their website is www.oldwestbooks.com.