The Old American West from Old West Books

Old West Books has just released a new catalogue of books about the American West. This one is Catalog 66 September 2024. Every month, the Old West gets a little older, with few if any survivors left to recount the tales. Fortunately, the books age more gracefully than we do, so they are still here to tell the tales. Here are a few of them.

We begin with an account of a journey to the very old, but not so far West. In the 18^th century the far west began at the Mississippi and few besides the Indians had ventured that far. Jonathan Carver undertook his explorations from 1766-1768, visiting such “western” locations as the Great Lakes, and finally as far north and west as Minnesota. He stopped around today's border with the Dakotas, sort of where the West now begins. Carver explored for two years and five months and traveled 7,000 miles. When he returned, he wrote about it in Three Years Travels through the Interior Parts of North America for More than Five Thousand Miles. Containing an Account of the Great Lakes and All the Lakes, Islands, and Rivers, Cataracts, Mountains, Minerals, Soil and Vegetable Productions of the Northwest Regions of that Vast Continent... The title goes on to mention that it describes all the various beasts that inhabit the continent, the lands, and the “genius, manners and customs” of the Indians who inhabit the land. This is a 1796 edition by the farthest western reaching English explorer at the time. He hoped to find a water route to the Pacific, which does not exist, and reported hearing about a great range of mountains even farther west from the Indians. They knew what they were talking about. Item 10. Priced at $550.

Many, many books were written about Custer's unfortunate battle from the vantage point of the losing side, but it is rare to hear from the Indians. Item 2 is A War Lord of the Mighty Sioux and edited by William J. Bordeaux, Member of the Brule Sioux Including the Only Actual Account of the Custer Fight. Crazy Horse's Fight with General Crook on the Rosebud River. Born in 1884, Bordeaux did not witness those events but heard about them from his mother, who in turn heard about them from her uncles. Circa 1915-1920, this uncommon book predates longer accounts Bordeaux wrote later. The Indians had gathered, but not in anticipation of a battle. But as the soldiers' intention became clear, they organized and prepared for a fight. Leading Custer into a trap of many more warriors than he expected encircling him, he had no way out. Item 2. $850.

It must be difficult to carry the name of a notorious bandit, but Jesse James, Jr., seemed to have navigated that challenge. Jesse, Jr., had a different opinion of his father than just about everyone else. Though he was away a lot doing whatever, James, Sr., must have been a decent father to his son, as the latter writes that he wants to set the record straight. Others missed the kind and charitable nature of Jesse James, though it's not that difficult to understand why. The book is Jesse James My Father, Written by Jesse James Jr. The First and Only True Story of His Adventures Ever Written, published in 1899. James Jr. not only wrote about his notorious dad, he was an actor who later portrayed him in films. That includes Under the Black Flag and Jesse James the Outlaw, both from 1921. I have not seen either so I cannot attest as to whether his skills as an actor matched up to his father's as an outlaw. Jesse James Jr. died in 1951, age 75. Unlike his father, it presumably was from natural causes. Item 34. $8,500.

Jesse and his brother Frank had been part of the James Younger Gang. The Youngers consisted of four of Henry Washington Younger's 14 children. The senior Younger was a successful farmer and businessman, pro-Union, who was murdered. The Younger brothers attributed it to Union soldiers and joined up with the pro-Confederate Quantrell's Raiders. After the war, they stuck together, but now as plain robbers and criminals rather than supporters of a cause. This book is the story of the Youngers, The Life, Character and Daring Exploits of the Younger Brothers with a Sketch of the Life of Henry W. Younger, Father of the Younger Brothers, who was Assassinated and Robbed by a Band of Jayhawkers, by Augustus C. Appler, published in 1879. One of the Youngers was murdered in a robbery, one died in prison, another killed himself shortly after being paroled from prison. The oldest of the brothers and their leader, Cole, also was paroled and lived another 15 years. In the years after the other three Youngers and Jesse James had all died, survivors Cole Younger and Frank James lectured and toured as part of their own Wild West show. Item 1. $250.

Cole Younger even wrote his autobiography, The Story of Cole Younger by Himself Being an Autobiography of the Missouri Guerrilla Captain and Outlaw, His Capture and Prison Life, and the Only Authentic Account of the Northfield Raid Ever Published. The Northfield Raid was the downfall of the Youngers though the James brothers escaped. Cole spent 19 years in prison for his crimes. It is said that his autobiography glosses over the extent of his crimes and focuses more on self-justification, though when he emerged from prison, he was a changed man. He engaged in writing and lecturing, but stayed free from his notorious past, though it was that past that fascinated people enough to read about him and attend his lectures. Published in 1903. Item 70. $7,000.

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