AUTHOR FAVOURITES: BROTHERS OF THE GUN by B. S. DUNN (BRENT TOWNS)

Brent Towns (who also writes as B. S. Dunn, Jake Henry, and Sam Clancy) tells me a favourite of his own novels is BROTHERS OF THE GUN – credited to B. S. Dunn.

Buford Lance is a rancher who sees his hard-won New Mexico range threatened by homesteaders. To ward them off he hires two gunmen – Lucas Kane (nicknamed the Gun King) and his brother Jordan (the Prince) - but ends up setting brother against brother.

There are a number of ‘brothers of the gun’ who feature in Old West history, including the James Brothers, The Youngers and Ben and Billy Thompson. And then of course there were the Earp Brothers.

Of the six Earp Brothers only NEWTON never served in a law-enforcement position. The remaining brothers all did, and three of them paid a high price.

WYATT (born 1848) lived longest, until 1929, surviving into the age of western motion pictures, meeting JOHN FORD among others, and was available to sell himself as the most important figure of the clan. Some authorities claim, however, that Wyatt inflated his own leadership role and VIRGIL was the real brains of this outfit. It was Virgil, after all, that enemies of the clan went after first in the aftermath of the legendary ‘Gunfight at the OK Corral.’

Virgil (born 1843) served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He worked at a variety of jobs, including peace officer, farmer, rail construction, stagecoach driver, sawmill sawyer, mailman and prospector. 

A reporter whose story was printed in the ‘San Francisco Examiner’ described Virgil in 1882: ‘His face, voice and manner were prepossessing. He is close to six feet in height, of medium build, chestnut hair, sandy mustache, light eyebrows, quiet, blue eyes and frank expression. He wore a wide-brimmed, slate-colored slouch hat, pants of a brown and white stripe, and a blue diagonal coat and vest.’

Virgil was a constable in Prescott, Arizona in 1878-79. In 1879 he served briefly as deputy U.S. marshal for the Tombstone District of Arizona. The next year Virgil was also appointed acting town marshal of Tombstone, becoming permanent city marshal in 1881. So he was the highest-ranking lawman, both deputy U.S. Marshal and Tombstone City Marshal, when he led his brothers Morgan and Wyatt, plus Doc Holliday, into the ‘Gunfight at the OK Corral’ – they were merely his deputies, appointed as temporary assistants. 

But two months after the OK Corral, on the night of December 28 1881, Virgil was ambushed on the streets of Tombstone. He was shot in the back, hit with three shotgun rounds, shattering his left arm and leaving him permanently maimed. He then left Arizona.

Despite his injuries Virgil served once more as a lawman, as city marshal in Colton, California 1887-1888.

He died from pneumonia in 1905, aged 62.

In 1875, MORGAN (born 1851) became a deputy marshal in Dodge City, Kansas. In1879-1880, he served three months as a policeman in Butte, Montana.  He joined his brothers in Tombstone in time to participate at the OK Corral.

Four months later came a reckoning.

At 10:50 p.m. on Saturday, March 18, 1882, Morgan was playing billiards in a Tombstone billiard parlour while Wyatt watched. A shot through a windowed door struck Morgan in the back, fatally wounding him. Before dying, he reportedly said, ‘This is the last game of pool I'll ever play.’

WARREN (born 1855) occasionally served as a deputy for his brothers in Tombstone. But his father reportedly said of him: 'If Warren ever dies he will be shot. He is too hasty, quick-tempered and too ready to pick a quarrel. Besides he will not let bygones be bygones, and on that account, I expect that he will meet a violent death.’

Earp Senior was proved right. In 1900 Warren was involved in a drunken argument with a local cowboy in a saloon in Wilcox, Arizona. When it came to guns, Warren was shot in the chest and killed.

JAMES (born 1841) was only briefly a lawman, serving as a deputy marshal in Dodge City in 1878-1879 and once or twice as Virgil’s deputy in Tombstone. 

This deadly fraternal clash in BROTHERS OF THE GUN reminded me of NIGHT PASSAGE, where Audie Murphy and James Stewart are the brothers pitted against each other

Audie Murphy and James Stewart in ‘Night Passage’ (1957)

or SADDLE THE WIND, where the clash is between Robert Taylor and John Cassavetes.

Robert Taylor and John Cassavetes in ‘Saddle the Wind’ (1958)

Reviews of BROTHERS OF THE GUN:

‘Awesome …A gun slinger who takes you by surprise.’

‘What an exciting book. …a gun slinger who would not just kill for the money, he actually had a heart and a code he lived by.’

‘Fast paced, action packed, solid characters… This one ticks all the boxes of what I want in a Western.’

https://www.amazon.com/Brothers-Gun-Black-Horse-Western-ebook/dp/B01N9RHM4H/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1493648994&sr=1-1 and https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brothers-Gun-Black-Horse-Western-ebook/dp/B01N9RHM4H/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1542366900&sr=1-1&keywords=brothers+of+the+gun+b.+s.+dunn

AUTHOR FAVOURITES BLOG: FURY AT BENT FORK by B.S. DUNN (BRENT TOWNS)

Brent Towns (who also writes as B. S. Dunn, Jake Henry, and Sam Clancy) tells me a favourite of his own novels is his first Black Horse Western FURY AT BENT FORK – credited to B.S. Dunn - ‘because I felt a great sense of achievement.’ (Something I’m sure all us published novelists feel about their debut novel.)

Four big ranchers, known as the Committee, seek to dominate their section of Colorado. They hire a pack of gunmen under Slade Johnson, but smaller ranchers resist – led by young Chad Hunter. Chad’s also being pursued by a cold-blooded murderer just escaped from prison.

‘It became known as the Stone Creek Valley War and for a time, the valley ran red with the blood of innocents and killers alike.’

Range Wars are a popular feature of western fiction but they’re rooted firmly in the history of the Old West. Here I’m referring to conflicts between large-scale cattle owners versus small cattlemen or homesteaders. I’ve dealt with clashes between cattlemen and sheep herders in an earlier blog: https://andrewmcbrideauthor.blogspot.com/2017/12/author-favourites-return-to-silver.html 

Probably the two most famous of these Range Wars were the ‘Lincoln County War’ and the ‘Johnson County War.’ I’ll blog about the latter another day.

Actually the Lincoln County War in New Mexico of the late 1870s saw small ranchers such as JOHN TUNSTALL, an Englishman originally from London,

aligned with cattle baron JOHN CHISUM

and local lawyer ALEXANDER McSWEEN.

Their main beef (pardon the pun) was against two businessmen running a powerful conglomerate based in the town of Lincoln. This pair of Irishmen – J. J. DOLAN and JOHN RILEY – owned a big general store called ‘The House.’  They also controlled most government contracts for supplying beef to army posts and Indian reservations. On top of that they had the law, fronted by Lincoln County Sheriff WILLIAM BRADY, in their pocket.

William Brady in 1872

The other faction didn’t see why Dolan and Riley should have a monopoly on either trade in Lincoln or beef contracts.

Tension between the two sides exploded into violence in February 1878. Brady sent a posse to seize some of Tunstall’s horses as payment for an outstanding debt. They encountered Tunstall out on the range. When Tunstall refused to hand the horses over, Deputy Sheriff WILLIAM MORTON shot him in the head.

Men in the employ of Tunstall and Chisum formed a posse of their own – nicknamed The Regulators – and set out to get their revenge. Which is when The Lincoln County War enters the realms of legend: one of these ‘Regulators’ was a slight young man – probably in his early 20s - called HENRY ANTRIM or HENRY McCARTY. It’s wrongly claimed he was born William Bonney, but history remembers him as BILLY THE KID.

I’ve already blogged about Billy the Kid here:  
https://andrewmcbrideauthor.blogspot.com/2017/06/the-arizona-kid-by-andrew-mcbride.html

To briefly summarise the violence that ensued: The Regulators captured Morton and another of his posse and shot them. In an even more audacious move they ambushed Sheriff Brady as he walked the streets of Lincoln. Brady and another deputy were felled by a hail of bullets from cover.

Events culminated in a 5-day siege (the so-called ‘Battle of Lincoln’) in July 1878. The Regulators were cornered in McSween’s home in Lincoln by supporters of ‘The House.’ Despite desultory exchanges of gunfire there were no casualties until the fifth day, when McSween’s house was fired. The besieged fled the burning building, braving a blizzard of gunfire that cut down McSween. In total perhaps seven men (two of the ‘House’ faction, and five Regulators) were killed. The remaining Regulators scattered.

The Lincoln County Cattle War was over and ‘Billy the Kid’s’ side had convincingly lost.  

Legend attributes the prominent role in these actions to Billy and claims he did most of the killing. In reality he was only one of a number of participants. He only seems to have taken over as leader during the ‘Battle of Lincoln.’

Most fictional depictions of the Lincoln County War show teenage Billy as looking up to Tunstall as a wise elder, a kindly uncle if not father figure. As it happens Tunstall at the time of his death was 24, possibly only two years older than Billy.

The FURY AT BENT FORK scenario of small ranchers/homesteaders versus big ranchers naturally brings to mind SHANE.

Alan Ladd in ‘Shane’ (1953)

The hero being unjustly convicted of cattle rustling, when his real crime was standing up to a powerful conglomerate, made me think of BROKEN LANCE.

Richard Widmark, Spencer Tracy and Robert Wagner in ‘Broken Lance’ (1954)

Reviewer for FURY AT BENT FORK: ‘Wow! Great book.’

https://www.amazon.com/Fury-Bent-Piccadilly-Publishing-Western-ebook/dp/B01LXBBJN6 and https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fury-Bent-Black-Horse-Western/dp/0719819245

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fury-Bent-Black-Horse-Western/dp/0719819245

AUTHOR FAVOURITES: HIGH VALLEY MANHUNT by B. S. DUNN (BRENT TOWNS)

Brent Towns (who also writes as B. S. Dunn, Jake Henry, and Sam Clancy) tells me a favourite of his novels is the first LARAMIE DAVIS book, HIGH VALLEY MANHUNT (credited to B.S. Dunn) ‘because I felt a great sense of achievement’ with it.

When ageing gunfighter Laramie Davis enters a Montana town all he wants is a hot meal. Instead he finds himself in a deadly shoot out with a town lawman, then pursued by the law man’s kin. On top of that he tangles with a gang of outlaws and hostile Blackfeet Indians seeking revenge.

I thought I’d take a brief look at the history of the Blackfoot Indians.

They consist of four bands. The Siksika (‘Blackfoot’), the Kainai or Kainah (‘Blood’) and the Northern Piegan (or 'Poor Robes') reside in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada; the Southern Piegan or Pikuni are located in Montana in the United States. All speak one of the Algonquian languages. The unrelated Sarcee became merged into the Blackfoot Confederacy and, (for a time) the Gros Ventre. The Gros Ventre call themselves the ‘white clay people.’ The French called them Gros Ventres (‘fat bellies,') misinterpreting a sign language gesture for waterfall.

The name Blackfoot is said to have come from the color of the soles of their moccasins, typically dyed or painted black. One legend claimed that tradition arose after some Blackfeet blackened the soles of their moccasins by walking through the ashes of a prairie fire.

The Blackfoot had adopted the use of the horse by 1730. The Blackfoot called horses ‘elk dogs.’ They became buffalo hunters and established themselves as one of the most powerful and warlike tribes on the Plains by the late 18th century, earning themselves the name ‘The Lords of the Plains’.

Canadian traders established friendly trading relations with the Blackfoot from 1754. But, in tragic contrast, relations between the Blackfoot and the Americans soured almost from their first encounter.

In 1806 members of the Lewis and Clark expedition encountered a group of young Blackfoot warriors in Montana. The group camped together that night, and at dawn there was a scuffle as it was discovered that the Blackfoot were trying to steal guns and run off horses while the Americans slept. In the ensuing struggle, one warrior was fatally stabbed and another shot by MERIWETHER LEWIS himself, and presumed killed.

This set off decades of conflict between Blackfeet and Americans. They were bitter enemies of American ‘mountain men’ trapping their country. In 1809 they captured JOHN COLTER and allowed him to run for his life. Colter survived after stumbling into what later became Yellowstone National Park. (An incredible adventure that deserves a blog of its own.)

Despite these hostilities, around 1840 acclaimed painters KARL BODMER and GEORGE CATLIN were both able to paint and draw the Blackfoot.

Painting by Karl Bodmer

In 1837 Blackfoot resistance was much weakened when smallpox struck them, killing an estimated 6,000. In 1851 they were restricted to land assigned to them by the Fort Laramie Treaty. When gold strikes brought thousands of settlers to Montana from 1862 onwards the Blackfoot mounted small-scale resistance.

The most notable action in subsequent hostilities was the Marias River Massacre when one of their villages was destroyed by the US Army on January 23, 1870. Controversy surrounds this incident but evidence suggests this was a peaceful camp attacked by mistake and that of 173 Blackfeet killed, only 15 were warriors.

BUFFALO BULLS BACK by George Catlin

Blackfoot resistance was fading. When the Sioux were engaged in fighting the United States Army in 1876, they sent runners into Blackfoot territory, urging them to join the fight. CROWFOOT, one of the most influential Blackfoot chiefs, dismissed the Sioux messengers.

In Canada the Blackfeet largely stayed out of conflicts with the North West Mounted police, and the two serious Indian rebellions of 1869 and 1885. When news of continued Blackfoot neutrality reached the Canadian government, LORD LANDSDOWNE, the governor general, expressed his thanks to Crowfoot on behalf of QUEEN VICTORIA. The cabinet of the current Prime Minister even gave Crowfoot a round of applause.

Blackfoot medicine man by George Catlin

Nowadays there are approximately 32,000 Blackfeet living in the U.S.A. and Canada.

The Montana setting and ageing hero aspect of HIGH VALLEY MANHUNT brought to mind the classic 1967 western ‘Will Penny’ with CHARLTON HESTON. 

Meanwhile the small town run by a corrupt family who provide judge and sheriff etc. reminded me of ‘Buchanan Rides Alone’ with RANDOLPH SCOTT

Reviews of HIGH VALLEY MANHUNT:

‘The plot was well thought-out and original, the writing style was sharp and entertaining, and the hero was compelling.’

‘I love the pace of Dunn's writing. He seems to balance the characters, the scenery and the action perfectly.’

‘A great fast-paced read. Strong characters people this action-packed western.’ 

https://www.amazon.com/High-Valley-Manhunt-Laramie-Davis-ebook/dp/B00VHFPVJ2/ref=sr_1_1_twi_kin_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1538911066&sr=1-1

and https://www.amazon.co.uk/High-Valley-Manhunt-Laramie-Davis-ebook/dp/B00VHFPVJ2/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

AUTHOR FAVOURITES: VALLEY OF THUNDER by SAM CLANCY (BRENT TOWNS)

Brent Towns (who also writes as B. S. Dunn, Jake Henry, and Sam Clancy) tells me an overall favourite of his novels is VALLEY OF THUNDER by Sam Clancy. ‘I really enjoy writing about Josh Ford.’

Marshal Josh Ford investigates a wagon train that has disappeared in the wilderness of Montana and the Pacific North West. He comes up against a brutal autocrat who rules the area with his private army, rather like the historical Henry Plummer.

WILLIAM HENRY HANDY PLUMMER was born in 1832 in Addison, Maine. In 1852, aged 19, he headed west to the California gold fields. In 1856, he was elected sheriff and city manager in Nevada City, California. His tenure as sheriff ended in controversy a year later when he shot and killed John Vedder. Convicted of second-degree murder, he served time in San Quentin Prison but was granted a pardon due to poor health as he was suffering from tuberculosis.

Plummer left California and drifted across the Pacific Northwest. In 1862 he arrived in Bannack, Montana, where gold had been recently discovered. Despite (or perhaps because of) having killed several men in gun duels he was elected sheriff of Bannack.

Between October and December 1863, the rate of robberies and murders in the area increased significantly. Local citizens formed the Vigilance Committee of Alder Gulch in Virginia City, Montana. Between January 4 and February 3, 1864, the vigilantes arrested and summarily executed at least 20 alleged ‘road agents.’ One was ‘Erastus Red’ Yeager. Before his hanging, Yeager made a complete confession, naming Henry Plummer as leader of the gang, ironically nicknamed ‘The Innocents.’ At their peak it’s claimed ‘The Innocents’ numbered almost 200 men. One of their specialities was to waylay stages that had been marked with chalk by Plummer’s informants, indicating they carried gold.

Plummer was arrested by the vigilantes on the morning of January 10, 1864. Standing before his captors, Plummer asked them, ‘You wouldn’t hang your own sheriff, would you?’

They would and did – the same day.

Plummer was given a posthumous trial in 1993 which led to a mistrial. The jury was split 6-6.

I’d expected Plummer to feature quite a lot in western movies and TV but I could only find him being portrayed by TOM McKEE in an episode of ‘Tales of Wells Fargo’ and JOHN DEHNER in an episode of ‘Stories of the Century.’

John Dehner as Henry Plummer

The Nez Perce Indians also feature in VALLEY OF THUNDER. These remarkable people, and particularly the tragic war they fought against the white man in 1877, deserve at least one separate blog.

The wagon train aspect reminded me of movies like MEEKS CUTOFF

and one of my favourite westerns, John Ford’s lyrical masterpiece ‘WAGONMASTER.’

Ward Bond, Jane Darwell and Russell Simpson in ‘Wagonmaster’

VALLEY OF THUNDER reviews:

‘A great read.’

‘Amazing.'

‘The descriptive writing is superb and I saw each landscape and action sequence in full technicolour as though it were playing out on a cinema screen. There was no fat in this story, no padding. It promised sweeping adventure and it delivered in spades.’

‘A great adventure yarn.’

https://www.amazon.com/Valley-Thunder-Black-Horse-Western-ebook/dp/B01N9XDKWL/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1492581090&sr=1-1&keywords=valley+of+thunder+sam+clancy

and https://www.amazon.co.uk/Valley-Thunder-Black-Horse-Western-ebook/dp/B01N9XDKWL/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=