WITH THE BORDER RUFFIANS, MEMORIES OF THE FAR WEST 1852-1868

Williams, R. H.

Published by The Musson Book Co., Toronto., 1919

About this Item

BOOK DESCRIPTION: 8vo., xviii, 478 pp. portrait illustrations, index. Canadian edition and reprint of 1907 edition. Decorative red cloth with black and silver feathers, and gold gilt titled cover and spine. CONDITION DESCRIPTION: Near fine with minor shelf rubbing. Interior has colored card pasted in "End of some Redlegs" showing 5 hung from a tree with mounted riders leaving the scene. Else interior is clean and tight. CONTENTS DESCRIPTION: The adventures of the author, an Englishman, in the American middle and far west, including the conflict in Kansas before and during the Civil War. In 1852 he sailed from England bound for City Point, Virginia. After living in western Virginia for a few years he left for Kansas and learned that the frontier was largely lawless. He next arrived in Texas on a cattle ranch in the heart of Comanche territory. Very interesting personal narrative comprised of realities of frontier life where law, justice and the social order of settled society barely existed. The author provides numerous well-described and detailed reminiscences concerning vigilantism, ranching and the handling of cattle to include moving herds vast distances, Comanche raids on ranches and livestock, and views of the populous regarding the Civil War and its aftermath. He takes pain to provide detailed observations on topics that were everyday occurrences to him, but he knew future readers would never experience them. All together an engaging narrative of an interesting part of our nation's history. The author describes himself as "Sometime Lieutenant in the Kansas Rangers and Afterwards Captain in the Texan Rangers." REFERENCES: DORN III 282 Partial contents: Texas 1860-1862, 145-225; in the Confederate service, 227-392. ; NEVINS II pg. 247;"Useful for insights of wartime prices and problems in Texas" GRAFF 4686. HERD 2528 "scarce" . SIX GUNS 2411: "Deals with life during the lawless days of Kansas and Texas." HOWES W473: "After a lurid frontier apprenticeship in Kansas, this young Englishman ranched in Western Texas and served with the Rangers.".

Seller Inventory # 1223031

Bibliographic Details

• Title: WITH THE BORDER RUFFIANS, MEMORIES OF THE FAR WEST 1852-1868
• Publisher: The Musson Book Co., Toronto.
• Publication Date: 1919
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 2nd Edition
• Condition: Near Fine
• Seller catalogs:
  • Unit Histories
  • Military
  • Military History