Borderlander : The Life of James Kirker, 1793-1852

Ralph Smith

ISBN 10: 0806130415 / ISBN 13: 9780806130415

Published by University Of Oklahoma Press Mär 2022, 2022

About this Item

Neuware - James Kirker, ''Indian fighter,'' is among the most infamous characters of the American West. In his exhaustively researched biography, Ralph Adam Smith explores the controversy surrounding the life of this frontier figure. Kirker emigrated from Ireland to New York City in 1810. In the years that followed, he was a privateer (in the War of 1812), a British captive, a merchant, a mountain man, the head of a private army, and a dominant figure in New Mexico politics.

Seller Inventory # 9780806130415

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Borderlander : The Life of James Kirker, 1793-1852
• Publisher: University Of Oklahoma Press Mär 2022
• Publication Date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0806130415
• ISBN 13: 9780806130415
• Binding: Buch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 237W x 162H x 26D millimeters 237 millimeters width by 162 millimeters height by 26 millimeters depth
• Weight: 590 grams

About this title

Synopsis

James Kirker, "Indian fighter," is among the most infamous characters of the American West. In his exhaustively researched biography, Ralph Adam Smith explores the controversy surrounding the life of this frontier figure. Kirker emigrated from Ireland to New York City in 1810. In the years that followed, he was a privateer (in the War of 1812), a British captive, a merchant, a mountain man, the head of a private army, and a dominant figure in New Mexico politics.

When Apache and Comanche Indians from the United States began raiding frequently in northern Mexico, the Mexican government, in desperation, turned to bounty warfare, signing five contracts with "Don Santiago" Kirker to defend the borderland region. He became known throughout the West for his "effective and inexpensive" methods of killing Indians.

About the Author

Ralph Adam Smith was Emeritus Professor of History at Abilene Christian University, Texas, and the author of numerous articles on the history of the American Southwest.