The Wild West Extravaganza

Kentucky-born Confederate guerrilla Champ Ferguson used the chaos of the Civil War to settle personal grudges along the Tennessee border, racking up a body count that included his own neighbors and dozens of wounded soldiers. As one of only three people executed for war crimes, Ferguson went to the gallows unrepentant, calling himself a rebel to the last and asking to be buried in "good rebel soil.” Who was the REAL Champ Ferguson? True Southern patriot or just another homicidal maniac who used the war to satisfy his own blood lust? Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/ Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Mason County War, also known as the Hoodoo War, was one of the bloodiest feuds in Texas history. In 1875, a conflict over cattle rustling in the Texas Hill Country escalated into a full-blown war between hill country ranchers and their German immigrant neighbors. Former Texas Ranger Scott Cooley launched a brutal campaign of revenge after the murder of his friend Tim Williamson, scalping a deputy sheriff and sparking a chain of killings that would claim at least a dozen lives in just twelve months. Even Johnny Ringo, who would later become infamous in Tombstone, got his start during the Mason County War. Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/ Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey, Josh here, with the Wild West Extravaganza. I just wanted to touch base and issue a very quick correction. On the most recent episode – The Insane Life of Billy Brooks – I misattributed many of the quotes. My main source for research was not Leon Metz; it was historian Robert K. DeArment and his excellent book, Deadly Dozen, Volume 3. In other words, every time you heard me say Leon Metz, it should have been Robert DeArment. This is totally my fault. I’ve got a lot of books by Leon Metz, and more often than not, I’m researching several different topics at the same time. Both Mr. DeArment and Mr. Metz are excellent Old West historians, and I simply got my names mixed up. The information’s still good, but it comes from Robert K. DeArment as opposed to Leon Metz. My apologies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1872, the violent cattle town of Newton, Kansas, appointed a twenty-two-year-old buffalo hunter named Billy Brooks as its town marshal. It would prove to be one of the most eventful and short-lived law enforcement careers in the history of the Old West. Join me today as we trace the largely forgotten story of “Bully” Billy Brooks, from his short stint as marshal, to his arrival in Dodge City, and his eventual descent from respected lawman to wanted outlaw. Also discussed are the Red River War, the Newton Massacre, Bat Masterson, and Morgan Earp. UPDATE: I feel like a complete idiot, but I misattributed many of the quotes from this episode. My main source was historian Robert K. DeArment and his excellent book, Deadly Dozen Volume 3, NOT Leon Metz. I'm often researching several different topics at the same time, and I simply got their names mixed up. My apologies for any confusion. Both Mr. Metz and Mr. DeArment are excellent Old West historians. Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/ Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Shootout at Hide Park - https://www.wildwestextra.com/the-shootout-at-hide-park/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On April 9th, 1892, one man stood alone against 50 hired killers in the wilds of Johnson County, Wyoming. His name was Nate Champion, and what he did over the next twelve hours would go down as one of the greatest last stands in the history of the Old West. Champion was a Texas cowboy who had worked his way north, earned a reputation as a top hand, and made the mistake of filing a claim on land that Wyoming's powerful cattle barons considered their own. When he dared to start a ranch and organize an independent roundup, the Wyoming Stock Growers Association put his name at the top of a kill list. The WSGA was one of the most powerful organizations in territorial Wyoming. Senators, judges, lawmen, and even the acting governor were members. They controlled the roundups, rigged the courts, and when that was not enough, they hired mercenaries to do their dirty work. And it was these mercenaries who surrounded Champion’s cabin on that April morning. What they failed to consider, however, was the mettle of the man inside. Pinned down and outnumbered, Champion fought back for twelve straight hours. And in the middle of the firefight, he picked up a pencil and started writing, documenting the attack in real time as bullets tore through the walls around him. Today, we not only celebrate the life (and death) of Nate Champion, but we take a look at what happens when ordinary people decide to stand up to concentrated wealth and political corruption. Merch! https://wildwestextramerch.com/ Buy Me A Coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/wildwest Check out the website! https://www.wildwestextra.com/ Email me! https://www.wildwestextra.com/contact/ Free Newsletter! https://wildwestjosh.substack.com/ Join Patreon for ad-free bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/wildwestextra Frank Canton & the Johnson County War - https://youtu.be/psestaX_qqY?si=uFzNouxA-lBkRzN9 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices