Journal Notes

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She Wore a Yellow Ribbon: Women Soldiers and Patriots of the Western Frontier.

Thick, damp, and cold fog pressed against the windows of the small house at Point Knox, condensed in a muted bronze gleam on the huge bell, and slipped clammy fingers inside the cloak of the woman shivering on the small platform. Waves splashed and foamed against the rocks far below the wet planks where Juliet Fish Nichols listened tensely for the creak of rigging or the dull thunder of a steamship’s engine. She hoped she heard something before the she saw it, because any ship close enough to see was doomed.

Automatically, her throbbing arm lifted and she rapped the small hammer twice against the side of the 3,000-pound bell. Fifteen seconds later she struck the bell again. Then, after counting off another fifteen seconds, she elevated the hammer and banged twice more on the great bell. Again and again, four times each minute, Juliet lifted her aching arm and rang the bell, warning ships away from Angel Island in fogbound San Francisco Bay.

At least four ships were due in port that first week of July 1906: the Capac, City of Topeka, and Sea Foam, all of which plied the California coast, as well as the transpacific steamer Mongolia loaded with passengers from the Far East. Unfortunately, the crystal-clear atmosphere of July 1 had deteriorated rapidly in the following few days. Visibility was often no more than a few yards. Impenetrable fog concealed every landmark.

To learn more about Juliet Fish Nichols and other women soldiers and patriots of the Western Frontier read

She Wore A Yellow Ribbon.

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She Wore a Yellow Ribbon:

Women Soldiers and Patriots of the Western Frontier.

A slim shadow darted toward the old church at the ruined fortress of Goliad. The smell of smoke stained the night air as the figure picked a careful path through the rubble inside the fortress walls. Moonlight starkly displayed the damage caused by the retreating forces of Col. James Fannin’s command. Hundreds of Fannin’s men now lay on the hard ground, prisoners of Gen. Jose de Urrea, one of Supreme Commandment Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna’s best commanders.

Pausing in a dark corner, Francita Alavez gazed toward the southwest gate and the dull gleam of a cannon positioned to fire on anyone who might attempt a rescue of the American. She shivered in the warm night as the knowledge of their fate bowed her shoulders. She knew what the captives did not. They believed they would be returned to the United States as prisoners of war. Francita had seen the order sent by Santa Anna to execute them all.

To learn more about Francita Alavez and other women soldiers and patriots of the Western Frontier read She Wore A Yellow Ribbon.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Richard Fike

(970) 240-3400

“SIXTH ANNUAL TRIBUTE TO WESTERN MOVIES DAY”

The Museum of the Mountain West announced the Sixth Annual Tribute to Western Movies Day event for Saturday, June 13, 2015, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The theme of “Women of the Old West & in Western Film” will feature New York Times best selling author, scriptwriter and comedienne Chris Enss. Her passion for telling the stories of the men and women who shaped the history and mythology of the American West is sure to entertain and delight attendees of all ages.

Gunfights, souvenirs, strollers in period dress, food, a working blacksmith, numerous musical entertainers, and many more attractions too numerous to list, will be on hand to entertain, excite and educate. These are all in addition to the Museum’s regular displays of 25 original buildings, over 500,000 original relics, artifacts, and items of historical significance. Housed in the 10,000 square foot main building is an historic post office, doctor’s and dentist’s offices, drug store, saloon, dry goods store and many more fascinating displays from the past. From the 1913 German Lutheran Church to the 1890 school to the 1882 Denver & Rio Grande Railroad Section House, you will be captivated at life as it was over a century ago.

Come and spend a fun-filled leisurely day learning more about this wonderful area in beautiful southwestern Colorado. Admission is only $10 for the entire day for adults, $5 for school age children and $25 for an immediate family. Better than a television documentary, it is real live history in our own backyard.

Step back in time into the real history of the “Old West” and Western Colorado with a visit to the Museum of the Mountain West in Montrose, Colorado. Food and craft vendor applications available AND volunteers needed. Major sponsors include Montrose County, City of Montrose Office of Business and Tourism, and Alpine Bank.

For additional details, visit www.museumofthemountainwest.org or call 970-240-3400.

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Midwest Book Review by D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer

Wicked Women: Notorious, Mischievous, and Wayward Ladies from the Old West isn’t about your usual Western woman’s pilgrimage across the plains: it’s a randy, rowdy survey of less-well-behaved female outlaws, gamblers, and other wicked women, and it provides a lively alternative to the usual focus on pioneer homemakers.

During the late nineteenth century, while men were settling the frontier, such women led ‘wicked’ lives when they followed fortune seekers. Their stories have been widely scattered under various headings, so it’s refreshing to find a collection of short, action-packed stories of the Old West here, offering biographical sketches paired with Western history and spiced with insights on purposes and people.

Speaking of ‘spice’, fun black and white vintage photos and illustrations from the author’s own historic collection of images and historical libraries enhances the value and appeal of her coverage, making it a recommendation for collections ranging from women’s history and issues to Western frontier sagas.

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She Wore a Yellow Ribbon: Women Soldiers and Patriots of the Western Frontier.

A cold sunrise greeted the soldiers stationed at Fort Cummings, New Mexico, on the first day of 1868. An eager bugler sounded a call to arms, and members of the Thirty-eighth Infantry hurried out of their barracks to line up in formation, their rifles perched over their shoulders. The enlisted African-American men who made up the regiment pulled their army-issued jackets tight around their necks in an effort to protect themselves from a bitter winter wind. Among the troops falling into place was Pvt. William Cathay. Cathay proudly stood at attention, willing and ready to do battle with the Apache who were raiding villages and wagon trains heading west. The determined expression the private wore was not unlike the look the other members of the outfit possessed.

The Thirty-eighth Infantry was just one of many black units known as the Buffalo Soldiers, a dedicated division of the U.S. Army that seemed to consistently wear a determined expression. Cathay was not unique in that manner. By all appearances Private Cathay was like the other 134 men who made up Company A. What set this soldier apart from the others, however, was her gender. Cathay was a woman disguised as a man-anxious to follow orders to overtake the Chiricahua Apache warriors.

To learn more about William Cathay and other women soldiers and patriots of the Western Frontier read She Wore A Yellow Ribbon.

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She Wore a Yellow Ribbon:

Women Soldiers and Patriots of the Western Frontier.

Miles and miles of cactus and sand stretched out before a small caravan making its way across the Arizona Territory to an army post in Prescott. Frances Ann Boyd, a petite woman barely past twenty, cast a worried glance at her husband, Orsemus, driving their wagon. The young lieutenant kept his eyes fixed on the rugged trail. Three mounted soldier escorts led the train along the dangerous path toward a canyon in the near distance. It was six o’clock in the evening and, apart from the sound of the wagon wheels bumping along the rugged terrain and the horses’ hooves clopping over rocks, all was quiet.

Frances eyed the horizon before them then disappeared into the wagon. She picked up two sabers lying next to a trunk, unsheathed them, and thrust them out either side of the back of the wagon. From a distance she hoped it would look like they were armed with more travelers who were ready to do battle with the Apache. “Unless they come very close,” she thought, “the dim light would favor our deception.”

To learn more about Frances Boyd and other women soldiers and patriots of the Western Frontier read She Wore A Yellow Ribbon.

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She Wore a Yellow Ribbon:

Women Soldiers and Patriots of the Western Frontier.

The distant cadence of drums from the nearly deserted town of San Antonio de Bexar sent a shiver of fear through Juana Navarro Alsbury. She clutched her baby son closer and strained to hear. Mexican president and general Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, enemy of her uncle and her husband, had come when least expected, bringing thousands of men, artillery, and a thirst for vengeance. The baby wailed at the nearby roar of the exploding powder from the cannon mounted at one corner of the Alamo.

That shot signaled defiance by the Texians and Tejonas holed up in the old mission. Juana soothed the baby and waited, holding her breath, for Santa Anna’s response.

It was said he had 1,000 troops, cavalry, and cannon at his command. Inside the crumbling fortress were several dozen women and children protected by fewer than 200 defenders. Juana’s new husband, Dr. Horatio A. Alsbury, had galloped off to find volunteers to join the fight, leaving Juana and the baby behind.

To learn more about Juana Navarro Alsbury and other women soldiers and patriots of the Western Frontier read She Wore A Yellow Ribbon.

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She Wore a Yellow Ribbon:

Women Soldiers and Patriots of the Western Frontier.

“Lozen is my right hand…strong as a man, braver than most, and cunning in strategy. Lozen is a shield to her people.” Apache War Chief Victorio, June 1880

Lozen was a born a member of the Mimbres tribe of Apache in 1827. Her family lived near Ojo Caliente in New Mexico. Her father was a leading member of his band, and her mother was a well-respected woman. Not unlike most Indian children at that time, Lozen learned to ride a horse when she was very young. By the age of eight, she was considered an expert rider. From early on it was clear to her parents that she would not assume the traditional female role. She loved hunting and playing rough games with her brother Victorio, and the other boys in the tribe. Her skills with a bow and arrow and a sling were exceptional. Like her father and his father before him she was a born warrior.

To learn more about Lozen and other women soldiers and patriots of the Western Frontier read She Wore A Yellow Ribbon.

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She Wore a Yellow Ribbon:

Women Soldiers and Patriots of the Western Frontier.

Susan Shelby Magoffin gazed around the small, white-plastered room in Santa Fe and wondered if she might die there. No one seemed sure where the Mexican army was, or how soon a battle might commence. But there was no doubt about the danger to herself and her husband now that her brother-in-law had been taken by the Mexicans as a spy. As she had since the start of her honeymoon journey, Susan recorded the day’s events in her journal.

December 1846, Tuesday 1^st. News comes in very ugly today. An Englishman from Chihuahua, direct, says that the three traders, Dr. Conley, Mr. McMannus and brother James, who went on ahead to Chihuahua have been taken prisoners, the two former lodged in the calboza [jail] while Brother James is on trial for his life.

The messenger who brought the ominous news had gone, but the impact of the latest information from Chihuahua still reverberated like an alarm bell. The fate of everyone associated with James Magoffin was in the balance. What if her own dear, husband, Samuel, left her behind to ride to his brother’s aid? They had been married less than a year, and despite their strange honeymoon, she could not bear to be parted from the man she called mi alma, my soul.

She would insist on going, too, she thought. After traveling thousands of miles across wild and dangerous terrain and through the lands of unfriendly Native Americans on her prairie honeymoon, she had proved her courage to herself and her husband. She had survived the hazardous 2,000-mile-journey despite raging storms, wild beasts, hostile tribes, outlaws, and the awful, waterless desert they had traversed a few weeks before.

To learn more about Susan Shelby Magoffin and other women soldiers and patriots of the Western Frontier read She Wore A Yellow Ribbon.

I had the pleasure of being part of the upcoming program Legend and Lies: Into the West which debuts Sunday, April 12. I’m anxious to see how it all turned out and excited about being a part of the next series Fox will be doing entitled Hollywood Shootouts. Hope you’ll tune in.

Fox News Channel Press

Press Releases from Fox News Channel

FOX NEWS CHANNEL TO DEBUT 10-WEEK RUN OF HISTORICAL EPISODIC SPECIALS LEGENDS & LIES ON SUNDAY, APRIL 12th

Executive Produced by FNC’s Bill O’Reilly

FOX News Channel (FNC) will present a 10-week run of historical episodic specials entitled, Legends & Lies: Into the West, with the first installment debuting on Sunday, April 12^th from 8-9PM/ET, announced Bill Shine, Senior Executive Vice President, FOX News. Executive produced by FNC’s Bill O’Reilly, the hour-long episodes will recount the tales of the greatest characters of America’s Wild West, including Jesse James, David Crockett, Doc Holliday and Billy the Kid.

In making the announcement, Shine said, “We are thrilled to present our viewers with insight that defined the West’s past and pay tribute to some of the most notorious American trailblazers.”

Each week, Legends & Lies will feature a portrayal of the critical moment that made each American hero renowned, along with first-hand accounts from direct descendants and historians. Coupling that with the support of archival photographs and special effects, viewers will see the forensic science and hear the analysis, giving them a chance to decipher the true story behind each hero and separate the legend from the lie.

Two original episodes will run back-to-back for the premiere week with brand new episodes debuting every following Sunday. Legends & Lies will also be presented during additional weekend programming including, Saturdays at 8PM/ET and on Sundays at 9PM/ET. The docu-style series is produced by Warm Springs Production, which is known for such programs as The History Channel’s Mountain Men, Animal Planet’s American River Renegades and HGTV’s Log Cabin Living.