Journal Notes

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She Wore a Yellow Ribbon:

Women Soldiers and Patriots of the Western Frontier.

It was almost two in the morning and Elizabeth Custer, the young wife of the famed “boy general” George, couldn’t sleep. The heat kept her awake-a sweltering intense heat that had overtaken fort Lincoln in the Dakota Territory earlier that day. Even if the conditions had been more congenial, however, sleep would have eluded Elizabeth. The rumor that had swept through the army post around lunchtime disturbed her greatly, and until this rumor was confirmed she doubted that she’d be able to get a moment’s rest.

Elizabeth, or Libbie, as her husband and friends called her, carried her petite, slender frame over to the window and gazed out at the night sky. It had been more than two weeks since she had said good-bye to her husband. She left him and his battalion a few miles outside the fort. George had orders from his superior officers in Washington, D.C., to “round up the hostile Indians in the territory and bring about stability in the hills of Montana.”

George and Elizabeth made their good-byes and she headed back to the fort. As she rode away, she turned around for one last glance at General Custer’s column departing in the opposite direction. It was a splendid picture. The flags and pennons were flying, the men were waving, and even the horses seemed to be arching themselves to show how fine and fit they were. George rode to the top of the promontory and turned around, stood up in his stirrups, and waved his hat. They all started forward again and in a few seconds disappeared; horses, flags, men, and ammunition-all on their way to the Little Bighorn River. The was the last time Elizabeth saw her husband alive.

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

Enter to win. This month enter to win a copy of

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon:

Women Soldiers and Patriots of the Western Frontier.

A lone Native American woman cautiously led her chestnut mare through the bluffs around Klamath Lake, an inland sea 20 miles north of the line dividing California and Oregon. The rider was Mrs. Frank “Tobey” Riddle. She belonged to the Modoc tribe that settled in the area; they called her Winema. She was known among her family and friends as one who possessed great courage and could not be intimidated by danger. She pressed on past the jagged rocks lining the transparent water, praying to the great god Ka-moo-kum-chux to give her abundant courage in the face of the certain danger that she was about to encounter.

Winema was a mediator between the Modoc people, other Indian tribes in the area, and the U. S. Army. With her skills she was able to negotiate treaties that kept the land of her ancestors in peace. Whenever that peace was threatened, her job was to set things straight. She was on her way to do just that-riding into hostile Modoc territory to persuade the chief to surrender to the cavalry.

To learn more about Winema and other women soldiers and patriots of the Western Frontier read

She Wore A Yellow Ribbon.

“A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it,” says Alan Ladd as the mysterious buckskin-clad stranger in Shane. “There’s some things a man just can’t run away from,” drawls a young John Wayne to his terrified fellow passengers in John Ford’s Stagecoach. “Draw fast and aim slow,” quips Richard Dix as Wyatt Earp in Tombstone.

The West and the western are the stuff of legend-and American movies. Since the birth of motion pictures more than 8,000 western films have been made. That’s a lot of cowboys, cattle, wagon trains, and shoot-outs. With the exception of Key Largo, most of my favorite films are westerns. Westerns have not only influenced the way people think, they have also influenced the way we dress and the way we talk. The following are a few of the frank, funny, poignant lines from some of those films that remind us of that independent western spirit.

From the movie The Alamo-1960

“You never pray, do you, Davy?”

“I never found the time.” Parson (Hank Worden) and Davy Crockett (John Wayne)

“I’m a stranger ‘round these here parts. What do you Texans use for drinking whiskey?”

“Drinking whiskey.”

Captain Almeron Dickson (Ken Curtis) and Beekeeper (Chill Wills)

From the movie Bad Day at Black Rock-1955

“I’ll only be here twenty-four hours.”

“In a place like this, that could be a lifetime.”

Passenger John J. McReedy (Spencer Tracy) and train conductor (bit player)

From the movie Destry Rides Again-1939

“You’d better mind your own business or you’re heading for trouble.”

“Trouble is my business.”

Saloon singer Frenchie (Marlene Dietrich) and Sheriff Tom Destry (James Stewart)

“Wait a minute, lady!”

“Who you calling a lady?!”

Sheriff Tom Destry (James Stewart) and saloon singer Frenchie (Marlene Dietrich)

Long live the western.

Congratulations to Debbie Clark! Debbie won a copy of

Buffalo Gals: Women of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

There will be another opportunity to win a book about

women of the Old West next week.

One final note about Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

William Cody first brought the action and adventure of the untamed frontier to United States audiences in 1872. Wearing his trademark massive sombrero and fringed hunting suit of buckskin, Cody introduced the world to a cast of legendary western heroes. Among the talent that graced the program’s bill were Wild Bill Hickok, Pawnee Bill, and Sitting Bull. From the start the Wild West Show was a huge success. Thirty-nine years after Cody decided to embark on the risky business venture, he had amassed a fortune worth more than $3 million.

A big part of the show’s success was the showcasing of female performers. Women riders and shooters were included not just for the crowd’s amusement but also because Buffalo Bill believed women shouldn’t be left out.

To learn more about Buffalo Bill Cody and the women who performed with him read Buffalo Gals: Women of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

Today is the day! Enter now to win a copy of

Buffalo Gals: Women of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

Dancer Loie Fuller stepped onto the Olympic Theatre stage in Chicago and slowly walked toward Buffalo Bill Cody. He was an imposing figure dressed in buckskin. His personality so filled the auditorium that the nineteen-year-old Loie was somewhat intimidated to approach him. Cody turned his handsome face to her, flashed a pleasant smile, and introduced himself. From that moment she was at ease. After welcoming her to the cast of his Wild West program, he escorted her to the wings of the stage and handed her a script.

The year was 1881, and this was the first real performing job the teenager had been given since beginning her theatrical career in 1866. Thrilled with the opportunity to work with the famous frontier scout and war veteran, she found she was too star struck at the onset to review her lines. Loie’s association with Cody would span more than three decades.

“Throughout that time,” she admitted in her journal, “I never lost my fascination for the showman.”

To learn more about Loie Fuller and the other women who performed with Cody read Buffalo Gals: Women of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

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Buffalo Gals: Women of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

A frayed lasso dropped over the neck of an angry steer and the cowgirl on the other end jerked it tight. The rope snapped in two, and the animal raced off to join the other equally agitated steer.

Eighteen-year-old Lucille Mulhall studied the wild herd, grabbed a rope, and spurred her horse forward. Setting her sights on another steer, she twirled her rope over her head and threw it out. The lasso fell over one of the animal’s horns. Lucille quickly jerked the rope loose and tossed it out again. This time the throw was true. Her horse stopped quickly and the steer was jerked on its back. Lucille jumped off her ride and quickly tied the feet of the animal together. Forty-five seconds had passed since the steer had been roped and then tied. Lucille Mulhall, the petite teenager from Oklahoma, had set a steer-roping record at yet another country fair.

It was the spring of 1903, and before the year ended the well-known female conqueror of beef and horn had broken every existing record set by her male counterparts. Famous humorist and writer Will Rogers watched the graceful, fearless roper and rider from his seat in the rodeo stands in Oklahoma City. He was a fan of Lucille’s. Among some of her other fans were President Theodore Roosevelt, Tom Mix, and Buffalo Bill Cody.

To learn more about Lucille Mulhall and the other women who performed with Cody read Buffalo Gals: Women of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

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Buffalo Gals: Women of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

Fans of Annie Oakley sought the famous shooter out after every performance. In addition to granting requests for autographs, she took time to speak with her followers who wanted to know all about her. As a courtesy to her devotees, she supplied them with a short list of facts about herself.

1. I was born in Woodland, Ohio.

2. I learned to shoot in the field.

3. I do not think I inherited my love of firearms from my parents, for they were Quakers, and were very much opposed to my using such weapons.

4. Having traveled in fourteen countries, and having hunted in almost all of them, I have shot nearly all kinds of game.

5. While I love to shoot in the field, I care very little for exhibition shooting, and only do it as a matter of business.

To learn more about Annie Oakley and the other women who performed with Cody read Buffalo Gals: Women of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

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Buffalo Gals: Women of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

Della Ferrell, Georgia Duffy, and friends preparing to ride.

“Cowgirl is an attitude, really; a pioneer spirit, a special American brand of courage. The cowgirl faces life head on, lives by her own lights and makes no excuses. Cowgirls take stands. They speak up. They defend the things they hold dear. A cowgirl might be a rancher, or a barrel racer, or a bull rider, or an actress. But she’s just as likely to be a checker at the local Winn Dixie, a full-time mother, a banker, an attorney, or an astronaut.” – Dale Evans

Georgia Duffy and Della Ferrell were members of an elite group of Western cowgirls billed as Beautiful Rancheras. Della was from Colorado and Georgia hailed from Wyoming. Della joined the Wild West program in 1897; Georgia in 1886.

The two women appeared in relay racing acts together and separately performed rope and riding routines. They were expert horsewomen whether riding astride or sidesaddle. A courier for Buffalo Bill’s Wild West called them “graceful representatives of physical and equestrian beauty.”

To learn more about Georgia Duffy, Della Ferrell and the other women who performed with Cody read

Buffalo Gals: Women of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

Enter now for a chance to win a copy of

Buffalo Gals: Women of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

The polite but enthusiastic applause from 40,000 Londoners brought a huge smile to fifteen-year-old Lillian Smith’s face. Her performance before England’s Queen Victoria was the highlight of her early time with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

It was the fiftieth anniversary of the queen’s rule, and the stands were filled with royalty from across Europe. Lillian had dazzled the onlookers with her marksmanship. Using a .22 rifle, the teenager hit a tin plate thirty times in fifteen seconds and broke ten glass balls hung from strings swinging around a pole. The queen had been so taken by the girl’s talents she asked Lillian be presented to her at the end of the program.

When it came time for Lillian to meet the queen, she led her horse to the royal box, removed her hat, and coaxed her ride into a curtsy. Queen Victoria nodded pleasantly and asked to see Lillian’s gun. Lillian gently turned the weapon over and politely described everything about the rifle that made it special to her. Cody was impressed with the noble women’s attentiveness and with his star’s genial response.

To learn more about Lillian Smith and the other women who performed with Cody read Buffalo Gals: Women of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

Enter now for a chance to win a copy of

Buffalo Gals: Women of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

Nineteen-year-old Fannie Sperry squinted into the sun and drew on the stub of a cigarette in the corner of her mouth. The cowboys working around the Herrin Ranch in Montana eyed her closely as she made for the corral. She was slim beauty with porcelain skin, and her black locks were tucked tightly under a wide-brimmed hat. The ranch hands saw her as a mass of contradictions, an attractive woman one might be inclined to settle down with if not for the fact she could ride and rope like a man.

Fannie paid no attention to the inquisitive stares as she climbed on the wooden posts surrounding a restless bronco. The brick-colored horse known as Blue Dog was a fierce animal, and no one stayed on his back long. Broncobusters at the Herrin determined he was impossible to break. In spite of his surly reputation, Fannie wanted Blue Dog for her own. She saw something promising in the horse no one else did.

After convincing the ranch foreman to accept her mild-mannered horse as trade for Blue Dog, she saddled the outlaw. She spoke gently to the animal as she climbed on his back. He hesitated for a moment. The cowboys looked on, waiting for the cantankerous beast to throw her. Nothing happened. Fannie eased Blue Dog into a walk and rode him out of the corral. The animal that was deemed unridable was tamed in the hands of a Montana horsewoman who would eventually join Buffalo Bill Cody’s program in 1916.

To learn more about Fannie Sperry and the other women who performed with Cody read Buffalo Gals: Women of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.