Gold Dust and Gunsmoke : Tales of Gold Rush Outlaws, Gunfighters, Lawmen, and Vigilantes

by John Boessenecker

• ISBN13: 9780471319733
• ISBN10: 0471319732
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-03-01
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

Now in paperback, a rollicking collection of true tales of villainy and violence during the California Gold RushPacked with never-before-told tales of the American frontier, Gold Dust and Gunsmoke sends readers galloping through the tumultuous California territory of the mid-nineteenth century, where men fought for dreams of fortune, disputes were settled with six-shooters, and the lines of justice were in perpetual flux. Armed with meticulous research, John Boessenecker displays a remarkable knack for finding the perfect details to capture all the color, excitement, and hullabaloo of the Gold Rush. Published in tandem with the 150th anniversary of California's statehood, these authentic stories of gunfighters, lawmen, vigilantes, and barroom brawlers comprise an important contribution to the rich lore of the American West.John Boessenecker (San Francisco, CA) is an attorney and historian. He is the author of Badge and Buckshot, Lawman, and The Grey Fox: The True Story of Bill Miner, Last of the Old Time Bandits.

Author Biography

JOHN BOESSENECKER is a San Francisco attorney and historian. He is the author of Badge and Buckshot: Lawlessness in Old California and Lawman: The Life and Times of Harry Morse, 1835-1912, and he is coauthor of The Grey Fox: The True Story of Bill Miner, Last of the Old Time Bandits.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xiii
``Boys, I Believe I've Found a Gold Mine''	1	(12)
First Blood	13	(10)
Judge Lynch	23	(21)
Gringos and Greasers	44	(29)
Bring Me the Head of Joaquin Murrieta	73	(27)
Pillagers or Patriots?	100	(34)
The Whores in '51	134	(25)
Bears, Bulls, and Bare Knuckles	159	(20)
I'll Die Before I'll Run	179	(25)
The Field of Honor	204	(21)
Pirates of the Placers	225	(25)
Gold Rush Lawmen	250	(23)
Enforcing the Law	273	(24)
Gold Rush Gunfighters	297	(24)
Epilogue: A Legacy of Violence	321	(6)
Notes	327	(22)
Index	349