Shotguns and Stagecoaches, John Boessenecker
Shotguns and Stagecoaches, John Boessenecker
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Shotguns and Stagecoaches
The Brave Men Who Rode for Wells Fargo in the Wild West

Author: John Boessenecker

Narrator: Alex Hyde-White

Unabridged: 10 hr 47 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/30/2018


Synopsis

Shotguns and Stagecoaches tells the true stories of the Wild West heroes who guarded the iconic Wells Fargo stagecoaches and trains, battling colorful thieves, vicious highwaymen, and robbers armed with explosives.

The phrase "riding shotgun" was no teenage game to the men who guarded stagecoaches and trains of the Western frontier. Armed with sawed-off, double-barreled shotguns and an occasional revolver, these express messengers guarded valuable cargo through lawless terrain. They were tough, fighting men who risked their lives every time they climbed into the front boot of a Concord coach.

Boessenecker introduces soon-to-be iconic personalities like "Chips" Hodgkins, an express rider known for his white mule and his ability to outrace his competitors, and Henry Johnson, the first Wells Fargo detective. Their lives weren't just one shootout after another—their encounters with desperadoes were won just as often with quick wits and memorized-by-heart knowledge of the land.

The highway robbers also get their due. It wouldn't be a book about the Wild West without Black Bart, the most infamous stagecoach robber of all time, and Butch Cassidy's gang, America's most legendary train robbers.

Through the Gold Rush and the early days of delivery with horses and saddlebags, to the heyday of stagecoaches and huge shipments of gold, and finally the rise of the railroad and the robbers who concocted unheard-of schemes to loot trains, Wells Fargo always had courageous men to protect its treasure. Their unforgettable bravery and ingenuity make this audiobook a thrilling listen.

About John Boessenecker

JOHN BOESSENECKER is considered one of the leading authorities on crime and lawlessness in the Old West. He is the award-winning author of Bandido: The Life and Times of Tiburcio Vasquez and When Law Was in the Holster: The Frontier Life of Bob Paul. In 2011 and 2013, True West magazine named Boessenecker Best Nonfiction Writer. He has appeared frequently as a historical commentator on PBS, The History Channel, A&E, and others. He lives in San Francisco, California.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Julie

Wells Fargo. Today the company is a financial institution offering the usual services....banking, loans, retirement accounts, investments, etc. But from 1852 to 1918, the company offered express services. Wells Fargo shipped mail, packages, valuables, money...even gold...all across the United States......more

Goodreads review by Deanne

I don't read nonfiction very often but this was definitely worth a read. The author has written a well researched book and even included many pictures from his personal collection of not only the hero's who rode for Wells Fargo, lawmen and stagecoach robbers. Fascinating chapters on the life of the......more

Goodreads review by Eli

Very well researched collection of short biographies.......more

Goodreads review by Casey

This book is well written and researched. The author's writing style makes it an engaging and easy read. Each chapter in the book is devoted to an employee of Wells Fargo in the early days when they were transporting the mail and money or those who worked for the company and pursued those who robbed......more