In 1883 in Taney County, Missouri, a murder case ends with an apparent lack of justice, and Nathaniel Kinney decides to take matters into his own hands. He forms a vigilance committee – nicknamed the Baldknobbers – whose goal is to punish criminals who escape the law. The vigilantes strike their first blow, but their seemingly righteous mission quickly turns to a campaign of harassment that spreads fear throughout Taney County.   Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons:...

In this episode, we attempt to separate fact from fiction and tell the story of the man whose life inspires books and the famous movie “Jeremiah Johnson” starring Robert Redford. The truth is far different from the legend, but it still showcases a life full of adventure.   Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons: blackbarrel.supportingcast.fm/join   Apple users join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes, bingeable seasons and bonus episodes. Click the Black Barrel+ banner...

The story of the man who is known as Jeremiah Johnson is shrouded in mystery. In this episode, the character of John Johnson joins the ranks of mountain men in the 1840s and soon embarks on an epic campaign of vengeance against Crow warriors. The mythical figure earns the nicknames “Crow Killer” and “Liver Eating Johnson” while he travels the West and experiences a superhuman number of adventures.   Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons:...

With his quest for revenge complete, Hugh Glass follows the new Santa Fe trail to territories that will become New Mexico and Arizona. But the call of the Rocky Mountains lures him north again. He helps establish new trading posts and fights one final battle with Native American warriors.   Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons: blackbarrel.supportingcast.fm/join   Apple users join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes, bingeable seasons and bonus episodes. Click the...

Hugh Glass is an older veteran trapper when he joins the Ashley-Henry fur company. In 1823, he suffers a catastrophic attack by a grizzly bear in the woods along the Grand River in what is now South Dakota. Against seemingly impossible odds, Hugh Glass survives his devastating injuries and begins a quest for revenge against those who left him for dead.   Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons: blackbarrel.supportingcast.fm/join   Apple users join Black Barrel+ for...

In 1824, Jedediah Smith undertakes the journey of a lifetime. He travels across more of the West than any other explorer of the age. He battles starvation and Native American war parties, and ascends to co-owner of the Ashley-Henry fur company before retiring from the life of a trapper in the Rocky Mountains. Then, on his final adventure, his story ends in mystery.   Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons: blackbarrel.supportingcast.fm/join   Apple users join Black...

In 1822, Jedediah Smith answers an advertisement to join a new fur trading company led by William Ashley and Andrew Henry. Smith and the rest of the company head into the wilds of the Upper Missouri River country and find themselves tested by the weather, the terrain, the animals, and the Native American warriors who want to stop encroachment on their territory.   Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons: blackbarrel.supportingcast.fm/join   Apple users join Black Barrel+...

Music from the Legends of the Old West podcast. Western-themed songs:   0:00 – Legends of the Old West Opening Cue 0:12 – Legends of the Old West Theme (Full Version) 1:36 – “Dust” 4:18 – “Riding West” 6:40 – “Providence” 8:54 – “Water Grave” 11:19 – “Dirt” 13:44 – “Desperado” 15:50 – “At The Frontier” 18:00 – “Coyote” 20:28 – “Meanwhile” 23:29 – “Lonesome” 25:30 – “Saddle Up” 28:38 – “Slow Rider” 31:12 – “Feather” 33:26 – “Standoff” 36:10 – “Desert Walking” 38:28 – “Dead Man” 41:12 –...

In November 1875, Captain Leander McNelly makes his most famous and controversial move: he leads his militia company into Mexico and attacks two villages to recover stolen cattle. His actions provoke a standoff with Mexican officials and consternation from his superiors, but his men love his bold strategy. After the events known as the Las Cuevas War, McNelly’s time in command draws to a close. But his lieutenant helps end the Sutton-Taylor feud, and his former sergeant leads the arrest of...

In South Texas, in an area known as the Nueces Strip, cattle rustling is a huge problem and it comes with an additional layer of complication: many of the rustlers are from Mexico. They ride across the border, steal Texas cattle, and drive the cattle to Mexico. In 1875, Captain Leander McNelly and his militia company are dispatched to the Rio Grande Valley to stop the rustlers from Mexico. Shortly after they arrive, they find themselves in a pivotal fight on the Palo Alto prairie.   SELECTED...

In the early 1870s, the Horrell brothers were involved in the murder of a sheriff, the murders of State Police officers, a jailbreak, and a bloody episode known as the Horrell War in New Mexico before the infamous Lincoln County War. In 1877, they become embroiled in a deadly feud with the Higgins clan until Major John B. Jones dreams up a creative solution. Meanwhile, during the early stages of the problems with the Horrell brothers, a former captain of the State Police, Leander McNelly,...

 In 1875, Major John B. Jones leads the gradual transition of the Texas Rangers from frontier fighters to law enforcement officers. As Texas becomes the heart of the cattle ranching industry in America, cattle rustling becomes a serious problem. In Mason County, two factions battle each other. And as the murder rate rises, Jones leads the Rangers to town to try to settle the affair.   SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY “The Texas Rangers: Wearing the Cinco Peso, 1821-1900” by Mike Cox “The Ranger Ideal,...

During and immediately after the Civil War, the Texas frontier suffers from renewed attacks by the Comanche and Kiowa. One of the most notable is the devastating Elm Creek Raid. After the war, Texas briefly reconstitutes the Texas Rangers, but they’re not fully resurrected until the creation of the Frontier Battalion in 1874. Major John B. Jones becomes the commander and leads the battalion into a new era.   SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY “The Texas Rangers: Wearing the Cinco Peso, 1821-1900” by Mike...

In the spring of 1861, it becomes clear America is headed for civil war. Texas Rangers Ben McCulloch, Henry McCulloch, John S. “Rip” Ford, and Lawrence Sullivan Ross join the Confederate army. They have four vastly different experiences, highlighted by the second major battle of the war, Sherman’s capture of Atlanta, and the final battle of the war.   SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY “The Texas Rangers: Wearing the Cinco Peso, 1821-1900” by Mike Cox “The Ranger Ideal, Vol. 1&2” by Darren L....

On Change Agents, find out what it takes to solve some of the world's seemingly impossible problems. In each episode, SEAL Team 6 veteran and "Cleared Hot" podcast host Andy Stumpf interviews a new "agent of change" who is enacting real change to understand the scope of their work, how it can be replicated, and the unimaginable stakes of their everyday lives.  Today’s guest is Academy Award winning filmmaker, Kevin Costner.  Costner co-wrote, directed, and stars in the new film Horizon: An...

An investigation into the Mountain Meadows Massacre takes years, and in meantime, Porter Rockwell continues his roles as lawman and mail carrier. He builds a hotel and becomes a successful businessman, but he remains a figure of controversy. Acts of violence throughout Utah Territory become part of his lore, regardless of whether or not he was involved in them. By the time of his death, he has achieved legendary status in the history of the American West.   Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free...

In August of 1857, a wagon train of travelers from Missouri and Arkansas rolls into Utah Territory. It’s called the Baker-Fancher party and it’s headed for California. The group camps in a high mountain valley called Mountain Meadows in southern Utah Territory, but Mormon settlers in the area believe the emigrants are more than just travelers. The Mormons believe the Baker-Fancher party is connected to the approaching U.S. Army column. As fear and suspicion grow, a Mormon militia attacks the...

New church leader Brigham Young declares that the Saints must go west to find a place where they can worship in peace. Porter Rockwell becomes the lead scout for the great exodus to Utah Territory. The Saints build Salt Lake City and navigate tensions with local Native American tribes. Rockwell acts as a guide for U.S. Army troops and helps establish the Brigham Young’s mail route through the territory. In 1857, Rockwell learns news of a major threat to the LDS church: President James...

Porter Rockwell is arrested for the attempted murder of Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs, and Rockwell rots in jail for nearly a year. After a perilous journey to his new home in the Mormon settlement of Nauvoo, Illinois, Rockwell is reunited with the head of his church, Joseph Smith. But the reunion doesn’t last long. The LDS church suffers a devastating tragedy that requires a change of leadership.   Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable...

In the 1830s, Porter Rockwell and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints – commonly known as the Mormons – battle locals and militias in Missouri. Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs is determined to push the Mormons out of his state, and he succeeds at a bloody cost. After the Mormons move to Illinois, Porter Rockwell returns to Missouri to fulfill a prophecy to kill Governor Boggs.   Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable...

Orrin Porter Rockwell is born into an era of religious fervor in the eastern United States. His family soon becomes close with the Smith family, and Porter becomes the youngest convert to Joseph Smith’s new religious movement, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The Saints immediately meet resistance to their ideology and they move west to Ohio and then Missouri. In Missouri, they begin years of conflict with the locals.   Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable...

In November of 1892, the final showdown arrives. The U.S. Marshals assault Ned Christie’s cabin and end Ned’s resistance. The marshals and the general public believe a murderous outlaw has been brought to justice. But as the years pass, newspapers and historians revisit the saga known as “Ned Christie’s War” and begin to separate fact from fiction. Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons: blackbarrel.supportingcast.fm/join Apple users join Noiser+ for ad-free episodes...

After the raid by Deputy U.S. Marshal Heck Thomas, Ned Christie builds a fortified cabin that is designed to withstand future attacks. He maintains his innocence in the case of the murder of Deputy U.S. Marshal Dan Maples, and he does not intend to surrender. He continues his defiance, but he also starts to believe that the end is near…   Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons: blackbarrel.supportingcast.fm/join   Apple users join Noiser+ for ad-free episodes and...

When a deputy U.S. marshal is murdered in the Cherokee capital, a respected Cherokee statesman named Ned Christie becomes the prime suspect. Newspaper stories portray Ned as a ruthless outlaw who commits every crime in the book, but are the stories accurate? As the pressure mounts to bring Ned Christie to justice, legendary Deputy U.S. Marshal Heck Thomas is dispatched to confront the elusive fugitive.   Join Black Barrel+ for ad-free episodes and bingeable seasons:...