I think I first became aware of the 1990 standoff between Mohawk people and authorities in Oka, Quebec, not through U.S. media, but through Steve Earle, who spoke of the confrontation in concerts and interviews. Ol’ Steve was a terrible mess back then, but he did have a heart for the underdog, a large and passionate fan base in Canada and fans and … [Read more...] about Remembering The Armed Standoff In Oka — Summer 1990

“GIVE US YOUR SUBMISSION AND WE WILL GIVE YOU ALL THE COMFORT YOU NEED.’ “I CAN THINK OF NO MEASURE OF COMFORT WORTH THAT PRICE.” —Captain Charles Vane, Black Sails * “These were more than just a few thugs knocking over liquor stores.” — Kenneth J. Kinkor, The Expedition Whydah Museum, Provincetown, Massachusetts * Drink up me hearties, … [Read more...] about Talkin’ Like A Pirate — The First American

On September 16, 1620, the Mayflower and her consort ship the Speedwell sailed forth from Plymouth Harbor toward the New World. Of course that destination was a new world only to Europeans; there were people living there for whom it was simply their world. And that world was already changing in profound and catastrophic ways. This reality is … [Read more...] about No New Worlds

Stumbled across a remarkable photo set from Radoslaw Sikora, a Polish historian who specializes in the legendary Winged Hussars of the 17th Century. As FP readers know, I am much enamored of tales of the Polish-Lithuanian frontier culture of that era. I have no personal connection to this history — in fact, my German ancestors almost certainly … [Read more...] about Husaria

Here’s a volume I must have, though it’s likely I’ll have to source it from across the Pond. Working from modern-day maps to ensure topographical accuracy, the Atlas covers pretty much every significant action in both the conventional and guerrilla phases of the war, with maps showing events on tactical, operational and strategic levels. There … [Read more...] about Boer War Atlas

Scouting among the thickets of the Web in service of the Kit Carson project, I came upon Kyle Carroll’s recent painting “Alone in Crow Country.” Carson tangled with a party of Crow horsethieves one winter in the 1830s. The Absaroka people were one of those groups that were mostly friendly to the trappers — but they remained opportunistic … [Read more...] about The Frontier Art Of Kyle Carroll

“One thing that really grinds me is dread and fear created by the media. I’d rather immerse myself in old folk songs. There lies your real history. And joy. And sorrow. And horse sense.” — Tom Russell, True West Magazine, September 2020 Last night, Craig and Wendy Rullman hosted a feast and guitar-pull on the deck at the Figure 8 Ranch. … [Read more...] about The Old Folk Songs

 By Capt. Thom Eley, Frontier Partisan, Fort Alaska Editor’s note: Luther Sage Kelly was one of the finest of the Frontier Partisans — a good man as well as an outstanding frontiersman. Thom’s piece more than does him justice and I am honored to publish it here. The United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867 — 365,039,104 acres … [Read more...] about Luther Sage “Yellowstone” Kelly: An Indian Scout in Alaska