Delving into the reading for the upcoming podcast series on King Philip’s War that ravaged New England in 1675-76, it is striking how central firearms were to the conflict. That seems axiomatic: guns tend to be a factor in wars, right? But I’m not talking solely about the waging of war. I’m talking about the economics and diplomacy of the gun … [Read more...] about Firearms Of The Frontier Partisans — The Guns Of King Philip’s War

Nothing pairs better with the morning coffee than a little medieval mayhem, right? I mean, among the increasingly lunatic news of the day — which mostly falls into the category of tales told by idiots, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing — a tale of an ax to the face is downright refreshing. From The Daily Mail: A medieval warrior … [Read more...] about An Ax To The Face

Lewis Wetzel flits through the forests of Frontier Partisans history like a dark shadow. ONe of the most capable frontier warriors on the Ohio Valley frontier in the late 18th Century, he was also a straight-up killer, whose consuming passion in life was the hunting of Indians. He was an avatar of the famous Ernest Hemingway quote: Certainly … [Read more...] about Working The Trapline — Deathwind & A Sea Dog

’Tis Samhain, when chaos rules. A day to feast and drink and mark the passing of the Old Year. Spirits prowl the earth and Winter is coming. “Now there was nothing out there but the black of a moonless Highland night. The sort of night when Christians stayed indoors and put holy water on the doorposts, because the things that walked the moors … [Read more...] about Samhain

A few items for you to enjoy during this fine fall weekend. Tom Langhorne has built a way of life around exploring the lifeways of the Scottish Highlanders of the 17th/18th Centuries. His YouTube Channel is full of Frontier Partisan goodness. I have spent a large part of my life exploring the wild landscapes of the Highlands and I have … [Read more...] about Working The Trapline — Highlanders, A Boer Western, 17th Century Musket

In my youth, I saw the Blackfoot people only through the eyes of the American Mountain Men — and a demonic vision they were. Inveterate enemies of the American fur trappers in the northern Rocky Mountains in the early 19th Century, they were portrayed as a sworn enemy is always portrayed — as an “other” with savage characteristics, and no redeeming … [Read more...] about Blackfoot Zombies, Wendigo & A Clan Carving

Los Angeles Sheriff James M. Barton died game. Ambushed by one of the most dangerous gangs of bandits in California history, he “fought like a lion” when the chips were down. That’s on the credit side of the ledger. It certainly mitigates any accusations of cowardice or dereliction of duty stemming from giving up David Brown to a lynch … [Read more...] about The Killing Of Sheriff James Barton — New Podcast Episode

Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter has the green light for a tale of frontier justice in my home territory. From Cowboys & Indians Magazine: Nearly a year after the series was first reported to be in development, The Abandons — a new Western drama from Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter — has been officially given the go-ahead for a … [Read more...] about Anarchy On The Oregon Frontier

There is nothing more Frontier Partisan than a man grinding out mile after mile through forest and meadow and over mountain... Some of the great tales of frontier history involve epic runs — John Colter’s legendary escape from the Blackfoot and John Adam Helmer’s run to warn the New York settlements of a raid by Joseph Brant’s Iroquois during … [Read more...] about On The Run In Oregon

Daniel Boone — Cryptid Hunter? Well, sure. Any hunter who spends as much time in the woods as Boone is gonna run across some weird critters, right? Now, hunters have also been known to tell a tall tale or two, as well, so I guess we takes our choice. Boone’s fine biographer, John Mack Faragher recounts a tale from late in the Long Hunter’s … [Read more...] about Daniel Boone, The Yahoo & The Ozark Howler