“A crooked tree

will never straighten its branches.”

Six Indian Horses: Quarter Horses

1. The Quarter Horse is a sprinter, and the most popular North American breed today.
2. Bred to work on ranches, it also excels in rodeo events and horse shows.
3. These animals are said to have an innate “cow sense” – a natural instinct for herding cattle.
4. Texan ranchers played a large role in the development of the Quarter Horse.
5. Of the three main body types, the stock is small, quick, and agile; the halter is large and muscular; and the hunter is a lean, long-legged runner.
6. Quarter Horses come in all colors, but the most common is the chestnut brown known as sorrel.

Six Indian Horses: Appaloosas

1. The Appaloosa has a leopard-spot patterning overlaid on a regular base-coat color.
2. They also boast striped hooves, and have visible white circles surrounding the brown irises of their eyes.
3. Traditionally, this breed was tall, narrow, rangy, and had a sparse mane and tail.
4. Coat patterns and colorings often change as the horse grows older.
5. This breed is unfortunately more prone to eye problems, poor night vision, and blindness.
6. The Appaloosa was adopted as Idaho’s official state horse in 1975.

Six Indian Horses: Pinto (Paint)

1. Pinto refers to a horse’s color, not its breed, and it is defined by a large-patched patterned coat.
2. These patches can be white or other colors.
3. Pinto is Spanish for painted, dappled or spotted.
4. A Tobiano is a white horse with colored patches.
5. An Overo is a colored horse with uneven, white markings.
6. Pintos that descend from the American Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred breeds are correctly known as Paint Horses.

Six Indian Horses: Nez Perce

1. These horses are associated with the Nez Perce tribe from Idaho.
2. Because they are a cross between the old Appaloosa and a Central-Asian horse, they are usually multi-colored with dappled spots.
3. Their descendants (the Akhal-Teke) are an extremely hardy breed with metallic-looking coats.
4. These lean, strong horses are also good jumpers.
5. Being selectively bred made them a popular choice throughout the wild west.
6. Nez Perce horses are known for their attitude!

Six Indian Horses: Mustangs

1. Mustangs are wild or feral horses that have descended from Spanish stock.
2. Their name comes from the Mexican word mestengo meaning  stray animal.
3. These sure-footed horses have low tails and they come in a wide variety of colors.
4. Mustangs are known for their endurance.
5. Because of their harsh living conditions they are often smaller than other breeds.
6. Free-roaming herds are protected by the Bureau of Land Management, which rounds up excess horses for adoption by private owners.

Six Indian Horses: Palominos

1. The beautiful Palomino has a golden coat with a white mane and tail.
2. They are not a genetic breed.  The term Palomino refers to their distinctive color.
3. Their coats range from cream to a dark golden yellow.
4. Palominos generally have brown eyes.
5. The TV star Mr. Ed was a Palomino horse.
6. But Roy Roger’s buddy Trigger may be more famous!

Paul Revere and the Raiders: Indian Nation (Cherokee People)

John D. Loudermill

They took the whole Cherokee nation,
Put us on this reservation.
Took away our ways of life,
The tomahawk, and the bow, and knife.
Took away our native tongue
And taught their English to our young.
And all the beads we made by hand
Are nowadays made in Japan.

Cherokee people, Cherokee tribe,
So proud to live, so proud to die.

They took the whole Indian Nation
Locked us on this reservation.
Though I wear a shirt and tie
I’m still part redman deep inside.

Cherokee people, Cherokee tribe,
So proud to live, so proud to die.

But maybe someday when they learn –
Cherokee nation will return, will return,
will return, will return, will return . . .

Rick Rogan’s excellent illustrated version:

It’s a great day to run.  Let’s go!

The James-Younger Gang

• The James-Younger Gang is probably the most famous of all the outlaw bands.
• Originating out of a Missouri bush-whacking background during the American Civil War, these desperados turned to crime between 1860 – 1882.
• They later expanded into Kentucky, Iowa, Texas, Arkansas, West Virginia, and Kansas.
• They are credited with the first ever daylight, peace-time, armed robbery of a U.S. bank.
• The gang had two core families: The James Brothers (Jesse and Frank) and the Younger Brothers (Cole, Jim, John, and Bob).
• Other brothers came and went, including the Fords (Robert and Charles), McDaniels (William and Tom), Pences (Bud and Donny), Shepards (George and Oliver), and the Wilkersons (Bill and James).
• At various times the gang was also said to contain Thomas Coleman, John Jarrett, Arthur McCoy, Jacob Gregg, Joab Perry, Hobbs Kerry, Jim Anderson, Matthew Nelson, Archie Clement, Allen Parmer, Charles Taylor, Clell Miller, Charlie Pitts, Bill Chadwell, Ben Cooper, and Red Munkers / Munkirs.
• The James and Younger Brothers were excellent horsemen who traded and raced thoroughbreds.
• Although they killed a numbers of people on raids, they were well-educated and could pass as gentlemen.
• The gang gained notoriety for robbing stagecoaches, trains, and banks.
• The Pinkerton Detective Agency was eventually hired to track down the outlaws, but they evaded capture with the support of family and friends.
• A huge reward was offered in the hope that one of their own members would betray the infamous leaders.
• Robert Ford succumbed.  Ford shot Jesse James in the back of the head, in his own home, while he was straightening a picture on the wall.  This murder signaled the end of the James-Younger Gang.

Sources:

Legends Of America, “The James-Younger Gang: Terrorism In The Heartland,” at  http://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-jamesyoungergang.html

HistoryNet, “James-Younger Gang,” at http://www.historynet.com/james-younger-gang

Rosa, Joseph, G. Age of the Gunfighter: Man and Weapons on the Frontier, 1840-1900. Oklahoma: U of Oklahoma P, 1995.

Wikipedia, “James-Younger Gang,” at  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James%E2%80%93Younger_Gang