Cowboys, Mountain Men, and Grizzly Bears: Fifty of the Grittiest Moments in the History of the Wild West

by Matthew P. Mayo

The romance of the West is built on an endless armature of shootouts and train robberies, cowboys versus Indians, white hat versus black, and everybody versus the wilderness. From John Colter's harrowing escape from the Blackfeet to Hugh Glass' six-week crawl to civilization after a grizzly attack, from Custer's final moments to John Wesley Powell's treacherous run through the rapids of the Grand Canyon, Cowboys, Mountain Men, and Grizzly Bears takes the top 50 wildest episodes in the region's history and presents them to the listener in one convenient, narrative-driven package.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Westerns, American History, Historical, Adventure, Audiobook

Audible Audio

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Matthew P. Mayo is the award-winning author of thirty-plus books and dozens more short stories. His novel, Stranded: A Story of Frontier Survival, won the prestigious Western Heritage Wrangler Award for Outstanding Western Novel by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, as well as the Spur Award for Best Western Juvenile Fiction by the Western Writers of America, the Peacemaker Award for Best YA Novel by Western Fictioneers, and the Willa Literary Award for Best Historical Fiction by Women Writing the West. His novel, Tucker’s Reckoning, won the Spur Award for Best Western Novel, and his short stories have been Spur Award and Peacemaker Award finalists.

He has been an on-screen expert for a popular TV series about lost treasure in the American West, and is an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.

Matthew and his wife, photographer and videographer Jennifer Smith-Mayo, along with their indefatigable pup, Miss Tess, run Gritty Press (www.GrittyPress.com) and live in the deepest, forested wildlands of Maine. When they’re not battling belligerent bigfoots and foiling the filching ways of hordes of gray squirrels, they rove the byways of North America in search of hot coffee, tasty whiskey, and high adventure. Be sure to rummage at Matthew’s website (www.MatthewMayo.com) for updates about spurious projects, outrageous outings, and a few surprises, too….

Reviews

[Judy Evenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect book to read in a CORONAVIRUS pandemic. We think we have troubles (and we do) this book from the Wild West, 1800-1900 through 50 short stories of actual events assures you that others have been through worse and most survived!

[Jaryn Mcneil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very racist but in an informative way

[Seth Bartos · Rating 4 out of 5]

The short stories were tough to follow at the beginning, as many started in the middle of dialogue with five new characters. However, when you read about botched hangings, a man defending himself from three bears with a dangling, half-severed arm, and another man surviving five gunshot wounds, a pinning with arrows, and a scalping before crawling for miles, it makes the tomato soup stain on your white shirt feel like much less of a bummer.

[Steve Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! What an enjoyable read! Great stories of a bygone era! A valuable find in a world of books that this book touches on! Good stuff and I would highly recommend!!!

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Important exposé on the murderous activity of the criminal organization known as the Mormon church. A must-read for anyone interested in learning about the most potent threats facing America today.

[Fletch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the chronological order of the stories and the breadth of coverage. I was left wanting to learn more of each of the short stories.

[Forrest · Rating 2 out of 5]

These are stories based in fact, but are obviously peppered with a lot of fiction.  The author, known for his fictional writings acknowledges in the beginning of the book that he took "poetic liberties" in writing these accounts. While the book is very entertaining, there is no need to sensationalize history. I would offer that caution should be taken in assuming the factuality of the contents, particularly many details and dialogue. 

For example, the detailed actions of a fur trapper who was alone at the time that he was brutally murdered and butchered by Black Foot Indians and discovered days later by other trappers could not have been known aside from the evidences offered from the mangled corpses of he and his horse.  Yet the author describes the event and the actions of everyone involved as though it had been retold in detail by a very observant witness. 

The Mandan O-Kee-Pa cutting ceremony was one particularly brutal native ceremony witnessed by painter and explorer George Catlin (by invitation of the tribe)  who memorialized the event in a painting while it occurred. 


Mountain Meadows Massacre

I found some errors in the author's rendition of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. I've studied the subject at length and have visited the site multiple times.  There is no question this massacre by the hands of certain Mormon settlers and Paiute Indians was one of the most egregious and unforgivable crimes committed against innocent men, women,  and children in U.S. history.
However, Brigham Young and the Mormon church had no part in ordering the massacre.  The attack was ordered by a corrupt area authority (stake president)  in Cedar City.  Militia Major John D. Lee, one of those who oversaw the attack, was eventually executed.  A letter sent by Brigham Young (after his council was sought)  ordering the Mormon settlers "not to meddle" with the wagon trains and allow them to pass through in peace arrived too late after the butchery had already taken place.  All those involved in the massacre ABSOLUTELY should have been hung.  Unfortunately,  justice was never fully carried out.

The author falsely claims that babies were included among those murdered.  While some suffered injury, none under the age of 8 were killed.
Dialogue between wagon train members just prior to the massacre is likely the author's own imagination since nobody who survived the atrocity could have recalled these conversations.

He also claims that girls among the wagon train were raped and mutilated for their jewelry.  The rapes are attributed to rumor. I found no evidence that any such thing occurred. 

[Ben Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good set of stories!

[DocHolidavid · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some stories, especially history tales, are the makings of bad, or at least disheartening, endings. In all fairness, being a man of The West, even raised a cowboy, I was excited to read these fearsome tales of my homeland. I didn’t realize reading of one miserable grizzly incident right after another could be so unappealing.

In his enthusiasm for the American West, and with the same title in mind, Mayo could have penned a goodly number of western yarns with inspiring culminations. Unfortunately, he strung together 50 discouraging ones in disjointed prose.

There is some good threads in this book. Still, what makes some of these stories so interesting is the circumstances and interaction of the characters – much of which the author takes “significant license.”

I was disappointed.

[Steven J Dodd]

Having enjoyed a handful of books related to the early exploration of the West, I was interested in a change to a short stories format. The challenges faced, and often enough overcome, by early explorers and settlers can be fascinating. Perhaps I didn’t read the reviews carefully enough; certainly didn’t read the chapter titles. Virtually every story ends in failure, and often death or disfiguration. You would have to believe that the west was never settled or all who tried lived a miserable life. The ceaseless gore is trite and the simplified image of the author’s favorite villains, grizzly bears or a twisted human being, wore this reader down.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

If'n you're a fan of old west history, or thinking of giving it a try, this book is a gem. Fifty short stories of the "grittiest" old west. You will find many stories that have full length books on the subject, so you can add quite a bit to your "Want To Read" list. Unfortunately for me, I have already read books on a bunch of these stories, but I still found a couple new subjects with books to read. Most stories in this book are only about 2 to 3 pages each. Very short but still fun to read. If I hadn't already read books on a lot of these subjects I may have given this book 5 stars. A great read. Keep in mind, by "grittiest" they mean violent. For the most part.

[Laura Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was some language that while time period appropriate, felt hard to listen to out loud (listened to audiobook). My impression was that not a lot of care was taken to use correct terms for different people at points in the book, but all in all a well researched and fascinating collection of short biographies. I’m so thankful to not be living in those times.

[Weston Wheeler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written- fast paced and engaging, but the author takes some serious liberties with the truth here, or just flat out doesn't have his facts straight.

[Elwin Kline · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I liked it." - 3 out of 5 stars.

My biggest issue with this book is that it is a collection of short stories. For me as a reader, this is just poor timing as I deeply desire depth for my reading experiences at this stage of where I am it for the genre. If I was in the mood or new to the genre, I may have rated this higher. For me it is really hit or miss with short story collections, and this one unfortunately falls into the later category with just leaving me wanting more, with right as the getting gets good... a cliff drop occurs and then I am starting over again in a new place with new characters.

But I still gave it 3 stars, even though the write-up above seems probably mostly negative? Yes. Because there are a lot of really compelling stories in here that were actually damn good to say the least. Buffalos (aka American Bison) getting cliff dropped by Native Americans, more grizzly bear stories than you can shake a stick at (that were all well written), white-men running for their lives barefoot on sharp stones and prickly pears while Blackfoot Indians in pursuit, and so much more.

One particular highlight would be, imagine yourself in this horror story: Your task is to herd a flock of sheep through Indian territory. If the terrain, elements, wildlife, and everything else against the odds to survive back then wasn't hard enough, the tribe that controls this particular area is the stuff of nightmares. You'd beg for a quick death from an arrow instead of being captured, scalped, tortured, used a play-toy for young warriors to test their bravery, or just simply hacked into pieces on the spot, literally, this is not a figure of speech.

As good as these stories sound, which they are, the delivery vehicle of short stories by this book just really is a shame. I just wanted more and then a good thing just ended too quickly.

If you are okay with getting all fired up and then getting hit with cold water, you may rate this higher. If you are like me, 3 is probably fair with the quality of these stories, despite being too short for comfort.

[Michael Franko · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Cowboys, Mountain Men & Grizzly Bears” is a collection of “Fifty of the Grittiest Moments in the History of the Wild West”. Most stories are no more than 4 pages, which makes for a very action packed read. From grizzly bear attacks to train robberies and even several cowboy shootouts, the wide variety of stories included in the book are very entertaining to say the least. For me, I often felt like I was watching scenes out of old western movies while reading many of these stories. The descriptive writing and dialogue added to each story may bend the truth of each event a tad, but it is harmless and allows for the reader to feel like they are a part of whatever crazy story that is being retold by Matthew P. Mayo.

The Wild West and it’s history has always been something that has interested me, and I don’t think there is a better/more fun way to learn about it than to indulge in reading these fifty mad stories.


Favorite Stories:

1)Frisco Fusillade
2)The Toughest of Men
3)Don’t make him angry
4)Aces and Eights
5) Steady, Teddy!


Favorite Moment:

In The Toughest of Men, after Captain Jedediah Smith’s right hand man Jim Clyman is instructed to sew the captain’s scalp back on (the result of a grizzly bear attack), Clyman says to Smith, ”Wouldn’t you like a taste of the whiskey, Captain? Might help the pain.” Smith then responds, “Thank you, no. You know I don’t drink liquor, Eli. But you go ahead if it’ll make you feel better.”

[Wallace Rinquest · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this book has great stories and doesn't really come across as preachy by any real means. It tells about both the trama received to Native Americans by the U.S. and the truth behind some of the more arcane and brutal Customs/practices of the natives as they would be known to scalp people alive (scalping a person is when you take a knife and cut off the flesh and with it the hair from the top of someones head). The fact is that nether the U.S. or the native tribes where any more moral than the other and that these acts were most that of bad individuals ordering/doing bad things which would result in others getting hurt for their acts. This book also has cool stories about big animals and guys with big names taking each-other on and sometimes the bear is the one who came out on top. The only problem I had with this book was some of the unwanted details that could have just been left to interpretation, not the gore, as an American I will gladly read about a guy losing his scalp without any problem but the add on on how Natives would often treat captured Women and children could have been glossed over, not that I think it should be treated like those thing never happened by Native hands, they did but I mostly came here for the "conflict" part that the book entails. Over all a good book as long as the right audience is hearing the right story.

[Paul Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of short accounts from the frontier days of the American West. Most of these stories I had at least heard of but this book fills in much detail and color.

"It was hours before the warriors had killed all the crippled and maimed buffalo lying in writhing piles at the base of the jump. The women had begun right away butchering the animals at the outer edges. This had been a large herd and the hunters made sure that every member had been driven over the edge and killed. If even one escaped it would join another heard and the knowledge of this place and what it was used for would taint that heard."

"In 1847, barely three years after they were left in the care of the Whitmans, the seven Sager orphans became unintentional participants in the Whitman Massacre. The orphans watched as their adoptive parents were shot and hacked to death. The two Sager boys, John and Francis, were among the dozen whites killed by angry members of the Cayuse tribe. ... Catherine, Elizabeth, Matilda, and little Roseanna all survived, though they were taken captive and became victims of malnourishment and sexual abuse. Their freedom was secured a short time later through a trade for hard goods, including blankets, clothing, guns and tobacco. The surviving sisters went on to marry and raise families, and each wrote about her experiences along the Oregon Trail."

[Carlie Duquette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to DNF this… not because it’s not good, but because the injustices were horrific. I reflected on that and determined that education on the harsh realities of frontier life—and the violence inflicted on Indigenous peoples, animals, and even settlers—is necessary.

Cowboys, Mountain Men, and Grizzly Bears isn’t a romanticized western. It’s a raw, often disturbing collection of true stories that show just how brutal the American West really was. Some parts were fascinating, others were gut-wrenching, but all of it made me think deeply about the cost of expansion and mythmaking.

If you’re looking for something gritty and honest that doesn’t shy away from the dark parts of history, this is worth reading. Just be prepared—it’s not a light or easy ride.

[Candida · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. I bought it for the library and as I was cataloging it I read all about this book. The contents alone sold me I just knew I had to check it out. As you read through these short stories they bring home the reality of the hardships in the frontier days. Rabies was a life threatening problem. An animal could come out of nowhere and bite you and you were doomed to suffer a horrible death. We just don't think of things like that. There are a lot of stories of bear attacks and the author points out how dense the population was in those days. The book is well written and in no way dry it a fun book.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the stories are short, easy to read, and interesting (yes, the grizzly bear stories do get repetitive). I liked that there was a balance of stories from different perspectives - we hear about both white and Native massacres, for instance, and about a handful of female and Black historical figures. But there is a ton of casual racism in the language regarding the Native Americans: squaw and noble savage kind of stuff. And, as a historian of the West, I winced at some of the assumptions and leaps of logic the author made. If you read these as historical fiction, they're fine, but if you're interested in the real history, use these as a jumping-off point to do more research.

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mayo's writing plunges the reader into the true wild west where cowboys drive cattle, grizzly bears hide in the brush, and the world unfurls in a wild, untamed expanse. Mayo prepares the reader with a few facts before delving into a narrative story based on true events recovered from diaries, newspapers, and oral accounts of life in the Old West. His accounts place you in the time and place of these happening and revives a bygone age in stellar color and feeling.

A warning to readers: This book can get very bloody. While I appreciate the honesty and value the historical accuracy, a warning at the start of the book might have been nice.

[David Kingery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some stories are written in a very jumbled manner leaving your head spinning. However, the overarching theme shows just how brave the men before us were during the westward expansion and grew my desire to learn more about the men who developed are country. Even as recent as 150 years ago men were facing unbelievable odds and taking huge risks for the wealth of their generations to come, our modern generation should take note.

At a point the stories almost become so violent and gruesome, you may feel a break is necessary, I believe this shows the true hardship that was endured in order for the west to become civilized

[Keren · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are true stories or at least they're storified versions of reported accounts, so I'm that they are interesting and worthwhile. The author makes multiple attempts to place the racism and colonialism in a negative light and to justify, or at least explain, retaliatory violence visited upon white settlers and former enslavers. I'm not sure it's always successful, particularly in stories where the "characters" refer to these people by the problematic names of that time.

[Jacob Schall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can confirm that this is a great book to read while crossing Montana by rail. It helps that the author lives there, so there is a bias towards the big sky country. The vignettes incited me towards further research into the historical characters and settings. It would have been extra neat if there were more stories from the indigenous point of view, but overall, the author was excellent at choosing stories from a diverse and deep pool of research.

[Jordan Dossett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not big on anthologies, but I have to say this was perfect bite-size stories filled with adventure and detail. I know it’s not a long review but in my “non-spoiler” style I can say each story was captivating. I grew up with the old West. My grandmother loved Louis l’Amour and love to watch country shows and movies on TV so this was a bit of homage to that. I think she would’ve really enjoyed this book.

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mayo compiled a riveting series of tales about the old west from the fur trappers in the 18th century to the dawn of the 20th.

My only complaint about the work was it did feel slightly disjointed as Mayo jumps from story to story. Regardless, it was an exciting book and I recommend it to anyone interested in the old west.

[Tommy Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fantastic and fun book I enjoyed every second of it. I would say as a warning before reading that this book is not historically accurate. Every story is written in first person and about a true historical event but the majority of commentary is fictional. It is still a thrilling book that shows how brutal the pioneer life was.

[Harry Richards · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting tales and it furthered my knowledge on a subject I've been trying to find out more on. However it's written like it's a non fiction book and I didn't find the factual stories mixing well with the authors 'fictional' dialogue for these famous characters. Kind of felt like it was rewriting what happened.The big grizzly encounters were the best!

[Gregg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well researched and very interesting. This book takes the romanticism out of the old west. Some of these are well known and it is difficult to discern the order of the stories—west to east? Alphabetical? Genre? Chronological? 3 stars.

[John Geddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gets pretty gross, but it’s a fun read and full on interesting snapshots of the old west. The author does take a ‘just the facts’ approach to pioneer/native conflict and addresses atrocities from both sides.