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The Banditti of the Plains: Or The Cattlemen's Invasion of Wyoming in 1892
"The book is written in a free, flowing journalistic style, but with a pen dipped in gall. It does not mince words … [and] is a timely contribution to the history of the West. That it recites the facts of a deep and damning crime detracts not the least from its value." - Denver Daily News
The Banditti of the Plains, first published in 1894 is an eyewitness exposé of Wyoming's Johnson County range war of the early 1890s.
The conflict between cattlemen and small homesteaders, began when cattle companies ruthlessly persecuted supposed cattle-rustlers in Wyoming.
As tensions mounted between the large ranchers and the smaller settlers, the cattlemen hired armed gunmen to invade Johnson County and destroy the competition for the limited supply of forage and water.
As the fighting spread, the homesteaders and smaller ranchers, as well as the state lawmen, formed a posse of 200 men to oppose them.
The fighting ended when the U.S. Cavalry, on the orders of President Benjamin Harrison, relieved the two opposing forces took the cattlemen and hired guns into protective custody.
Subsequent legal (and illegal) maneuvering permitted the invaders to go unpunished, but the cattlemen never again resorted to violence in their effort to control Wyoming's rangeland.
Asa Shinn Mercer (June 6, 1839 – August 10, 1917) was the first president of the Territorial University of Washington and a member of the Washington State Senate. He is remembered primarily for his role in three milestones of the old American West: the founding of the University of Washington, the Mercer Girls, and the Johnson County War. Mercer became well known throughout the West as a publisher, and eventually found his way to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he published the Northwestern Livestock Journal, a public relations vehicle for the moneyed cattle interests. As Mercer came to see the clearly underhanded treatment of individual ranchers by the cartels, he began to write more scathing accounts of the events that were unfolding on the open range. His account is told in his book The Banditti of the Plains (1894), which was suppressed in its day, and is still difficult to find in public libraries in some parts of the Western U.S. Following the events of the Johnson County War, which included destruction of his newspaper office by arson, Mercer settled into the quiet life of a successful rancher in Hyattville, Wyoming, where he died in 1917.
The Banditti of the Plains, first published in 1894 is an eyewitness exposé of Wyoming's Johnson County range war of the early 1890s.
The conflict between cattlemen and small homesteaders, began when cattle companies ruthlessly persecuted supposed cattle-rustlers in Wyoming.
As tensions mounted between the large ranchers and the smaller settlers, the cattlemen hired armed gunmen to invade Johnson County and destroy the competition for the limited supply of forage and water.
As the fighting spread, the homesteaders and smaller ranchers, as well as the state lawmen, formed a posse of 200 men to oppose them.
The fighting ended when the U.S. Cavalry, on the orders of President Benjamin Harrison, relieved the two opposing forces took the cattlemen and hired guns into protective custody.
Subsequent legal (and illegal) maneuvering permitted the invaders to go unpunished, but the cattlemen never again resorted to violence in their effort to control Wyoming's rangeland.
Asa Shinn Mercer (June 6, 1839 – August 10, 1917) was the first president of the Territorial University of Washington and a member of the Washington State Senate. He is remembered primarily for his role in three milestones of the old American West: the founding of the University of Washington, the Mercer Girls, and the Johnson County War. Mercer became well known throughout the West as a publisher, and eventually found his way to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he published the Northwestern Livestock Journal, a public relations vehicle for the moneyed cattle interests. As Mercer came to see the clearly underhanded treatment of individual ranchers by the cartels, he began to write more scathing accounts of the events that were unfolding on the open range. His account is told in his book The Banditti of the Plains (1894), which was suppressed in its day, and is still difficult to find in public libraries in some parts of the Western U.S. Following the events of the Johnson County War, which included destruction of his newspaper office by arson, Mercer settled into the quiet life of a successful rancher in Hyattville, Wyoming, where he died in 1917.
127 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 1896
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About the author
Asa Shinn Mercer
6 books1 followerFirst president of the Territorial University of Washington and a member of the Washington State Senate.
He is remembered primarily for his role in three milestones of the old American West: the founding of the University of Washington, the Mercer Girls, and the Johnson County War.
He is remembered primarily for his role in three milestones of the old American West: the founding of the University of Washington, the Mercer Girls, and the Johnson County War.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 30, 2017
First of all, "Banditti" is another word for bandits.
I''m on a journey to read a book representing each of the 50 states, and when this popped up for Wyoming, I thought it sounded really interesting. Instead of being a retelling of a period of history, it's a telling using actual words of those involved with the Powder River Invasion.
One extremely together man kept a daylong diary recording what was happening as a mob outside his cabin made attempt after attempt to kill him. There's a very long written confession from one of the gunmen, newspaper articles, telegrams, and orders from those in government.
It is interesting but editing some of it out would have improved the reading.
Before settlers moved into the state with their troublesome fences, cattle of all brands grazed through harsh winters on hundreds of miles of grasslands running north-south in the state. Those fences trapped the cattle in the north during blizzards; they piled up on each other at those fences and died there.
Cattle owners included the high ranking and rich, These powerful men thought out a plan to rid Wyoming of settlers, or as they called them "rustlers". Men were hired from Texas to shoot, hang and run out these unwanted small ranchers. A newspaper carried the headline "Wipe Them Out."
They did kill some people, shooting them in the back, hanging a woman who was clearly innocent but who owned cattle given to her by men who may have stolen some of them. This book tells the story of the conflict between the two groups, how the settlers fought back against great odds, and the changes made to the state's position of who was welcome there.
Although the cattlemen were murderers and the settlers not, I still felt the author went too far in making the good guys very good, and the bad, very bad. History but with an editorial leaning.
I''m on a journey to read a book representing each of the 50 states, and when this popped up for Wyoming, I thought it sounded really interesting. Instead of being a retelling of a period of history, it's a telling using actual words of those involved with the Powder River Invasion.
One extremely together man kept a daylong diary recording what was happening as a mob outside his cabin made attempt after attempt to kill him. There's a very long written confession from one of the gunmen, newspaper articles, telegrams, and orders from those in government.
It is interesting but editing some of it out would have improved the reading.
Before settlers moved into the state with their troublesome fences, cattle of all brands grazed through harsh winters on hundreds of miles of grasslands running north-south in the state. Those fences trapped the cattle in the north during blizzards; they piled up on each other at those fences and died there.
Cattle owners included the high ranking and rich, These powerful men thought out a plan to rid Wyoming of settlers, or as they called them "rustlers". Men were hired from Texas to shoot, hang and run out these unwanted small ranchers. A newspaper carried the headline "Wipe Them Out."
They did kill some people, shooting them in the back, hanging a woman who was clearly innocent but who owned cattle given to her by men who may have stolen some of them. This book tells the story of the conflict between the two groups, how the settlers fought back against great odds, and the changes made to the state's position of who was welcome there.
Although the cattlemen were murderers and the settlers not, I still felt the author went too far in making the good guys very good, and the bad, very bad. History but with an editorial leaning.
July 21, 2019
History is best when told through the eyes of one who was there, and “The Banditti of the Plains” by Asa Shinn Mercer definitely qualifies. Mercer was the publisher of the Northwestern Livestock Journal, giving him a perfect spot to view the Johnson County War in the late 19th century.
Don’t be put off by the strong bias of the author. His words reflect the journalistic world of that time, and even though he is decidedly on the side of the Wyoming settlers, Mercer backs up his statements with facts based upon written communications, documents of law, and confessions and eyewitness accounts. Mercer’s description of the cattle owners and their hired guns constantly reinforce his feelings, as well as the mood of the Wyoming settlers: “cowardly shooting,” “…the enemies of true progress,” cut-throats and hired assassins…” are just a few of the author’s observations.
The author sets up the story by explaining why the cattle owners felt the settlers were introducing difficulties into their established cattle businesses. Mercer then continues with the different methods the owners employed, eventually resulting in the murders of Wyoming citizens. The author doesn’t pull any punches, and readers are rewarded with a compelling tale of what happened during this short period in time.
I had never heard of this book and stumbled across it while perusing different history offerings in the Amazon “stacks.” Rather than just a simple listing of A.S. Mercer’s thoughts, this book is well-researched and his knowledge of the situation is unquestionable. Excellent read for those interested in history. Five stars.
Don’t be put off by the strong bias of the author. His words reflect the journalistic world of that time, and even though he is decidedly on the side of the Wyoming settlers, Mercer backs up his statements with facts based upon written communications, documents of law, and confessions and eyewitness accounts. Mercer’s description of the cattle owners and their hired guns constantly reinforce his feelings, as well as the mood of the Wyoming settlers: “cowardly shooting,” “…the enemies of true progress,” cut-throats and hired assassins…” are just a few of the author’s observations.
The author sets up the story by explaining why the cattle owners felt the settlers were introducing difficulties into their established cattle businesses. Mercer then continues with the different methods the owners employed, eventually resulting in the murders of Wyoming citizens. The author doesn’t pull any punches, and readers are rewarded with a compelling tale of what happened during this short period in time.
I had never heard of this book and stumbled across it while perusing different history offerings in the Amazon “stacks.” Rather than just a simple listing of A.S. Mercer’s thoughts, this book is well-researched and his knowledge of the situation is unquestionable. Excellent read for those interested in history. Five stars.
June 30, 2018
Disclaimer: I read this for a challenge fulfillment, and wasn't super interested in the subject matter. If you really want to learn about the Johnson County war, read this. I thought it was pretty well-written and I liked that it included multiple accounts from different perspectives. It was fairly short, but could have cut down even more without all the name-dropping. No one, except perhaps a historian of the area will care about or remember all the names stated in rapid succession. Don't need them.
I did find it more interesting than I thought I would. I knew next-to-nothing about this particular war, even though I live about 30 minutes away from Johnson County. The most striking part of the book was the account written by a man trapped in a house surrounded by cattlemen who were going to kill him. I think this could be rewritten as a novel and actually be really interesting. Maybe someone will pick this up for a television miniseries like Hatfields and McCoys.
Another thing I think is interesting just about this time period, is while this was going on, the World Fair was being planned, built, and attended in Chicago, competing for attendees with Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show.
I did find it more interesting than I thought I would. I knew next-to-nothing about this particular war, even though I live about 30 minutes away from Johnson County. The most striking part of the book was the account written by a man trapped in a house surrounded by cattlemen who were going to kill him. I think this could be rewritten as a novel and actually be really interesting. Maybe someone will pick this up for a television miniseries like Hatfields and McCoys.
Another thing I think is interesting just about this time period, is while this was going on, the World Fair was being planned, built, and attended in Chicago, competing for attendees with Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show.
June 18, 2017
An early account of tensions among cattle barons and local ranchers of northern Wyoming, written soon after the event. From a historical perspective, this is a great find. It is a little choppy to follow, but it is not a long book so it is worth the effort.
August 24, 2023
Published only two years after the climax of the Johnson County War, this book is a rare probe into the events that marked Wyoming's lasting scar of infamy.
January 30, 2013
I was a little disappointed in this one. I knew going in that it was a reprint of an old publication written by Mercer to draw attention to the excesses perpetrated by the cattlemen "invaders" during the Johnson County War. As such, there is no attempt on the part of the writer to be objective but he makes it clear from the outset that objectivity was not his goal in bringing the salient points about the range war to light. In the first place, I don't see how the series of contacts could be properly termed a range war, as all the aggression was on the part of the invaders, any armed initiative on the part of the grangers or "rustlers" being conducted as armed posses under the direction of a law enforcement officer, but I digress...let me get back on track here.
To begin with, the cattlemen made sure their ducks were in a row with the compliance of the governor and the military, then sent off to Texas for several dozen hired guns. The intent of the operation was to get rid of the homesteaders, farmers and small ranchers who had legally filed for land on range the ranchers thought should be left free for their cattle. The plan was to hang a few, shoot a few, and run the rest off. A hit list was drawn up, with the Sheriff and deputies of Johnson county scheduled to be among the first to be lynched.
Things went well for the invaders at first. A couple of kidnappings and lynchings were virtually unopposed and it looked like it would be an easy task to terrorize their way right through the county. The cattlemen showed their true colours when they lynched Cattle Kate, a woman of questionable repute who allegedly traded sexual favours to the cowboys for cattle. The sizeable herd of cows in her pasture were proof of her dedication to her profession, but the ranchers chose to accept the presence of the beef as evidence of rustling. Consequently, Kate and her paramour, unable to withstand the 25 to 1 odds against them, were duly strung up and the mercenaries proceeded to the humble cabin of my hero, Nate Champion.
Now Nate was not a man to be trifled with. Earlier four gunmen had kicked in his cabin door and fired at him from the doorway, only to be repulsed by a fusillade from Champion's revolvers. The would-be assassins had fled, leaving behind horses, personal equipment, and a considerable quantity of blood. This time, the Texans intended to make no mistake, surrounding the cabin and pouring in a withering fire, with Champion responding from the cabin. He held them off for hours, until the invaders managed to light the cabin (shades of Waco!) and riddle Champion when he ran out to escape the flames. Champion's heroic defence of the cabin (while he nursed a dying comrade and made notes in a journal undoubtedly saved many lives as the commotion was witnessed and the alarm was raised. An armed posse rode out to intercept the invaders, who holed up in a nearby ranch. The cavalry was summoned by the governor and rode out just in time to save the bad guys. Come on - they're rich, remember...you didn't think they were going to lose, did you?
The remainder of the book details the frustrations encountered when the courts attempted to deal with the captured invaders, and the machinations on the part of the ranchers to ensure that the courts heard no testimony. It's not a bad read, although the foreword is too long and I could have done without the rambling confession of one of the assassins which was attached as an appendix. While reading the book I couldn't get Goldsmith's old adage out of my head, as it seemed appropriate to the case: " Law grinds the poor, and rich men rule the law
To begin with, the cattlemen made sure their ducks were in a row with the compliance of the governor and the military, then sent off to Texas for several dozen hired guns. The intent of the operation was to get rid of the homesteaders, farmers and small ranchers who had legally filed for land on range the ranchers thought should be left free for their cattle. The plan was to hang a few, shoot a few, and run the rest off. A hit list was drawn up, with the Sheriff and deputies of Johnson county scheduled to be among the first to be lynched.
Things went well for the invaders at first. A couple of kidnappings and lynchings were virtually unopposed and it looked like it would be an easy task to terrorize their way right through the county. The cattlemen showed their true colours when they lynched Cattle Kate, a woman of questionable repute who allegedly traded sexual favours to the cowboys for cattle. The sizeable herd of cows in her pasture were proof of her dedication to her profession, but the ranchers chose to accept the presence of the beef as evidence of rustling. Consequently, Kate and her paramour, unable to withstand the 25 to 1 odds against them, were duly strung up and the mercenaries proceeded to the humble cabin of my hero, Nate Champion.
Now Nate was not a man to be trifled with. Earlier four gunmen had kicked in his cabin door and fired at him from the doorway, only to be repulsed by a fusillade from Champion's revolvers. The would-be assassins had fled, leaving behind horses, personal equipment, and a considerable quantity of blood. This time, the Texans intended to make no mistake, surrounding the cabin and pouring in a withering fire, with Champion responding from the cabin. He held them off for hours, until the invaders managed to light the cabin (shades of Waco!) and riddle Champion when he ran out to escape the flames. Champion's heroic defence of the cabin (while he nursed a dying comrade and made notes in a journal undoubtedly saved many lives as the commotion was witnessed and the alarm was raised. An armed posse rode out to intercept the invaders, who holed up in a nearby ranch. The cavalry was summoned by the governor and rode out just in time to save the bad guys. Come on - they're rich, remember...you didn't think they were going to lose, did you?
The remainder of the book details the frustrations encountered when the courts attempted to deal with the captured invaders, and the machinations on the part of the ranchers to ensure that the courts heard no testimony. It's not a bad read, although the foreword is too long and I could have done without the rambling confession of one of the assassins which was attached as an appendix. While reading the book I couldn't get Goldsmith's old adage out of my head, as it seemed appropriate to the case: " Law grinds the poor, and rich men rule the law
February 16, 2024
Settings/locations: [Wyoming: Carbon County, Sweetwater; Newcastle, Powder River, Buffalo (Muddy Creek), Casper, Fort Fetterman, K.C. Ranch, T.A. Ranch, Crazy Woman Creek, Grabing, Fort McKinney, Cheyenne, Fort D.A. Russell; Counties: Weston, Natrona, Converse, Johnson; Douglas, Glenrock, Crawford, Chadron, Laramie; Idaho: Seventy Nine Mine, Silver City in Owyhee County, Boise City, Caldwell, Nampa]
May 1, 2014
This book could have told the whole story in 20 pages. But I appreciate that the author gave as many accounts as possible. So if it actually was concisely written it would have been a mad page turner. As it turns out, not so much.
February 17, 2009
In this volume, Mr. Mercer tells it as it really is in the Wyoming frontier country, a scary place to be if the Wyoming Cattleman are against you!
October 21, 2021
A boring book
It is a history of the rancher vs train company big wigs. Interesting historical viewpoint from the ranchers point of view
It is a history of the rancher vs train company big wigs. Interesting historical viewpoint from the ranchers point of view
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews