Buffalo Bill: Last of the Great Scouts

by Helen Cody Wetmore

Buffalo Bill: Last of the Great Scouts is the story of William F. Cody, known to millions for over a century as the legendary Buffalo Bill. Born in a log cabin in Iowa, he was a buffalo hunter, stagecoach driver, Pony Express rider, Civil War soldier, and a scout for the U.S. army before beginning his career as the star of Buffalo Bill's Wild West, which electrified audiences around the world from 1883 to 1917.

This commemorative edition includes the full text of the original 1899 edition, a foreword and afterword by novelist Zane Grey, illustrations by Frederic Remington, E. W. Deming, and Rosa Bonheur from a rare 1903 edition, and an introduction by scholar Joy S. Kasson.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Westerns

296 pages, Hardcover

Published February 1, 1899

Reviews

[Keith Welch]

“I learned afterward that it was accounted one of Will’s great accomplishments as a scout that he was perfectly at home among the frozen waves of the prairie ocean.” p.228

[Lauren Graham]

Although Helen Wetmore's writing style has a poetic feel to it, I still couldn't bring myself to fully enjoy this narrative. The racism is a bit too much for me, but the stories themselves were quite adventurous and mildly informative of the "Wild West."

[Denis Farley]

I found this in a local kiosk library in Baywood, a little community on Estero Bay. I thought it was a children's book, well worn, with mostly primary colors on the paperback cover. As a Pony Express aficionado, I'll peruse just about anything remotely related to the legendary postal service, circa 1860s. I've even read books that questioned William F "Buffalo Bill" Cody's association with the service.

But this was different. First of all it was written by his younger sister in 1899. That would have been at the height of his Wild West Rough Rider's Show, touring internationally and actually taking up residence in European cities. Arguably, he is one of the oldest and most well known American showman, even today. At the time of the publication he may have been the most recognized man on the planet. Imagine taking a veritable circus across the ocean in 1899, and with success, playing to royalty as well.

There are some caveats. The biography was commissioned by Cody and borrowed significantly from earlier writings and that of Cody himself, and he was a consumate promoter. Cody often shared his largess with family, and this ethic was actually what got him started as the family provider at nine years old.

I had known a bit about his adult life, but virtually nothing about his youth and family. This was the most fascinating part of the book, and in marked contrast to the rather negative rap he received in the sixties. Even the Beatles chimed in with the song on the White Album, The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill. Certainly his sobriquet, "Buffalo Bill" is associated with the desolation of the Buffalo, that had roamed this land in the millions and was a staple to the indigene as well as other species, flora and fauna. A shock like that to the web of life is not something to shrug off lightly.

Having said all that, one has to try to understand or to extend some mitigation and extenuation regarding the context of the times. The devil is in the details and there is a lot of gray in the fine print.

Early on the Cody family decided to pick up roots in Iowa and join the gold rush to California in the 1850s. By the time they got across the Missouri River into Eastern Kansas Territory, near his brother's homestead, there were droves of Forty-Niners returning from the rush with negative reports. It was no mean feat, that migration at that time, crossing around fifteen hundred miles over relatively uncharted territory mostly on foot, even with a wagon and in a group or train with as many hostile as friendly tribes to encounter. So Isaac and Mary Cody and family arrived in the Leavenworth area June 1854, and built a seven-room log cabin in Salt Creek Valley, just north of Fort Leavenworth.

Tragedy struck early during a meeting at a general store. Isaac Cody was persuaded to speak where he had declared his opposition to slavery, and allegiance to the abolitionist cause, one of the major political issues of the day. From out of the gathering a pro slavery adherent stepped forward and stabbed Cody with a Bowie knife. He survived for a while but was rendered an invalid and disabled. He was also pursued by the county sheriff and other pro slavery individuals to essentially finish the job. Young Cody was thrust into the role of family provider at nine years old. And therein is the beginning of his storied career.

[Andrew Cody]

Every American should know the story of Buffalo Bill. He is instrumental in our westward expansion (gold and silver rushes, and even how it was possible through the hardships of adjusting to the prairie life and the fight of the "Cowboys and Indians".

He truly was one of our earliest celebrities that presidents and royalty wanted to meet and be entertained by.

Enjoyed the perspective from his sister, who wrote the book.

Some of the stories seemed a little stretched, and reading other sources it is possible they were. But overall a pleasant read.

[Brandy]

This was written by Buffalo Bill's sister with the help of a writer. It was interesting and I liked the antidotes from when he was young but you could tell a lot was exaggerated based on other books I've read.

[Jennifer (not getting notifications)]

My book is copyright 1899.

[Athena Rehorst]

This gave a surprisingly progress view of the treatment of native Americans.

[Andrew Greer]

Quite the folklore as made "fact" by his sister. Great old book sold at Buffalo Bill's Wild West shows in the late 19th century-early 20th century. Still for sale well into the 21st century.

[Doodles McC]

A great retelling of the story of Buffalo Bill and the wild west by his sister in 1899. I enjoyed this embellished biography as a young teen.

[Randall O. Watkins]

This is an enjoyable read, actually the second time I've read it since I found an old 100-year old copy in Casper, Wyoming years ago. I decided to read it again on our trip out west with the kids to the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Montana and Cody, Wyoming. After visiting the huge Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, it is apparent that Colonel William Cody's sister, Helen Cody Wetmore, painted a very one-sided picture of this first western, and by all accounts first global, superstar. She adored her brother greatly and presented all of his positive traits and feats while leaving out much of the sordid trashy details and character flaws about this great American Hero. He was indeed an epic figure (scout, Indian fighter, buffalo hunter, Pony Express Rider, civil war soldier, actor, producer) and did much to present the adventure of the Western Frontier to the entire world. Much of what popular culture believes about the West was probably shaped in large part due to Buffalo Bill. However, he apparently was a very vain, conceited man who cheated on his wife, left her and his kids behind for a large part of their childhood and turned out to have very little scruples when it came to his decision making later in life when he ended up in deep financial difficulty. It turns out that behind the scenes, he was much like the Hollywood actors of today. That's why I only gave this one-sided picture of the man only 3 stars.

Note that I did enjoy the epilogue by Zane Grey that was written after William Cody's death in January of 1917. That's when my copy was published.

[Suzanne]

I really enjoyed this book - loved that his sister respected and loved her brother so much that she wanted to preserve his story. The description of the valley of the Big Horn in Wyoming, makes me want to visit there. And, it was amazing to realize how well respected his Wild West show was.

It was also interesting to hear the description of the Sioux legend of the great flood (p.197-198) and the conclusion that "It shows, as the legends of all races do, that the story of the Deluge is history common to all the world."

I found this Indian legend also interesting on p. 198 "The Great Spirit, they say, once formed a man of clay, and he was placed in the furnace to bake, but he was subjected to the heat too long a tie, and came out burnt. Of him came the negro race. At another trial the Great Spirit feared the second clay man might also burn, and he was not left int he furnace long enough. Of him came the paleface man. The Great Spirit was not in a position to do perfect work, and the third clay man was left in the furnace neither too long nor too short a time; he emerged a masterpiece the ne plus ultra of creation - the noble red man."

[Terena]

Very Informative Book

It is refreshing to read about a hero without sensational events exaggerated. Helen Cody Wetmore paid tribute to her brother by letting us see the thoughtful, kind, tender hearted spirit. His quick wits availed him in many situations.

This takes a hero from a picture in a book and makes him 3 dimensional.

[Trish]

My hubby read this first, and enjoyed it so much he passed it along for me to read. I never knew much about him and really enjoyed this book, written by his sister. She did a great job of telling his story.

[Ruth]

If you enjoy history, you will enjoy this book. It was originally written in 1899, so it will give you a taste of a different era. Read it for what it is, an affectionate biography of a big brother by an adoring little sister.

[John]

Interesting book. Written by his sister so it seems biased in Cody's favor.

This book covered alot more than his frontier exploits.

[Tera Bochik]

Interesting historical read. Written by his loving little sister.