“Always drink upstream from the herd.”
That was the advice of just one of hundreds of anonymous cowboys of the 19th century. While many of us are familiar with romanticized cowboys such as those played by John Wayne and Clint Eastwood in western films, many of us do not know much about the real cowboys, what their lives were like on and off the cattle drive tails or what they even did. This series aims to enlighten those who do not know much about the real cowboys.
These films tended to make the lone and nameless cowboy an unsung hero willing to do whatever it takes for good to triumph over evil. Other common western themes revolved around settlers’ struggles against the native Indian population, land controversies, the hunt for gold and hunting down outlaws, to name only a few. Somehow the heroic cowboy is involved in all of these problems.
But is this how cowboys actually lived? While it might make an entertaining story, it bears little to no resemblance to how the real cowboys lived and worked.
Hi, I found your blog on this new directory of WordPress Blogs at blackhatbootcamp.com/listofwordpressblogs. I dont know how your blog came up, must have been a typo, i duno. Anyways, I just clicked it and here I am. Your blog looks good. Have a nice day. James.
Hi Alex,
Found you blog from Alex Rose’s and I’ve added it to the blogroll of my two blogs.
See both:
http://wigwags.wordpress.com
Military history, 19th century, Civil War focus
http://texasjack.wordpress.com
Western American history focus.
I’m a grad student in military history and have been using Wig-Wags in much the same way you are using your blog. Great way to keep things organized.
Keep up the great work and good luck in your studies.
Rene