Cas City Forum Hall & CAS-L
Regional Topics => Chinook Country => Topic started by: PJ Hardtack on June 28, 2011, 02:24:30 PM
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Just finished reading "The Cowboy Cavalry' by Tolton - Wow! What a story about a significant event and times in Canadian history. If it was an American account, there'd be no end of movies about it.
Ever wonder where Grant "Rattlesnake Jack" got his alias? There are several bios of RMR, Boulton's and Steele's Scouts in the book. What surprised me was the number of Americans that volunteered and served! All received the medal struck for the campaign. Grant, no doubt, has one of them; at least a repro.
Being an Calgarian by birth, I just may pick a new alias from the book. Lord knows I've got the guns ..... but I could use a '76 and then there's that Spencer I've always wanted .....
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I think you are lucky to have this book;
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=1160501754&searchurl=sts%3Dt%26tn%3DCowboy%2BCavalry%26x%3D42%26y%3D7
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I'm reading his book now, very interesting. Last month I attended a function where the author talked about his book and I had my copy signed by the author. I now have all 3 of his books.
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In addition to "Cowboy Cavalry", I also have Tolton's "Prairie Warships", the story of Middleton's fiasco of a campaign using paddle wheeler steamships for transport and supply. The Metis must still be laughing .....
The captains, pilots and boatmen of these steamers were recruited by the Brits for their Nile expedition, a tribute to their navigational abilities on shallow waters.
Tolton also authored "Rocky Mountain Rangers" and "The Buffalo Legacy", books I've yet to acquire.
I rank Tolton in the same league as Pierre Berton, making Canadian history enjoyable and readable. I keep hoping that a Canadian film maker like Paul Gross ("Passchendaele" and "Gunless") will make a movie based on one of his books. But securing money for a film with a Canadian theme is difficult. It's a credit to Paul Gross that he did it - twice.
If you want some western history from across the Rockies, look for a copy of Donald Hauka's "McGowan's War", the little known story of an American "filibuster" by the name of Ned McGowan. Ned wanted to incite an insurrection amongst the mainly ex-pat Americans in the Fraser Canyon during the 1858 Gold Rush.
It was the presence and quick action of the Royal Engineers and Royal Marines that stopped this from getting off the ground and preventing annexation of the Colony through the incursion of US troops "to protect US citizens". Again - the stuff of movies.
Looks like this thread needs to be moved to the books & movies page .....
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PJ; I have MCGOWAN'S WAR and published a summary/book report in The SHOOTIST. Hauka did a TV special on the Canyon War, or `Sniders War`. I am waiting for the book. There is a lot of BC goldrush history that is ingnored, and it is so important in shaping our history.