Western Wilds by J. H. Beadle

Pictured (photo) is the gilt-stamped elaborately decorated pictorial cover of the 624 page edition of “Western Wilds and the Men Who Redeem Them,” by J. H. Beadle a western correspondent. Published in 1878 (copyright 1877) by Jones Brothers & Company, the book recounts “seven years of travel and adventure in the far west; wild life in Arizona; perils of the plains; life in the canon and death on the desert; thrilling scenes and romantic incidents in the lives of western pioneers; adventures among the red and white savages of the west; a full account of the mountain meadow massacre; the Custer defeat; life and death of Brigham Young, etc.”

Illustrated throughout with wood engravings, the undoubted highlight of the book is a double page folding lithographed map (photo, below) titled “Aboriginal America.” It shows the location of major Indian tribes from east to west coast. Beadle was born in 1840 and died in 1897. He wrote for one and maybe more eastern publications and authored several books in addition to Western Wilds. Not much information is available online about the author; however, he spawned controversy over his articles and books that attacked Brigham Young and Mormonism in Utah. The author’s Preface addresses this criticism but states that the object of the book was “truth.”

Western Wilds includes a fascinating section on Custer, with detailed information about Custer’s background, and the massacre at Little Big Horn. While some of the author’s facts may still be in dispute, Beadle’s writing style is fluid and extremely entertaining. The last sentence in Beadle’s Preface reads: “As to the interest in the narrative—kind reader, excuse me; I touch your hand, and without further apology introduce you to My Book.” Who could resist?