The true stories of the Wild West heroes who guarded the iconic Wells Fargo stagecoaches and trains, battling colorful thieves, vicious highwaymen, and robbers armed with explosives.The phrase "riding shotgun" was no teenage game to the men who guarded stagecoaches and trains the Western frontier. Armed with sawed-off, double-barreled shotguns and an occasional revolver, these express messengers guarded valuable cargo through lawless terrain. They were tough, fighting men who risked their lives every time they climbed into the front boot of a Concord coach.Boessenecker introduces soon-to-be iconic personalities like "Chips" Hodgkins, an express rider known for his white mule and his ability to outrace his competitors, and Henry Johnson, the first Wells Fargo detective. Their lives weren't just one shootout after another-their encounters with desperadoes were won just as often with quick wits and memorized-by-heart knowledge of the land. The highway robbers also get their due. It wouldn't be a book about the Wild West without Black Bart, the most infamous stagecoach robber of all time, and Butch Cassidy's gang, America's most legendary train robbers.Through the Gold Rush and the early days of delivery with horses and saddlebags, to the heyday of stagecoaches and huge shipments of gold, and finally the rise of the railroad and the robbers who concocted unheard-of schemes to loot trains, Wells Fargo always had courageous men to protect its treasure. Their unforgettable bravery and ingenuity make this book a thrilling read.

IntroductionPart One: The Gold Rush Era1. Wells Fargo's Pioneer Messenger: Pilsbury "Chips" Hodgkins2. The First Wells Fargo Detective: Henry Johnson3. From First Stage Driver to Shotgun Messenger: Henry C. Ward4. Twelve- Gauge Justice: Daniel C. GayPart Two: The Stage Robbery Era5. From Pony Express to Wells Fargo: "Shotgun Jimmy" Brown6. The Rifleman: Steve Venard7. A Shotgun Messenger in Old Montana: John X. Beidler8. "Honest, Faithful & Brave": Eugene Blair9. Chief Special Officer: James B. Hume10. Riverman, Expressman: Andy Hall11. The Man Who Captured Black Bart: Harry N. Morse12. True Grit: Mike Tovey13. Vigilante Vengeance: Buck Montgomery14. Double-Barreled Death: Billy HendricksPart Three: The Train Robbery Era15. "I Ain't Afraid of Any Man": Aaron Y. Ross16. Train Robbers' Nemesis: John N. Thacker17. "Die, Damn You!": J. Ernest Smith18. Shotguns and Dynamite: Charles F. Charles19. "Send a Coffin and a Doctor": Jeff Milton20. Fighting Wages: David TrousdaleEpilogue: A Legacy SquanderedAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex