The second William Penn

In Short

This book is a collection of reminiscences by W. H. Ryus detailing his experiences as a stagecoach driver and trader along the Santa Fe Trail during the turbulent 1860s. It chronicles dangerous journeys across vast plains, violent clashes between settlers and Native American tribes, and the complex personalities of freighters, soldiers, and chiefs. The book has lasted because it offers a rare, ground-level perspective of the Western frontier, challenging conventional depictions of Indigenous peoples and highlighting the diplomacy required to survive the trail.

The Story

The narrative opens in the early 1860s on the perilous Santa Fe Trail, an unexplored territory where ox-drawn freight caravans and Concord stagecoaches face constant danger from the elements and native tribes. Early accounts illustrate the tragic consequences of refusing hospitality to starving Indians, leading to devastating events like the Nine Mile Ridge massacre. Against this backdrop of hostility, shaped by the shadow of the Chivington massacre, individuals carve out lives and forge unusual alliances.

The narrative progresses through encounters with historical figures, traders, and frontier characters. We witness John Powers navigating familial rejection to marry the daughter of the Cheyenne chief Old One Eye, and Colonel A. G. Boone earning the deep enmity of an Indiana congressman by reforming his dissipated son through kindness and responsibility. The book shifts across varied landscapes—from the treacherous mud of the Red River, where government patent office books are repurposed as an impromptu bridge, to the toll roads carved into the Raton Mountains by Uncle Dick Wooten.

Midway through, the text details high-stakes logistical runs, such as hauling an old black satchel containing fifty-two thousand dollars in cash from Lucien Maxwell’s ranch without express guards, protected only by a loyal Ute watcher. Personal altercations and disputes over property flare up, exemplified by Joe Dillon's botched trade of seven thousand sheep and Billy Ryus's clever evasion of an exorbitant bridge toll.

The journey continues northward and eastward, touching on Civil War alarms, including General Price's Confederate raid and the chaotic stampedes of frightened militia units near Westport. Accounts of fierce winter cold reveal travelers freezing inside coaches while crossing the desolate two-hundred-and-forty-mile stretch between Fort Larned and Fort Lyon. Toward the end, the narrative records organized wagon trains under Thomas Fields and skirmishes involving warriors like Little Robe, before closing with quiet reflections on the ruins of the Pecos church and the transformation of the old trail by the railroad.

How It Unfolds

• The voyage begins: The narrative establishes the severe hardships and constant danger of traveling the Santa Fe Trail by Concord stagecoach and ox-drawn caravan.
• Tragic refusals: A wagon boss's refusal to share food with hungry Indians triggers a disastrous massacre at Nine Mile Ridge, setting a hostile tone for the frontier.
• Cross-cultural ties: John Powers marries the daughter of a Cheyenne chief, eventually introducing his educated bride to his reluctant family.
• Clashes of authority: Colonel Boone reforms a congressman's wayward son, sparking intense jealousy and bitterness from the boy's father.
• Mountain engineering: Uncle Dick Wooten blasts rock at the Devil's Gate to build a successful toll road across the Raton Mountains.
• High-stakes cargo: Lucien Maxwell entrusts a stagecoach driver with fifty-two thousand dollars hidden beneath mail sacks and buffalo robes.
• Winter extremes: A freezing January journey across the plains leaves a passenger severely frostbitten despite heavy buffalo robes.
• Diverted ownership: Billy Ryus outwits a horse trader and a toll keeper to secure a massive flock of sheep heading toward Montana.
• The final stretch: The book concludes with coordinated wagon train rules, recollections of skirmishes with Little Robe, and the quiet desolation of the old Pecos church ruins.

The People

• W. H. (Little Billy) Ryus: A resourceful stagecoach driver and trader who wins the confidence of native tribes by sharing rations and showing respect, earning the moniker the "Second William Penn."
• John Powers: A pragmatic wagon boss who marries the daughter of the Cheyenne chief Old One Eye and successfully bridges two vastly different cultural worlds.
• Colonel A. G. Boone: An upright and trusted Indian Agent who transforms a congressman's wayward son into an honorable citizen, drawing fierce jealousy in return.
• Judge Wright: An influential congressman from Indiana whose gratitude toward Colonel Boone turns into an unquenchable flame of bitterness and resentment when his son chooses to stay.
• Uncle Dick Wooten: A man of considerable forethought who builds a profitable toll road through the Raton Mountains, managing difficult terrain and diverse travelers.
• Lucien Maxwell: A prominent rancher and Ute agency head who entrusts massive sums of money to informal delivery systems backed by loyal native friends.

In Its Own Voice

The author of this book had a real and exceptional knowledge of Indian character and Indian traits, and his genuine tact in trading and treating with them, and the success which he had in sustaining friendly relations with them was one of the wonders of the West...

Colonel Milton Moore describes the exceptional diplomatic skill that earned the author his famous title.

In all the different books I have ever read, I have never seen one word of praise for any courtesy the Indians gave us during those frontier days, but instead I find nothing but abuse.

The author reflects on the persistent bias in contemporary literature regarding native populations.

"Do you mean to come here and make a proposition for me to build you a hiding place to put your stolen Indian goods in, over my name and signature?"

Bob Lambert angrily rejects a corrupt proposition from Macauley regarding withheld Indian annuities.

What It's Really About

The book explores the complex dynamics of cross-cultural contact, trust, and hostility on the American frontier. It questions the prevailing nineteenth-century narrative that demonized Native Americans, arguing instead that mutual respect, shared provisions, and fair treatment yielded peace, while dishonesty and brutality invited bloodshed. The text examines how institutional corruption—such as the theft of Indian annuities—disrupted peaceful relations and forced desperate retaliation. Beneath the episodic plot lies a defense of the indigenous inhabitants' right to protect their lands, contrasting the sensationalized accounts of eastern newspapers with the pragmatic reality experienced by those living and working along the trail.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in authentic frontier history, western expansion, and the realities of stagecoach travel will find this book deeply compelling. It feels immediate and unvarnished, presenting raw reminiscences straight from someone who lived through the era rather than a romanticized retrospective.

At the same time, modern readers must approach the text with an awareness of its historical limitations. The book contains nineteenth-century vernacular, period-specific attitudes toward race and conflict, and occasional rough dialect that reflect its 1913 publication date and the turbulent 1860s setting. While some sections move at an episodic pace, the underlying voice is remarkably candid, offering a rare window into a misunderstood chapter of American history. What stays with you is the striking image of the western plains—not merely as a theater of war, but as a shared space where basic human decency, a shared meal, or a lack of understanding could mean the difference between life and death.

What aspects of the Old West frontier interest you the most?