COLORADO'S UNCOMFORTABLE HISTORY - LYNCHING

When you think of Colorado, you think skiing, mountains, and hiking or driving some remarkably beautiful scenery. However, as I work on my paper for the PPLD Annual History Symposium, this years topic, 'Remarkable Rascals, Despicable Dudes, & Hidden Heroes of the Pikes Peak Region', I ran across the need to research lynching for my despicable dude. While an uncomfortable subject, it became important to the story. You see, the 'Despicable Dude' I'm researching was allegedly almost lynched twice.

It is said that lynching as we know it took its name from from Lynch Law, usually attributed to Charles Lynch of Virginia. There are also those who claim it was William Lynch, also of Virginia, that should be accredited. Either way, there seems to be no evidence that either were responsible for the death of any person they sentenced. Lynch law was considered as imposing extrajudicial punishment.

In Colorado, lynching usually resulted in the death by hanging. In the book "Lynching in Colorado, 1859-1919" by Stephen J. Leonard, the author states there were 175 documented cases where a lynching occurred, although most agree there were more that were not documented.

As seen by this article from the Fairplay Flume Aug 30 1888, lynching was a much used word in the papers and for certain areas of Colorado, a not unusual, although not frequent, occurrence.

"The following special appeared in the Leadville Journal : Glenwood Springs, Aug . 24 .James Riland Sr., well known throughout Colorado, especially in Leadville, was shot through the breast by C . A . Babcock. The cause of the shooting is unknown. Babcock has given himself up . Jamea Riland Jr. has gone to his father's ranch to look after tbe old gentleman . It is said that lynching may follow if the wounds prove fatal."

Or this short notice in the Ft, Collins Courier from April 19, 1888

"A lynching took place at Cheyenne Wells, on Monday, a man named Franklin Baker being the victim. Baker had the day before killed two young men, named J . B . McConnell and John C . Morrison because in looking for land they bad crossed Baker's field contrary to his orders. Baker was hung to a coal chute a short distance from the depot."

A more complete story of lynching appeared in the Colorado Springs Gazette on July 28, 1877

"LYNCHING AT LA VETA . A dispatch from La Veta , dated last Tuesday, says: The jail guard at this place was overpowered last night by a vigilance committee, and Marcus Gonzales, the murderer of the Browns, taken from custody and lynched to a telegraph pole in the public square. The murder, which occurred near this place in November last, was one of the most brutal recorded in the annals of crime, an aged couple being the victims and money the incentive. Gonzales went to the house of the unfortunate family and asked to stay over night, and killed Mr. Brown while he was caring for his horse . Returning to the house the wretch killed Mrs. Brown and left their daughter, Mrs . Rice, for-dead, obtaining the paltry sum of four dollars for his butchery; The murderer escaped to New Mexico, but was hunted down by detectives and brought back here for trial, and upon a preliminary examination was positively identified by Mrs. Rice, who, pointing to Gonzales, said : You are the man who murdered my father and mother and nearly killed me. He was also suspected of several other murders. The lynching took place at 11 pm . About seventy five men participated. They were quiet and orderly but determined ."

The idea of lynching was not wholly accepted by the populace as evidenced by this piece in the Colorado Daily Chieftain from January 22, 1884.

:"The saddest thing about the Ouray lynching is the fact that it made an orphan of a little two year old girl. It is said that the people of Ouray endorse the action of the mob, but we predict that they will soon regret it. That act has placed a stigma upon Ouray which will require many years to outlive and wipe from the memories of law abiding people."

Yet, searching the early newspapers during the time my 'despicable dude' was suppose to be active show no reports of his being threatened with a lynching in the regions he was active in. Colorado has a history of extrajudicial punishment. An author friend had a relative who was 'lynched' in Canon City, Colorado. She has researched and written about the event, including the writing of a song. 

As Colorado went from birth to statehood and beyond, it was paved with many events including lynching. Not pretty, not necessarily something you talk about, but a part of the history.

For those who want to find out more about Lynching in Colorado, the book mentioned above is a place to start. There is also those searchable resources such as 19th Century Newspapers, Newspaper Archives and Colorado Historic Newspapers. 

Doris Gardner-McCraw -

Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History

Member of National League of American Pen Women,

Women Writing the West,

Pikes Peak Posse of the Westerners

Angela Raines - author: Where Love & History Meet

For a list of Angela Raines Books: Here 

Photo and Poem: Click Here 

Angela Raines FaceBook: Click Here

MIND YOUR STATES, AND DATES! by Vonn McKee

When plotting a new story or book idea, one of the western writer’s most important decisions is LOCATION. Will the story take place in the high deserts of Arizona or New Mexico? The Front Range of Colorado? The rolling plains of Wyoming? The geography can dictate the types of characters, weather, architecture, landscape, and historical events you intend to include.

But wait a minute. Is it Arizona you’re writing about . . . or Arizona Territory? Texas . . . or the Republic of Texas? The western “states” straggled into the Union, a few at a time, between the years of 1845 (Texas) and 1959 (Alaska). To make things even more confusing, much of the Midwest and some of the West once lay within the borders of the Louisiana Purchase. As a native Louisianian, I like to rib my Texas and Alaskan friends that my state was biggest, once upon a time. And what do you know? My current home state of Tennessee was once called the Southwest Territory!

The period of American history known as “the Wild West” lasted roughly thirty years . . . from 1865 to 1895. Several western states were admitted to the Union in the very late 1800s: North and South Dakota, Montana, and Washington (1889), Idaho and Wyoming (1890), and Utah (1896). It wasn’t until the 1900s that the United States admitted Oklahoma (1907), New Mexico and Arizona (1912), and Alaska (1959).

Advertisement for anti-slavery meeting

For some states, the journey to statehood came with great difficulty and sacrifice. The Kansas-Nebraska Act which became law on May 30, 1854, established Nebraska Territory and Kansas Territory. The region was attractive to both the slave and free states, where tensions were building to a fever pitch. Settlers from both sides began pouring into Kansas, hoping to swing the vote when Kansas citizens decided where their loyalties lay. When the so-called “Border Ruffians” from Missouri arrived (planning to stuff the ballot boxes with pro-slavery votes), a period of extensive violence began, lasting until 1858. At the end of these “Bleeding Kansas” years, the Wyandotte Constitution was adopted, assuring the anti-slavery status of the future state of Kansas.

Oklahoma is another state with an eventful history leading up to its statehood. Always a Native American stronghold, the U.S. government’s relocation of several tribes to this region created an expansive “Indian Territory” adjoining Oklahoma Territory. The tribes agreed to let the government open up “Unassigned Lands” for settlement in 1899. As discussions of statehood escalated, executive officers of the “Five Civilized Tribes” proposed that Indian Territory be name the new state of “Sequoyah,” separate from Oklahoma Territory. However, the U.S. government ultimately decided to combine both territories and President Teddy Roosevelt signed a proclamation naming “Oklahoma” as the nation’s 46^th state in 1907.

Of course, every state has its own unique and fascinating history. Fiction writers can develop plotlines and characters that correspond with those historic events, making for a more authentic experience for readers. For the research convenience of those writers, here’s a list of all fifty states, along with their dates of admission to the Union, year of first settlement, and former territorial names.

State	Entered Union	Year Settled   Formed from:
Delaware	Dec. 7, 1787	1638                Colony of Delaware
Pennsylvania	Dec. 12, 1787	1682                Proprietary Province of Pennsylvania
New Jersey	Dec. 18, 1787	1660                 Crown Colony of New Jersey
Georgia	Jan. 2, 1788	1733                 Crown Colony of Georgia
Connecticut	Jan. 9, 1788	1634                 Crown Colony of Connecticut
Massachusetts	Feb. 6, 1788	1620                 Crown Colony of Massachusetts Bay
Maryland	Apr. 28, 1788	1634                 Proprietary Province of Maryland
South Carolina	May 23, 1788	1670                 Crown Colony of South Carolina
New Hampshire	June 21, 1788	1623                 Crown Colony of New Hampshire
Virginia	June 25, 1788	1607                 Crown Colony; Dominion of Virginia
New York	July 26, 1788	1614                 Crown Colony of New York
North Carolina	Nov. 21, 1789	1660                 Crown Colony of North Carolina
Rhode Island	May 29, 1790	1636                 Crown Colony of Rhode Island
Vermont	Mar. 4, 1791	1724                 Vermont Republic
Kentucky	June 1, 1792	1774                 Virginia; District of Kentucky (part)
Tennessee	June 1, 1796	1769                 Southwest Territory
Ohio	Mar. 1, 1803	1788                 Northwest Territory (part)
Louisiana	Apr. 30, 1812	1699                 Territory of Orleans
Indiana	Dec. 11, 1816	1733                 Indiana Territory
Mississippi	Dec. 10, 1817	1699                 Mississippi Territory
Illinois	Dec. 3, 1818	1720                 Illinois Territory (part)
Alabama	Dec. 14, 1819	1702                 Alabama Territory
Maine	Mar. 15, 1820	1624                 Massachusetts; District of Maine
Missouri	Aug. 10, 1821	1735                 Missouri Territory (part)
Arkansas	June 15, 1836	1686                 Arkansas Territory
Michigan	Jan. 26, 1837	1668                 Michigan Territory
Florida	Mar. 3, 1845	1565                 Florida Territory
Texas	Dec. 29, 1845	1682                 Republic of Texas
Iowa	Dec. 28, 1846	1788                 Iowa Territory (part)
Wisconsin	May 29, 1848	1766                 Wisconsin Territory (part)
California	Sept. 9, 1850	1769                 Unorganized territory (part); California Republic
Minnesota	May 11, 1858	1805                 Minnesota Territory
Oregon	Feb. 14, 1859	1811                 Oregon Territory (part)
Kansas	Jan. 29, 1861	1727                 Kansas Territory (part)
West Virginia	June 20, 1863	1727                 Virginia (Trans-Allegheny region)
Nevada	Oct. 31, 1864	1849                 Nevada Territory
Nebraska	Mar. 1, 1867	1823                 Nebraska Territory
Colorado	Aug. 1, 1876	1858                 Colorado Territory
North Dakota	Nov. 2, 1889	1812                 Dakota Territory (part)
South Dakota	Nov. 2, 1889	1859                 Dakota Territory (part)
Montana	Nov. 8, 1889	1809                 Montana Territory
Washington	Nov. 11, 1889	1811                 Washington Territory
Idaho	July 3, 1890	1842                 Idaho Territory
Wyoming	July 10, 1890	1834                 Wyoming Territory
Utah	Jan. 4, 1896	1847                 Utah Territory
Oklahoma	Nov. 16, 1907	1889                 Oklahoma Territory & Indian Territory
New Mexico	Jan. 6, 1912	1610                 New Mexico Territory
Arizona	Feb. 14, 1912	1776                 Arizona Territory
Alaska	Jan. 3, 1959	1784                 Territory of Alaska
Hawaii	Aug. 21, 1959	1820                 Territory of Hawaii; Republic of Hawaii;                          Kingdom of Hawai’i

All the best,

VonnMcKee                                                                                          

“Writing the Range”
2015 Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Award Finalist (Short Fiction)
2015 WWA Spur Award Finalist (Short Fiction)

Visit Vonn on FACEBOOK

Website vonnmckee.com

From WOLFPACK PUBLISHING

Now available on Amazon

THE DOCTOR'S BAG

The blog about medical and surgical practice in the Old West

by Keith Souter 

aka CLAY MORE

MORE NOTES ON ARROW WOUNDS

Welcome back to the days of digging out arrows, bullets, mending busted bones and removing tonsils on a well-scrubbed kitchen table. After I complied two years or so of blogs into the book The Doctor's Bag, published by the good folk at Sundown Press, I thought that I had probably said as much as I needed to on the subject. Yet on looking back at some of those articles and the sources I used, I think there is quite a lot more information that writers of westerns and historical novels might find useful.

This month I am revisiting one of the earliest articles that I wrote for The Doctor's Bag. It was entitled Dig It Out, Doc! Part one - Arrow wounds.  It covers the history of arrow wounds from antiquity until the work of Doctor Joseph H. Bill. Of necessity, it merely covered the basics about the treatment of arrow wounds. There is certainly all that the writer needs in the chapter in the book if  he or she needs to deal with such a scene in their novel or story.  In this article I thought I'd look at one or two cases that Joseph Bill used to illustrate his work and also give some of his views about prognosis. 

A contemporary drawing of Bradmore's arrow extractor, from the book, Fair Book of Surgery, c 1450

Doctor Bill was an Assistant Surgeon in the US Army and had great practical experience in the treatment of arrow wounds. He wrote a short treatise entitled Notes on Arrow Wounds published in the American Journal of Medical Sciences, October, 1862.

The writing of such texts has changed considerably over the years. Doctor Bill would give his opinions  about the dangers posed by the different tribes, when discussing the different types of arrows. He writes:

"Before long these wounds will become of unfrequent occurrence, for our Indian tribes are fast being exterminated. We propose, in the first place, as a matter of historical interest, to state in this article that we know of arrow wounds. The subject still presents much of practical interest to the surgeon, and must continue so to do, in a greater or less degree, for the future."

Don't just pull it out!

He gives an account of the way that arrows are made, which he indicates is crucial to understanding the aims of treatment.  He gives this scenario:

"Let us suppose a case to illustrate and explain our meaning. An arrow is shot at a man at a distance of fifty yards. It penetrates his abdomen, and without wounding an intestine or a great vessel, lodges in the body of one of the vertebrae. The arrow is grasped by the shaft by some officious friends, and after a little tagging is pulled out. We said the arrow is pulled out. That was a mistake, it is the shaft only of an arrow that is pulled out. The angular and jagged head has been left buried in the bone to kill - for so it surely will - the victim. The explanation of such mishaps isthmus: the ribbon of tendon which compressed together the slit ends of the end of the arrow, and so clamped the head and the shaft together, had become wetted with the fluids effused in the course of the wound. When wetted, it was, of course, lengthened, and, if lengthened, loosened. It ceased longer to bind together the split sides of the shaft; this and the head were, consequently, very feebly united and readily detached. Experience has abundantly shown, and none know the fact better than the Indians themselves, that any arrow wound of chest or abdomen in which the arrow -head is detached from the shaft and lodged, is mortal. 

From this we conclude that the danger peculiar to all arrow wounds is, that the shaft becoming detached from the head of an implanted arrow, leaves this so deeply embedded a bone that it cannot be withdrawn, and that, remaining, it kills."

So there you have the stark fact. All those novels and movies where the arrow was plucked out and cast aside, had actually consigned the person to death, rather than a short convalescence after whiskey was poured over the wound and it was covered with a pad and bandage.

Laudable pus 

Pus is the white or yellow inflammatory fluid that forms when infection is present. Its colour depends upon its constituents, or which bacteria are present. Surgeons from the days of antiquity talked about 'laudable pus.' They thought that pus was a natural part of the healing process and that it was a necessary nuisance. It was not until the Germ theory  that they realized it was as sign of infection.

One of the oldest surgical maxims is 'Ubi pus, ubi evacuation,' which is Latin for 'where there is pus, let it out.'

Doctor Bill was working in the days before the Germ Theory, but he was aware of the special problems that arrow wounds caused, even after the whole arrow was removed.  He noted that the muscular tissue would contract after removal, distorting the tract of the arrow. Thus, when pus formed, it would lose its natural channel and collect in a pocket within the wound. Effectively it would become an abscess. The next stage was often sepsis, or spread of the infection to the bloodstream, often producing death in days or weeks. 

Poison arrows

Despite the problem of infection, Bill said that some tribes deliberately poisoned their arrows. 

"It is occasionally the practice of some of our Indian tribes to poison their arrows. The plan pursued is this (on the testimony of a Moquis Indian). The liver of some animal is exposed, and a rattlesnake compelled to insert his fang into it. The animal is at once killed, the liver removed, and wrapped up in the skin and buried. After seven or eight days the bundle is dug up, and the arrow-heads dipped in the pulpy and putrescent mass inclosed in the skin. After they are dry they are dipped in blood, again dried, and preserved for us."

Sometimes people did survive chest wounds

This is recorded as CASE V:

A Mexican, name unknown, whilst travelling the road near Fort Defiance, was shot by Navajoes with five arrows, all the arrows injuring the lung, and one of them passing through the upper border of the liver. I saw the man twenty minutes after the accident. The bleeding was most profuse, and the man fainted. Both lungs were wounded, I made the worst possible prognosis, but proceeded to extract the arrows, all of which I  safely removed. After the haemorrhage had ceased, I applied muslin soaked in collodion to each of the wounds, eight in number (some had penetrated right through the chest) and had the patient put to bed, and given  gram of morphia.

The next morning the patient was more comfortable than I had expected. He had been vomiting, and I gave him some acetum spit and acetate of lead, to quiet this and restrain secretion. In the afternoon the man complained of pain the right side, and difficulty in breathing. I removed the dressing from the wound, involving the liver and lung, and broke up some clots whereupon a considerably quantity of mixed fluids were discharged from the wound. These contained bile as I discovered by Pettenkofer's test (a standard test for bile)  . This procedure greatly relieved him, and he expressed himself much better. I ordered the prescriptions of the morning to be repeated.

The next day the patient vomited a considerable quantity of black, decomposed blood, and complained if the frequency of his urination. Urine very dark coloured, sp gravity 1036; urine contained chalice acid and sugar. All medicines ordered to be discontinued. 

After this the patient gradually recovered, all the wounds healing by first intention, except that implicating the liver, and that ceased discharging on the sixth day. In two weeks the man left the hospital, his urine still containing sugar, but no bile. In a few days the lat traces of sugar disappeared from his urine. He recovered completely.

Protection advocated

Doctor Bill felt that more should be done to protect soldiers from arrow wounds. 

"We wish in conclusion to recommend to those in authority the plan for protecting soldiers and others exposed arrow wounds with a slight curios. The Indians have a method of dressing bulls' hide for shields for themselves which renders it arrow proof. A cuirass made of such material, protecting the whole trunk from  before and behind, need not weigh more than eight or ten pounds, and by means of it a soldier could enter an Indian fight with fair chance of escaping death."

___________________

LOVE LETTERS--by Cheryl Pierson

Ah, those wonderful love letters! Don’t we love reading them? I must admit I have an affinity for love letters because of the insights they give us into the past, and the people who lived then.

With Valentine’s Day here and gone recently, and my 39th wedding anniversary just celebrated on the 10th of last month, love letters are something I’ve been thinking about a lot. Probably because of the time of year, but also because, as authors, we have to use letters and notes in our writing to “get the message” across that perhaps our characters might not be able to speak aloud.

My hubby is, like many men, not sentimental. He wouldn’t care if I never got him another Valentine’s Day or anniversary card, but they mean a lot to me—so we exchange them every year. I suspect that, through the years past right down to the present, most men didn’t and don’t make flowery love speeches from their hearts, or even write their innermost thoughts and feelings in cards and letters.

One of the most poignant love letters I know of is the famous letter written by Union Army Major Sullivan Ballou, just before the First Battle of Bull Run in 1861 where he died at the age of 32. Married only 6 years, he left behind two small sons and his wife, Sarah. The letter he wrote to Sarah days before he was killed is one that speaks poignantly of his guilt at having to choose between his duty to country and duty to family. Ken Burns used a shortened version of the letter in his series, The Civil War—and its contents are unforgettable, and so powerful it brings tears to my eyes every time I read it.

In part, it reads:

Sarah, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me to you with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly on with all these chains to the battlefield.

The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when God willing, we might still have lived and loved together and seen our sons grow up to honorable manhood around us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me—perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar—that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not, my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name.

I had to come up with a love letter, of sorts, for my latest novel, Sabrina, part of the 4-book set entitled MAIL ORDER BRIDES FOR SALE: THE REMINGTON SISTERS. Oh, nothing to beautiful as this letter penned by a soldier marching to his inevitable death, but a letter that had to convince Sabrina to leave her wealthy lifestyle in Philadelphia and come West to Indian Territory!

Sabrina and her three older sisters have to have mail-order arrangements in order to get out of the fix they’re in with a step-father who plans to sell them to the highest bidder—and they don’t have much time to do it. When Sabrina receives two proposals on the same day, she counts her lucky stars that she’s able to compare the two letters and has a choice between the two men who have written her—something many women of the day did not have.

She’s safely with the man she’s chosen now, Cameron Fraser, but she’s remembering the day she received the letters and why she made the decision she did. Take a look:

She’d answered ads from both Cameron Fraser and David Mason. Ironically, she’d received offers from both men on the same day. That had been a blessing, as she was able to compare their responses immediately.
Mr. Mason had written one page, in sprawling wide script.

“I have need of a wife to help me raise my four children I was left with after my sainted Amelia passed on last year. Your help will be appreciated. And I will do right by you. I hope you are a willing worker and a good cook. Can you make good cornbread? That is a must in our home…”

She’d opened Mr. Mason’s letter first, and tucked it back into the envelope quickly. She’d hoped she’d managed to keep the revulsion from her face when her oldest sister, Lola, had come hurrying through the door. Lola was five years older, and Sabrina could never manage to keep a secret from her, no matter how she tried.

“Well?” Lola had asked, pinning Sabrina with “the look” that Sabrina dreaded.

“I haven’t read them,” Sabrina said defiantly.

“Bree. You know we have to get out of here—the sooner the better. We don’t have much time.”

Here’s the difference, and why she chose Cam. He wanted her for more than making cornbread!

Lola had turned and left the room, closing the door behind her. That’s how Sabrina knew her oldest sister was angry—or hurt. Maybe both.

She’d sighed, and begun to open the letter from Mr. Cameron Fraser. And before she’d read the entire first page of his two-page missive, she knew her decision was made.

Dear Miss Remington,

Thank you for your very kind response to the ad I placed for a bride. I felt out of place to do such a thing, but your answer made me glad I did so, after all.

I know that Indian Territory may seem uncivilized and wild to a well-bred lady such as yourself, who has grown up in the cultured, genteel society of the East, but I assure you, I will do everything in my power to welcome you. In no time at all, I hope you’ll come to think of the Territory as your home.

My family owns a fairly large cattle ranch in Indian Territory. I wanted to assure you that, although the ranch itself is somewhat isolated, we are close enough to Briartown to travel there frequently for supplies.

You will be safe here, Miss Remington, and cherished. You will be well-treated, and I promise you here and now, I will never raise a hand to you.

If it is your will, and I hope it will be, I am willing to be a good and loving father to any children we may have—and a good and loving husband to you.

The sky here is the bluest you’ve ever seen. The water is the freshest and coldest. And I hope you will come to love the open range as much as we Frasers do.

I await your arrival in Ft. Smith. I will meet you there, where we’ll be legally married in a civil ceremony before we travel together to the ranch. Enclosed, you will find a financial draft for your passage and travel expenses.

Sincerely,

Cameron James Fraser

Something about the underlying feeling of the words Cam had written spoke to Sabrina. That he’d taken time to describe—even briefly—how he felt about his ranch made her know that he cared about her feelings—not just about what skills she might bring to the marriage table.

I see it, too, don’t you? He loves the land and his life, and wants her to share it with him. I wonder if women who were forced to take this route looked for these types of things—I know I would. And Sabrina is a bit of an adventurer, so going to Indian Territory would not hold her back. Adventure awaited!

Have you ever received a love letter that meant the world to you? I’ve had a few in my lifetime, and they’re tucked away in my desk and my heart! If you would like to share, we’d love to hear about your love letters—it’s that time of the year—love is in the air!

Here’s the blurb for MAIL ORDER BRIDES FOR SALE: THE REMINGTON SISTERS–buy link below!

Boxed set of four full length mail order bride novels.

Brought up in the wealth and comfort of Eastern “old money” in staid and proper Philadelphia, the Remington sisters are forced to scatter to the four winds and become mail-order brides. In order to gain a fortune, their sinister step-father, Josiah Bloodworth, has made plans to marry them off in loveless marriages. Time is running out, and no matter what lies ahead in their uncertain futures, it has to be better than the evil they’re running from…

LIZZY: Livia J. Washburn

Elizabeth Remington’s world is turned upside down when she is forced to become a mail-order bride. With her cat, Fulton, Lizzy flees to Alaska—only to discover the man she’s to marry is not who she thought he was! Now, she must protect herself from the biggest danger of all—her own heart. Handsome Flint McKinnon has signed his soul away to her step-father, hasn’t he? He’s chased Lizzy across the continent, but can she believe him when he says he loves her?

BELLE: Jacquie Rogers

Belle Remington must marry someone before the dangerous Neville Fenster catches up with her. She hightails it out of Philadelphia to the wilds of Idaho Territory to become a bootmaker’s bride, but when she arrives in Oreana, she discovers her groom has been murdered! Now, handsome, inebriated rancher Cord Callahan insists on fulfilling the marriage contract himself. Belle is beautiful and smart as a whip. But she has a secret. When Fenster shows up, can Cord protect the woman he wants to love forever?

SABRINA: Cheryl Pierson

Impulsive Sabrina Remington, the youngest, weds a man she knows her family would disapprove of. Though Cameron Fraser’s family owns a ranch in lawless Indian Territory, he’s made his way in the world with a gun, living barely on the right side of the law. With everything on the line as Bloodworth and his henchmen close in, will Cam be able to protect Sabrina from the desperate man who means to kidnap her for his own wicked purposes?

LOLA: Celia Yeary

Sensible Lola Remington, the eldest of the four sisters, must be certain the others are on their way to safety before she can think of fleeing Philadelphia herself. With the help of a local bridal agency, Lola finds the perfect husband for herself—in the wild countryside of Texas. Jack Rains owns a ranch and he’s in need of a bride—and children, of course! But just when Lola starts to believe there might be a future for them, she discovers a hidden letter from another woman…Jack’s first wife.

Mail Order Brides for Sale: The Remington Sisters is available in print and for Kindle at Amazon. Here’s the link!
https://tinyurl.com/y8cmb4m8
PRAIRIE ROSE PUBLICATIONS WEBSITE: https://www.prairierosepublications.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cheryl.pierson.92
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cherokeegirl57

Mail Order Brides for Sale: The Remington Sisters is available in print and for Kindle at Amazon. Here’s the link!
https://tinyurl.com/y8cmb4m8