Diamond Six

The astonishing thing about this book is that, in so far as it has been possible to reconstruct them, the events recounted really occurred and all the characters actually lived or died – which frequently meant being shot down in their tracks – in the manner which is pictured here.
The events are those which began when Wesley Smith (the author’s grandfather) left Kentucky in 1844 to escape an unjust murder charge and set about staking out the cattle empire which became down the Diamond Six ranch in Texas. They included bloody skirmishes along the Mexican border, Indian raids, land–grabbing, cattle rustling, active duty with the Texas Rangers, and not a few bushwhacking’s and man-two-man gun battles.
Headed by the gun-slinging Wesley, the cast of characters in this extraordinary family chronicle includes river gamblers, outlaws, cowboys, tough-fibered gentlewomen and a whole passel of Texans — who, taken together with their exploits, make this a truly fascinating book.

(from the book’s dust jacket)
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 58–8109