Matthew Kerns's Blog: The Dime Library, page 7

Colonel William F. Cody by Louis Maurer

One of the most intense episodes in Buffalo Bill’s life occurred in 1876, during his return to the frontier as a scout after the death of his young son.

Shortly after losing Kit Carson Cody and ending his dramatic partnership with his best friend Texas Jack, Bill learned of the tragic fate of his old friend, Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer, and the U.S. 7th Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Custer’s death propelled Buffalo Bill to take up arms again, seeking both revenge and justice. Cody quickly rejoined the U.S. Army as a scout, his sights set on intercepting and battling the Native American forces still resisting U.S. expansion into their lands.

In July of that year, Buffalo Bill engaged in a skirmish with a group of Cheyenne warriors. During this battle, he famously killed and scalped a warrior named Yellow Hair in an act he later called his "First Scalp for Custer." Bill’s dramatic re-enactment of this battle in his later Wild West shows cemented the incident as one of the most iconic moments of his life. Audiences were thrilled by his reenactments, which exaggerated and mythologized frontier violence and heroism, allowing him to transform a personal act of vengeance into a nationally celebrated tale of bravery​​.

The painting above, created by artist Louis Maurer, captures the bold, romanticized spirit of Buffalo Bill as a frontier hero. Maurer, who was the last surviving artist known to have worked for Currier and Ives, created this vivid portrayal of Cody astride a powerful horse, gun raised against a backdrop of plains and Native American figures—a scene straight out of Cody’s own Wild West mythos. This artwork, a prized piece of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s collection, is now up for auction on November 12th.

For more details on the auction, visit the Hindman Auctions page at:

https://hindmanauctions.com/auctions/2060-western-and-contemporary-native-american-art/lot/195

And learn more about Louis Maurer at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Maurer

An Interview With Texas Jack Junior

Straight from the cowboy's mouth, this is the story of Texas Jack Junior's rescue at the hands of Texas Jack Omohundro, straight from an interview with Texas Jack Junior, from the Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Sun News-Pictorial newspaper, October 3, 1890.

TEXAS JACK, THE RESTLESS SPIRIT OF THE PLAINS.

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ROMANTIC COWBOY.

HE LOVED THE OLD LIFE, BUT HE PREFERS THE NEW.

ROMANCE PALES BEFORE COMFORT AND MONEY.

The dream of our boyhood has been dispelled. The flavor of romance thrown around the Mexican cowboy by the novelist, whose words we hung upon in our time, has been dissipated, and we feel inclined to believe more implicitly in the Psalms that all is vanity.

And why? We have interviewed Texas Jack, the restless spirit of the Plains, and he, with one simple sentence, has destroyed all our childish fancies. We had pictured the cowboy, the trapper, and the frontier man as the finest, happiest, and most enviable men who ever lived, free as the winds. We had imagined them. It would be vain to say all our fancy painted them.

But Texas Jack has pulled them down from the picturesque mountain of romance into the uninteresting plains of solid fact, and who is he? Simply enough, and in the midst of all our wild excitement over the contemplation of the possibilities and probabilities of the Strike, and we had got into a train of thought which we fondly hoped would lead us to a satisfactory solution of the problem of the correct relations Capital and Labor should hold to one another.

Right here there was a knock at the door of our room, and through force of habit we said, "Come in," and prepared our thoughts. We were suddenly pulled up by a rich Yankee voice, which said, "I guess this is THE HERALD office. Ain't wrong am I?"

We looked up suddenly, and there standing before us was a middle-aged young man, moderate stature, dark complexion, greyish-blue eyes, long woman's hair, huge sombrero hat, and fantastic garb. Was this Mr. Bland Holt, or was it only a very poor relation? It was neither. It was our boyhood's hero, the Mexican cowboy. He carried no weapons, and his way was very short, as we were comparatively safe.

Mustering up all our journalistic bravado, we inquired, "Well, sir, what's your business; what is your name?" "I'm Texas Jack, the cowboy ranger of the Plains. I am in town with Messrs Hayden, Wilson, and Lyon's Wild West Company, showing at the Exhibition Buildings on Thursday, 9th October, amongst other things in cowboying, showing how I throw the lasso, cut cattle, ride buck-jumping horses, &c."

"Sit down," we said, "and let us make your acquaintance."

Texas Jack sat down and proceeded to explain himself.

"You see," said he, "I am about 25 years of age. I was first discovered amongst a band of Indians in the Indian Territory. I afterwards learned that my parents, with about 30 other families, were massacred by the Indians one night in 1868, while encamped on the bank of a river on their way to the west. In this massacre two little girls and a boy were spared; I was that boy.

I lived amongst the Indians for eight months and then Texas Jack—the original Texas Jack, John B. Omohundro—was commissioned by the Government to rescue me and others. He made the attempt and succeeded. I had no recollection of my name, so I was christened, after my rescue, Texas Jack, Junior.

From that time forward I have lived on the Plains, earning my living by 'cow-punching,' and in the manner of wild border life. Until six years ago I had lived all my life on the plains amongst the cowboys and Indians, and had never seen a city. I became skillful in riding, shooting, and lassoing, and all the accomplishments you have heard described with so much romance by your writers."Mem. -- Jack used the word romance so prettily that we eyed him curiously, and seeing that he word a very long and handsome chain around his neck, we asked him what it was, and whether there was any story attaching to it.

He blushed and said, "I reckon you've hit it this time. That's a horsehair chain which a pretty little Mexican girl worked for me. She--." But he would not go any furhter, so ladies must build the remainder of the story themselves.

Proceeding with his acocunt of himself, Jack said that he had encountered any amount of thrilling adventures that can he carried in his body any amount of gunshots, and that several Indian arrow wounds scarred his flesh, but, he added, "I still preserve my scalp." Looking aside at his luxurious growth of hair, we could not help remarking that this was true, and no mistake.

Six years ago, he continued, he entered the "show" business, and for three or four years ago went to England to perform against Buffalo Bill with "Mexican Joe's Texas Rangers." He returned to America, showed through the country, and now he is here in another land of boundless plain.

Our final question was an unfortunate one, as an answer to it was the upsettle of all our romantic impressions. We said, "How do you like Western life? Do you prefer it to your present experience of civilization?"--"Well," remarked Jack, "while I was in it I liked it. I was a good deal like some Australians I have met here. I thought it was the only life, the only country, in the world, as your Australians think theirs is the only life, the only country, in the world. I did not know any better, and I liked it. Now I know better, and I prefer civilization. I went back to it last summer, but besides being unprofitable, it was a bit too tough. I prefer a nice, well-appointed hotel to a blanket under the moon. You may bet your last dollar I shall not go back to it in a hurry."

A well-appointed hotel preferred to a blanket under the moon! Alas! We sorrowfully shook Jack by the hand as we wished him good luck.

The Ballad of Texas Jack

I’ve always wished there was a song about Texas Jack. He was the first famous cowboy, married the world’s most famous ballerina, and lived a life packed with more adventure than any western book, movie, or TV episode could contain. It seems to me like if the genre of western music exists, Texas Jack should have a song. Well, I finally found one.

Here’s a taste of the ballad that brings Texas Jack’s legend to life:

"Texas Jack riding high over prairies and plain

With his gun at his side and fire in his veins

Out where legends remain and they never turn back

Is the cowboy they call Texas Jack"

The song captures Jack’s daring exploits, from riding alongside Wild Bill Hickok and Buffalo Bill Cody to his love story with Giuseppina Morlacchi, the Italian dancer who stole his heart. It paints a vivid picture of the Old West’s rugged romance, with Texas Jack always standing tall.

But here’s the twist—it wasn’t crafted by a musician or songwriter. This entire song was made with AI.

Here’s How I Did It: AI Magic Behind the Scenes

Instead of writing the song myself, I turned to ChatGPT. I gave the text of my book to provide it with the background of Texas Jack’s legendary life, and it quickly produced lyrics that fit the style of a classic cowboy ballad. After making some small adjustments for rhythm and meter, the lyrical portion of the song was ready to go.

Next, I used Suno AI to create a melody that had that classic Country/Western sound, and MidJourney AI helped me design a visual of Texas Jack to use as cover art. I uploaded the song and the image to YouTube, and just like that, I had a full song about Texas Jack out in the world.

We've Talked About This Before: AI and History

This isn’t the first time I’ve explored how AI can bring history to life. In previous posts, I’ve written about how AI can sharpen old images , animate historic photos, and even help tell historical stories through animated pictures. I’ve used it to create art from text prompts and generate videos from descriptions. AI has become a powerful tool for reimagining history in creative ways.

A Word of Caution

While AI is fun and offers incredible potential for creativity, this is also a reminder that we can’t always trust what we see, hear, watch, or read online. There are multiple AI-generated videos, pictures, and audio clips of the two candidates for President of the United States floating around right now, hoping to either dissuade you from or convince you to vote for the chosen candidate of whoever wrote the AI prompt. Sometimes, that's a historian playing with a song, but sometimes, it's a bad actor from a hostile foreign power. AI-generated content is everywhere now, and it can blur the lines between reality and fiction in ways that might surprise you. Stay curious and creative—but also stay cautious when you’re consuming media online. You never know what might be crafted by an algorithm!

Part 6 - Mountain Men - Jeremiah Johnson: Legends of the Old West

Episode 6 of 6 in a series on the Mountain Men that I wrote for Legends of the Old West.  In this episode, we peel back the layers of myth surrounding John "Liver-Eating" Johnston, revealing the true man behind the infamous name. Despite the tales of Johnston consuming his enemies' livers, the real story, as told by the man himself, paints a far different picture. From his humble beginnings as a New Jersey sailor to his ventures as a mountain man, scout, and lawman, Johnston's life was marked by adventure, resilience, and an enduring ability to adapt to the wild frontier.

Through expert storytelling, the episode follows Johnston's journey across the American West, dispelling the myths popularized by books like Crow Killer and the 1972 film Jeremiah Johnson. You'll hear about his exploits in Montana, his military service during the Civil War, and his post-war adventures in trapping, scouting, and even bootlegging. Johnston's interactions with Native tribes, particularly the Crow, are explored in depth, revealing a man who was far more complex than the legends suggest.

Listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of John Johnston’s real legacy—a man whose life was as rugged as the landscapes he roamed but whose myth was largely shaped by misunderstandings, practical jokes, and a fascination with the brutal side of frontier justice. If you’re interested in the real stories behind the Wild West’s most infamous characters, this is one episode you won’t want to miss. Listen now to "Jeremiah Johnson: The True Story" on your favorite podcast platform.

Available on Spotify:

And Apple Podcasts:

All of the Legends of the Old West podcasts are available at:

https://blackbarrelmedia.com/legends-of-the-old-west/

If you liked this podcast, you might also enjoy my book, Texas Jack: America's First Cowboy Star, available at:

https://amzn.to/3Yp94CV

Part 5 - Mountain Men - Jeremiah Johnson: Legends of the Old West

Episode 5 of 6 in a series on the Mountain Men that I wrote for Legends of the Old West.  In this episode, we delve into the fascinating and brutal legend of Jeremiah Johnson, a figure who has captivated audiences for generations. Known as "Liver-Eating Johnson," he was famed for seeking revenge on the Crow tribe after the brutal murder of his Flathead wife. The story, immortalized in the 1972 film starring Robert Redford, paints Johnson as a relentless avenger, systematically killing and consuming the livers of his enemies to honor his oath. But how much of this tale is true?

Through meticulous storytelling, the episode unravels the origins of the legend, drawing from historical accounts and popular fiction. The truth is revealed to be much more complicated than the myth, with sources like Raymond Thorp and Robert Bunker’s Crow Killer contributing to the creation of a frontier hero whose story was largely crafted from secondhand accounts and embellished oral traditions.

Listeners will hear not just the gripping tale of Johnson’s vendetta but also the deeper truth behind the man who inspired it: John Johnston, a real mountain man whose life was intertwined with survival, vengeance, and the rugged wilderness of the American West. If you're intrigued by the intersection of fact and folklore, or if you’ve ever wondered where legend ends and history begins, this episode is a must-listen.

Listen now to "Jeremiah Johnson: Myth and Legend" on your favorite podcast platform.

Available on Spotify:

And Apple Podcasts:

All of the Legends of the Old West podcasts are available at:

https://blackbarrelmedia.com/legends-of-the-old-west/

If you liked this podcast, you might also enjoy my book, Texas Jack: America's First Cowboy Star, available at:

https://amzn.to/3ZWGha0

Legends & Lore Episode 37 - Texas Jack

I recently came across a podcast episode that caught my attention, and I think you’ll enjoy it too. The show is called Legends & Lore, and in their 37th episode, hosts Mike Parker and Sarah Caldwell take a deep dive into the life of Texas Jack Omohundro—yep, the same Texas Jack I wrote about in Texas Jack: America’s First Cowboy Star. Give it a listen and see what you think:

Now for the rub. That's not a real podcast. In fact, those aren't even real people. The podcast—script, voices, image, and all—was created by AI. I did nothing other than upload a PDF of my book and let the AI run. I gave it no guidance at all.Creating this AI-generated podcast was an intriguing process that revealed the impressive—and sometimes unsettling—capabilities of modern technology. Using Google's NotebookLM AI, the system analyzed the source material of Texas Jack: America’s First Cowboy Star, which I wrote. It scanned through the PDF of my book, extracting key themes, historical details, and narrative elements. The AI didn’t just summarize the material but crafted a script based on those details, designing it to sound like a human narrative, as if it were a podcast written, recorded, and produced by real people.

After generating the script, the next step was to turn it into something that sounds like actual human voices. The AI used advanced text-to-speech technology, trained on enormous datasets of human speech, to create a lifelike narration. It didn’t just spit out words but modulated tone, pitch, and pace in ways that mimic real emotions and conversational flow. The AI-generated voice could add pauses, emphasize certain points, and create a sense of personality, all without a single human voice actor being involved.I asked a different AI to create an image of two podcasters and to give them and their podcast a name. I slapped the image and the audio together, and that's the video you saw above.

So here’s something I want to ask you: As you listen, can you tell this isn’t real people talking? If you found this podcast on platforms like Spotify or Apple Podcasts, would you be able to suspect that it was entirely created by AI? This is where things get interesting. The line between human and machine-made content is becoming so thin that it’s almost indistinguishable at times.

And here’s where I think we all need to be cautious. It’s one thing when you can notice AI around you, but it’s another thing—potentially even more unnerving—when you stop noticing it. When AI becomes so convincing that you can no longer tell the difference between something created by humans and something created by a machine, we’re in a new territory altogether. The question is, how will we deal with a world where it’s increasingly difficult to separate the two?

Part 4 - Mountain Men - Hugh Glass: Legends of the Old West

Episode 4 of 6 in a series on the Mountain Men that I wrote for Legends of the Old West.  If you’ve seen the Oscar-winning movie The Revenant starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass, you may think you know his story. But what happened after he survived the brutal bear attack, crawled hundreds of miles, and sought revenge is a saga all its own. The incredible survival of Hugh Glass wasn’t just about defying death once—it was about a life spent on the edge of civilization, pushing into the most dangerous and uncharted territories of the American frontier.

In this episode of Legends of the Old West, Hugh Glass: That Reckless Breed Of Men, we dive deep into the lesser-known chapters of Hugh Glass’s life after his famous encounter with the grizzly bear. From his failed attempt at revenge on the men who left him for dead to his ventures along the Santa Fe Trail, Glass continued to chart paths through hostile lands, enduring the challenges of the wild. But even after reclaiming his gun and his pride, Glass’s story was far from over. He would go on to survive deadly encounters with Native American warriors, and his legendary status as a mountain man would grow with every challenge he faced.

Join us as we explore the untold stories of Hugh Glass, a man whose resilience and sheer willpower made him one of the most iconic figures of the American West. Through triumph, heartbreak, and relentless survival, Glass’s journey is one that will leave you questioning how much one person can endure and still keep going.

Listen now to "Hugh Glass: That Reckless Breed Of Men" on your favorite podcast platform.

Available on Spotify:

And Apple Podcasts:

All of the Legends of the Old West podcasts are available at:

https://blackbarrelmedia.com/legends-of-the-old-west/

If you liked this podcast, you might also enjoy my book, Texas Jack: America's First Cowboy Star, available at:

https://amzn.to/4gMosAx

Part 3 - Mountain Men - Hugh Glass: Legends of the Old West

Episode 3 of 6 in a series on the Mountain Men that I wrote for Legends of the Old West.  In this gripping episode of Legends of the Old West, we join Hugh Glass, a seasoned frontiersman whose life was marked by extraordinary tales of survival. The story begins in the heat of the summer of 1823, as Glass, part of the Ashley-Henry Fur Company, faces both the aftermath of the Arikara attack and the rugged wilderness of the Missouri River basin. As a man of immense endurance, Glass defies orders and heads out to scout for game with his comrades. It’s during this scouting mission that Glass encounters a massive grizzly bear, leading to one of the most infamous survival stories in American frontier history.

When the bear viciously attacks Glass, his body is left a mangled wreck, with shattered bones, torn skin, and exposed intestines. Despite his grave injuries, Glass’s sheer will to live is unmatched. His companions, believing he won’t survive, reluctantly leave him behind with only a rough shelter. But Glass refuses to give in. He fights off infection, scavenges for food, and even uses maggots to clean his wounds. His determination drives him to crawl and drag himself across the wilderness, surviving on buffalo meat and water, all while pushing toward the safety of Fort Kiowa—200 miles away.

Finally, after weeks of agonizing progress, Glass reaches Fort Kiowa, only to find his journey for revenge has just begun. Betrayed by two men who abandoned him, John Fitzgerald and Jim Bridger, Glass’s ultimate goal is to confront them. His remarkable journey of survival, fueled by both his fierce resolve and desire for justice, makes Glass a legend and inspires tales, poems, and films, such as The Revenant.

Listen now to "Hugh Glass: The Grizzly Bear" on your favorite podcast platform.

Available on Spotify:

And Apple Podcasts:

All of the Legends of the Old West podcasts are available at:

https://blackbarrelmedia.com/legends-of-the-old-west/

If you liked this podcast, you might also enjoy my book, Texas Jack: America's First Cowboy Star, available at:

https://amzn.to/4gwTBId

Part 2 - Mountain Men - Jedediah Smith: Legends of the Old West

Episode 2 of 6 in a series on the Mountain Men that I wrote for Legends of the Old West.  In this episode, we embark on a thrilling expedition through the untamed American frontier with Jedediah Smith, one of the most daring mountain men of the Old West. This episode plunges you into the early 19th century as Smith leads a band of fur trappers across uncharted territories. From being the first recorded white men to traverse Wyoming's South Pass—a vital gateway through the Rocky Mountains—to surviving a brutal grizzly bear attack, Smith's journey is a relentless testament to courage and resilience.

As the narrative unfolds, tension escalates when Smith splits his party, and his comrade Jim Clyman's group goes missing after a tense encounter with the Shoshone tribe. The suspense heightens with battles against the Arikara warriors and the ever-looming threats from rival fur companies like the powerful Hudson Bay Company. Smith's strategic mind shines as he navigates not only the perilous landscapes but also the complex web of alliances and rivalries that define the fur trade era.

The adventure reaches new heights as Smith ventures into the vast expanses of the West, becoming the first American to journey overland to California. Defying orders and overcoming insurmountable odds, he and his men cross the scorching Mojave Desert and the treacherous Sierra Nevada mountains. Each step is fraught with danger—from deadly ambushes by hostile tribes to the unforgiving forces of nature—all testing the limits of their endurance and determination.

This episode is not just a tale of survival but a vivid chronicle of exploration and the relentless pursuit of the unknown. It paints a captivating picture of Jedediah Smith's indomitable spirit and his significant, yet often overlooked, contributions to America's westward expansion. Immerse yourself in this riveting historical saga and experience the raw excitement of the Old West as you follow Smith's epic journeys across a continent on the brink of transformation.

Listen now to "Jedediah Smith: Making History" on your favorite podcast platform.

Available on Spotify:

And Apple Podcasts:

All of the Legends of the Old West podcasts are available at:

https://blackbarrelmedia.com/legends-of-the-old-west/

If you liked this podcast, you might also enjoy my book, Texas Jack: America's First Cowboy Star, available at:

https://amzn.to/4eLmDCj

More Fun With AI

I've written in the past about how AI can help bring the past alive by helping sharpen old images, by animating historic photographs, using those animated photos to tell historic stories, and even by creating pictures based on text prompts.

Here's the next generation of AI creation - text prompts to create videos. The technology is in its infancy, but you can see just how powerful it can be in the examples below. I'll walk you through the process I used to make a short video.First, I uploaded this picture of Texas Jack to ChatGPT and asked it to describe him. This picture has previously been both sharpened and colorized using a combination of AI and manual work in Photoshop.

ChatGPT responded: "The person is a young man, appearing to be in his mid-20s, with a lean but sturdy build and slightly curly, medium-length dark brown hair. His complexion is light with a warm undertone, and he has a neatly groomed, subtle mustache and goatee. His eyes are expressive, dark brown, and slightly intense but kind, framed by naturally arched eyebrows. He is wearing a slightly worn, tan-brown shirt, buttoned at the front, giving him a rugged, outdoorsy look. On his head, he wears a wide-brimmed white hat, a common accessory of cowboys or frontier men. His attire and appearance suggest a historical or Western setting, perhaps from the late 19th century or early 20th century, with his shirt looking dusty and lived-in, as if he's spent time working or traveling outdoors. His expression is calm but confident, with a hint of curiosity in his gaze."Not bad, ChatGPT. I think it did a pretty good job describing Jack.Next, I took that exact description, word for word, and asked an AI called hailuoai to turn it into a video. I didn't give hailuoai the original picture of Texas Jack, just the description that ChatGPT pulled from the picture. Hailuoai used that description to create the following short video.

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If they did a movie about Texas Jack next week, and this was the actor they cast, I don't think I'd be too upset.

I did the same for photographs of some of the most prominent people in Texas Jack's life, like his wife Giuseppina Morlacchi:

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His best friend and trail & business partner Buffalo Bill Cody:

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Their mentor and stage pal Wild Bill Hickok:

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And dime-novelist, rabble-rouser, and playwright Ned Buntline

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Remember, in each case, the video creation algorithm didn't actually see the picture, just a description of the photograph from a different AI. It's amazing technology, and in the right hands, it can bring history alive in ways that were hard to imagine until recently.While the possibilities of AI-generated video are exciting and can enhance how we engage with history and storytelling, we must also recognize the potential hazards that come with this technology. As AI becomes more adept at creating lifelike images and videos based solely on text prompts, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. In the wrong hands, these tools could be used to distort historical narratives, create convincing deepfakes, or spread misinformation with ease.

This is why it's now more important than ever to approach what we see on the internet with a healthy dose of skepticism. The ability to generate convincing visuals with little more than a prompt means that we, as consumers of information, need to be more vigilant about verifying sources and questioning the authenticity of what we encounter online. While AI offers incredible opportunities for creative exploration, we must balance this potential with a commitment to truth, ensuring that technology enhances our understanding of the world rather than distorting it.