John Wesley Hardin – författare

In an era and an area notable for badmen and gunslingers, John Wesley Hardin was perhaps the most notorious. Considered by many of his contemporaries to be almost illiterate, he nevertheless left for publication after his death in 1895 this autobiography, which, though biased, is remarkably accurate and readable.Hardin was born in 1853 in Bonham, Texas, the son of a Methodist preacher. His first brush with the law came at the age of fifteen when he killed a Negro during an altercation typical of the strife-torn Reconstruction era. In the ten years between his first killing in 1868 and his final capture and imprisonment, he killed more than a score of men in personal combat and became the ""most wanted"" fugitive of his time.

Hero or Villain? John Wesley Hardin, aka “Young Seven Up”, “Little Arkansas”, “Wes Clemmons” and “J. H. Swain”, was a notorious outlaw and gunfighter who killed his first man at age 15 in 1868 and, according to himself, went on to kill over 40 more by the time he was sent to prison at age 25. He served 16 years of a 25 year sentence before being pardoned. During the Reconstruction Era in Texas, many folks considered him a hero for standing up to the Federal Army of occupation and the State Police, many of whom were former slaves. Others say he was a cold-blooded murderer who killed more for personal reasons and minor disagreements than any other cause. He supposedly shot and killed a man for simply snoring too loud. He always had a reason to justify his killing. He once said, “I never killed a man who didn’t need killin!’” This book contains the story of his life and escapades in his own words. Read it and judge for yourself.

The Pergamum Collection publishes books history has long forgotten. We transcribe books by hand that are now hard to find and out of print.