Bloody Bill Longley : The Mythology of a Gunfighter, Second Edition

by ;
Edition: 2nd
Format: Hardcover
Pub. Date: 2011-02-02
Publisher(s): Texas A & M Univ Pr
  • Free Shipping Icon

    This Item Qualifies for Free Shipping!*

    *Excludes marketplace orders.

List Price: $31.45

Rent Book

Select for Price
There was a problem. Please try again later.

New Book

We're Sorry
Sold Out

Used Book

We're Sorry
Sold Out

eBook

We're Sorry
Not Available

How Marketplace Works:

  • This item is offered by an independent seller and not shipped from our warehouse
  • Item details like edition and cover design may differ from our description; see seller's comments before ordering.
  • Sellers much confirm and ship within two business days; otherwise, the order will be cancelled and refunded.
  • Marketplace purchases cannot be returned to eCampus.com. Contact the seller directly for inquiries; if no response within two days, contact customer service.
  • Additional shipping costs apply to Marketplace purchases. Review shipping costs at checkout.

Summary

William Preston #x1C;Bill#x1D; Longley (1851-1878), though born into a strong Christian family, turned bad during Reconstruction in Texas, much like other young boys of that time, including the deadly John Wesley Hardin. He went on a murderous rampage over the last few years of his life, shotgunning Wilson Anderson in retribution for Anderson#x19;s killing of a relative; killing George Thomas in McLennan County; and shooting William #x1C;Lou#x1D; Shroyer in a running gunfight. Longley even killed the Reverend William R. Lay while Lay was milking a cow. Once he was arrested in 1877, and subsequently sentenced to hang, his name became known statewide as an outlaw and a murderer. Through a series of #x1C;autobiographical#x1D; letters written from jail while awaiting the hangman, Longley created and reveled in his self-centered image as a fearsome, deadly gunfighter-the equal, if not the superior, of the vaunted Hardin. Declaring himself the #x1C;worst outlaw#x1D; in Texas, the story that he created became the basis for his historical legacy, unfortunately relied on and repeated over and over by previous biographers, but all wrong. In truth, Bill Longley was not the daring figure that he attempted to paint. Rick Miller#x19;s thorough research shows that he was, instead, a braggart who exaggerated greatly his feats as a gunman. The murders that could be credited to him were generally nothing more than cowardly assassinations. Bloody Bill Longleywas first published in a limited edition in 1996. Miller separates fact from fancy, attempting to prove or disprove Longley#x19;s many claims of bloodshed. Since the time of the first edition, diligent research has located and identified the outlaw#x19;s body, the absence of which was a longstanding myth in itself. This revised edition includes that part of the Longley story, as well as several new items of information that have since come to light.

Table of Contents

Forewordp. v
Introductionp. ix
A Good-Hearted Boyp. 1
These Desperate Scoundrels and Out Lawsp. 14
Murdering, Robbing, and Ravishingp. 25
I Kept on Pumping Leadp. 38
We Set Out in Fine Spiritp. 50
A Man of Low Instinct and Habitsp. 61
The Worst Indianp. 77
Who in the Hell Are You?p. 88
Desperate-Looking Characterp. 101
Shot Him Deadp. 114
Bill Was Still Fightingp. 127
I Will Not Be Capturedp. 136
The Last of ôPea Timeöp. 156
Plenty of Ammunitionp. 168
We Want Himp. 180
The Most Successful Outlawp. 195
I Have Killed a Many Manp. 213
Same Old Rattling Billp. 234
Hanging Is My Favorite Way of Dyingp. 256
Not Upon His Doomed Neckp. 280
Endnotesp. 297
Bibliographyp. 337
Indexp. 351
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

An electronic version of this book is available through VitalSource.

This book is viewable on PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and most smartphones.

By purchasing, you will be able to view this book online, as well as download it, for the chosen number of days.

Digital License

You are licensing a digital product for a set duration. Durations are set forth in the product description, with "Lifetime" typically meaning five (5) years of online access and permanent download to a supported device. All licenses are non-transferable.

More details can be found here.

A downloadable version of this book is available through the eCampus Reader or compatible Adobe readers.

Applications are available on iOS, Android, PC, Mac, and Windows Mobile platforms.

Please view the compatibility matrix prior to purchase.