The classic Old West narrative of the chase, trial, and execution of outlaw Henry Plummer and his band of road agents—“Bloodthirstily interesting” (Mark Twain). In the gold rush era of Virginia City, Montana, lawlessness ran amok in the form of gamblers, saloonkeepers, dance hall girls, and road agents—outlaws who ambushed travelers in search of gold. Among the road agents, Henry Plummer was king. His notorious crew terrorized the highways until a group of ordinary citizens decided to take justice into their own hands. In the year 1863, these disgruntled men formed a watch group called the Montana Vigilantes. In less than a month, they pursued, captured, tried, and hanged Plummer’s road agents—including Plummer himself. Their controversial actions, which included hasty trials and quickly arranged executions, were met with equal measures of praise and condemnation. The Vigilantes of Montana is an electrifying tale of the real Wild West, where villains ran astray, citizens exercised justice, and lines were blurred in a mining town too young for legitimate law enforcement. This true eyewitness account comes alive with elements of gold, greed, murder, nostalgia, and romance that will thrill any fan of American history.
