{"product_id":"the-fourth-guardsman-james-franklin-bud-ledbetter-1852-1937-9781571685667","title":"The Fourth Guardsman: James Franklin \"Bud\" Ledbetter (1852-1937)","description":"\u003ch2\u003eThe Fourth Guardsman: James Franklin \"Bud\" Ledbetter Biography\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\nDuring the 1890s and past the turn of the century, the land of the Five Civilized Tribes (roughly the eastern half of present day Oklahoma, known as the Indian Territory) was a volcanic society ravaged by murder, rape, robbery, whiskey peddling and stock thievery. Into this miasma of crime strode James Franklin Ledbetter as a deputy United States marshal, wielding a Colt revolver and a Winchester rifle with which he could shoot the lobe off a man's ear and never put a mark on his jaw.\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the Author: Glenn Shirley\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\nGlenn Shirley, an award-winning author, is an authority on the American West, especially law and order in the Oklahoma and Indian territories. He has written hundreds of short stories, novelettes, and articles for magazines, journals, and anthologies, and more than two dozen books.\n\n\u003ch2\u003eHistorical Context and Significance\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\nThis biography documents the life of Deputy US Marshal James Franklin \"Bud\" Ledbetter (1852-1937), who served during one of the most dangerous periods in American frontier history. The Indian Territory during the 1890s represented a unique jurisdictional challenge where federal marshals were the primary law enforcement against organized crime and violence.\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat's Inside\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\nLedbetter's story provides insight into the daily challenges faced by federal law enforcement officers in the Indian Territory, including confrontations with criminals, the tools and weapons used for protection, and the broader social conditions that made this region particularly lawless. The narrative covers Ledbetter's career as a deputy marshal and his role in bringing order to the territory that would eventually become eastern Oklahoma.\n\n\u003ch2\u003eBook Details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\nPublished by Eakin Press in paperback format, this historical biography serves as both an individual life story and a window into the broader history of law enforcement in the American Southwest. The book appeals to readers interested in Western history, Oklahoma territorial history, law enforcement history, and biographical accounts of frontier life.","brand":"Eakin Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50681197330706,"sku":"9781571685667","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_6664ae93-fcf8-4e7d-a078-f428ae70e129.jpg?v=1733950253","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-fourth-guardsman-james-franklin-bud-ledbetter-1852-1937-9781571685667","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}