Brendan and Buck

The photo is of Brendan Wayne, grandson of John Wayne, and actor artist Buck Taylor, of Gunsmoke and Tombstone fame, among others.

Mouth of Caddo

The photo at right is at the premier of Mouth of Caddo, a prospectus for the The Legend of Hell's Gate, a western based upon the story of the naming of Hell's Gate at Possum Kingdom Lake, Texas. Left is Tanner Beard, producer and actor in the film. Next to him is actor and artist Buck Taylor, best known as Newly in the TV series Gunsmoke. Following is Brendan Wayne, grandson of John Wayne, also in the movie. Finally, Olympic gold medalist, actor and stuntman Dean Smith, who also appeared in 11 John Wayne movies.

In researching this story, I discovered that Texas, during the post-Civil War era, was probably as dangerous then as say Afghanistan is today. Comanches, Kiowas, renegades ... and no military protection. Having lost the war, southern armies were disbanded, pending the arrival of Union troops. Meanwhile, Indian raids continued, having increased during the war. That's part of what this story is about ... an unsettled and dangerous time. As an aside, consider that areas around the sprawling Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, inhabited by millions, were once the locations of Comanche and Kiowa raids - very, very dangerous.