I just finished this book titled "Tom Tobin: Frontiersman" by James E. Perkins. I received the book yesterday and finished the book in two sittings (last night and this morning) which is rare for me. Normally it takes me a couple of days to a week to finish a book.
This book is well written with interesting illustrations of maps and wonderful vintage photographs of Tobins dress, accoutrements weapons and other historical figures. The book traces Tom life from Illinois to the region of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. His half brother was Charles Autobee one of William H. Ashleys 50 men of the American Fur Company. Autobee started hauling freight and supply in the early 1800's and on a return trip his younger half brother Tom joined him and worked with him freighting between St. Louis and Taos.
The book has many well documented adventures that once you start reading it is hard to find a place to stop.
The most famous of Tom's adventures certainly has to be the tracking and ending of the bloody, murderous reign of Filipe, Vivian and Jose Espinosa of Conejos Colorado. In Filipe's diary he admitted responsibility in killing 32 settlers in southern Colorado. Hired by the comanding officer in Fort Garland Tom hunted, tracked down and ended the killing with his Hawken rifle which he purchased from the Hawken shop in St. Louis.
Some of the colorful characters who came to know and respect Tom in the book are William F. Cody, George A. Custer, Wild Bill Hickock who severly beat Toms nephew in a drunken rage, Kit Carson, whos son married Toms daughter. We also learn alot about Bents Fort and the Bents.
Tom's Hawken was a percussion halfstock, .53 caliber with a 38 3/4" barrel. One of the pictures of it shows 12 notches cut or chiseled into the barrel along the right side of the barrel a couple of inches in front of the lock. Two of those notches were of Filipe and Jose Espinosa. It is currently in the little museum of the Abby of the Holy Cross in Canyon City, Colorado
I have been a resident of Colorado since 1949 and I never realized that there was so much history in this area. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fact based frontier history.
The 313 page book is hard to locate. I was able to purchase mine from the Pueblo Historical Society, Pueblo Colorado, for a very reasonal price.
Joe
This book is well written with interesting illustrations of maps and wonderful vintage photographs of Tobins dress, accoutrements weapons and other historical figures. The book traces Tom life from Illinois to the region of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. His half brother was Charles Autobee one of William H. Ashleys 50 men of the American Fur Company. Autobee started hauling freight and supply in the early 1800's and on a return trip his younger half brother Tom joined him and worked with him freighting between St. Louis and Taos.
The book has many well documented adventures that once you start reading it is hard to find a place to stop.
The most famous of Tom's adventures certainly has to be the tracking and ending of the bloody, murderous reign of Filipe, Vivian and Jose Espinosa of Conejos Colorado. In Filipe's diary he admitted responsibility in killing 32 settlers in southern Colorado. Hired by the comanding officer in Fort Garland Tom hunted, tracked down and ended the killing with his Hawken rifle which he purchased from the Hawken shop in St. Louis.
Some of the colorful characters who came to know and respect Tom in the book are William F. Cody, George A. Custer, Wild Bill Hickock who severly beat Toms nephew in a drunken rage, Kit Carson, whos son married Toms daughter. We also learn alot about Bents Fort and the Bents.
Tom's Hawken was a percussion halfstock, .53 caliber with a 38 3/4" barrel. One of the pictures of it shows 12 notches cut or chiseled into the barrel along the right side of the barrel a couple of inches in front of the lock. Two of those notches were of Filipe and Jose Espinosa. It is currently in the little museum of the Abby of the Holy Cross in Canyon City, Colorado
I have been a resident of Colorado since 1949 and I never realized that there was so much history in this area. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fact based frontier history.
The 313 page book is hard to locate. I was able to purchase mine from the Pueblo Historical Society, Pueblo Colorado, for a very reasonal price.
Joe
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