Cherokee Bill: The Untold Truth Behind the Legend

Cherokee Bill was part black, part white, part Native American, and 100% outlaw! Join me today as we discuss a young Indian Territory bandit recently portrayed in the hit movie The Harder They Fall! #history #wildwest #cowboy
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[@WorldwideBushcraftSurvival]

I'm a Texan who was transplanted to Oklahoma at the age of 11. Been here since 1980. Since then, I found the best thing to come out of Texas... I-35, northbound. 😉 BTW, You are pronouncing Tahlequah correctly now. You are finally getting the pronunciations correct. Good job on that. Not too bad for a tenderfoot. Also, my degree is in history, with a focus on Native American studies and love the 1800's. I read often and feel like I am well versed in the era. Having said that, I am amazed how much I have learned from your podcasts. Great presentation. Great research. Great voice. Keep it up.

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Thanks man!

[@williamdysart8952]

From NE OK

[@mistydlove.5512]

I will absolutely be using "Save your what-if-isms". 😂😂

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Hell yeah

[@stewartdalton3298]

Always on the lookout on a Wednesday night here in Australia 🇦🇺 Thankyou Extraaaavaaavaaagaaanzaaa 👍🏼🇦🇺

[@frankg8120]

I just joined your channel, and I've already went through four of your videos because firstly, you're entertaining and easy to listen to. Secondly, you are one of the most thorough in your research to provide us a well informed video! I love history, especially the Wild West because I'm from the Cowboy State. Now I have a great video to learn about peoples whose stories may have been forgotten through time. Thanks again!

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Awesome, thank you!

[@barryhoggle2354]

Brother I'm so glad I found this channel as a Southern Man in my early forties I have always loved the Civil War and the post-civil War era of the Wild West and as a truck driver finding this channel allows me the past the miles with a smile on my face and a good story in my ears keep them coming man I'm on a mission to listen to every one of them and to find out exactly who's turning all the goddamn frogs gay😂

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Haha thanks! Stay safe out there.

[@VivaSepulchre]

I hope Neil Young will remember

[@MTGAttitude]

My favorite day of the week...Thanks Josh, keep rolling those R's

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

I'm trying

[@laurashropshire57]

We knew a Skeeter, too! Back when my home town was just a wide spot in the road and only known for a small Civil War battle, there was a store in the shopping center called Skeeter's Saddlery owned by a light-skinned black guy named Skeeter. He and my dad were buds. We weren't horse or farm people but Dad was a huge Civil War and Old West buff.

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Long live Skeeters

[@robyn3976]

You did an awesome job on this. Crawford was my great grandfather's first cousin, which makes him my fourth. The stories my grandmother told me about him were interesting, to say the least.

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Wow thanks!

[@abrahamisaacmuciusiii9192]

Are you a member of the Cherokee Nation?

[@abrahamisaacmuciusiii9192]

Also, what is your opinion of how Cherokee Bill lived his life?

[@robyn3976]

@abrahamisaacmuciusiii9192 Well, my great grandfather told my grandmother that Cherokee loved his family but was just troubled, to say the least.

[@robyn3976]

@@abrahamisaacmuciusiii9192 I'm not. Cherokee's mom was native and black. His aunt Amanda was a Cherokee Freeman.

[@jamesvickers9476]

Cherokee Bill was portrayed in the movie "The Harder They Fall" on Netflix starring Idris Alba Delroy Lindo Regina King Stagecoach Mary an a few others.....like the movie stated many of the scenes were fictional but all the characters were true....great movie

[@djmaddogofdc]

My Dad told us when we were kids that were related to Cherokee Bill.

[@MicahBell_1860]

Great episode, Josh. Never heard of him. Sounds like this would have made a great movie.

[@macblack206]

As a descendant of both goldsby and the cooks family. Two things I want to correct. Lil Crawford's mom Ellen was a full Cherokee woman not mix or a freed slave. And lil Crawford's grandfather Thornton, George dad's was a "black" passing as a "white" man. Other than man. The best video I saw of lil Crawford. Thanks man

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Thank you

[@AbrahamIsaacMucius-d7z]

Are related to Cherokee Bill's brother Clarence or their sister?

[@macblack206]

@@AbrahamIsaacMucius-d7z nah there dad's brother Crawford , the same man who Cherokee bill is named after

[@abrahamisaacmuciusiii9192]

Lastly, I thank you Josh for putting out these videos and bringing light to the old west once again.

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

My pleasure

[@BIGSeeVeeZee]

Another great job!!! So glad I found your content on KZbin! Love it!!

[@jayfelsberg1931]

Benjamin Grierson would be worth a video. He was a music teacher who ended up in the Union cavalry leading "Grierson's Raid." His cavalry tore through the rear of the Confederates defending the approaches to Vicksburg, seriously damaging communications, logistic, and etc. A fictionalized version is in the John Ford movie, "The Hose Soldiers," starring John Wayne and William Holden. Grierson served with distinction for the rest of the war and was given command of the 9th Cavalry, which he led with more distinction. He was not a West Pointer, which made him even more unique.

[@jayfelsberg1931]

Sorry, 10th Cavalry. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Grierson

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Yeah I definitely want to dig into him some more

[@mikedesil23]

​@@WildWestExtravaganzaI'm for it too! 😁

[@mecurymikey]

Love your delivery and attitude. Very entertaining.Thanks

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Wow, thank you!

[@Dr_Gonzo_X]

Dude you’re a freaking rockstar I found your channel through one of the writers on The Casual Criminalist and he wasn’t wrong you deserve way more attention.

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Ah thanks!!! Gotta love Dr. Baker!

[@oregonoutback7779]

Great episode! You did pretty darn good with those town names. For future reference, Chouteau is pronounced Show-toe. Also, Nowata is northeast of Tulsa, not northwest. My grandfather had some Cherokee Bill stories, but I can't remember any of them now. That boy did a lot of living for only 20 years. Looking forward to hearing the rest, next week. Thanks.

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Thanks for the info!

[@ReddZilla2]

I’ve been waiting for this one

[@billiebobbry561]

Can't wait for part two, thankyou and thankyou for the links 🤠

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Thank you

[@JustDefense]

Bandito is singular, banditti is plural.

[@ericbush1544]

This has, in the past two weeks, become my second favorite channel. The Jimmy Dore show is still my favorite. But I like to discuss politics. For pure entertainment and wonder, this channel is tops.

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Thanks Eric

[@deveronkearney2291]

Excellent video Excellent delivery

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Thank you kindly!

[@gaddyify]

I'm African American, and have Native in me. One percent according to DNA results. But I'm proud of that heritage.

[@mikekimmell582]

Too funny, I’m a gringo who is 3 percent native and 1 percent west African

[@stevefaulkner6689]

I'm 5% African 10% Cherokee and all mixed up according to DNA. Interesting how we all much same blend

[@logicallyalone]

I’m 100 percent American and spit bald eagles and shat red white and blue.

[@clarkgriswold-zr5sb]

The average American is somewhere around 0.2% Early American. Just ask senator Warren.

[@williamwayland1888]

Strait up american heritage. I got a lot of Irish, but my great great great grandparents walked the trail of tears on my mom's side. Turnball was their name, he was a Choctaw preacher. Lots of Irish, after finishing their indentured servitude or escaping slavery, sought refuge with the Indian nations in the south. Irish and cherokee still, to this day, have a close and healthy relationship. The cherokee sent money over during the potatoes famine, and within the past few years during covid, the Irish sent money to th3 cherokees

[@RONRIFFLE.DEIcertified]

Tiger jack deserves his own show

[@abrahamisaacmuciusiii9192]

A movie has to get made of Cherokee Bill' life!

[@williambyrd1261]

Love your channel Looking for more episodes

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

More to come!

[@BillyJ244]

Excellent story The way you tell it I can picture everything going on. Very entertaining. I enjoyed this one a lot.

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Thanks for listening!

[@williamemerson1799]

Damn, a 200 yard forehead shot, probably with a Winchester lever action. That has to be on the same level as Hickock's 75 yard shot thru the heart of Davis Tutt with a Colt Navy, or better. Good episode.👍🍻

[@GolfRemoEchoGolf2]

I was at Ft Sill ❤

[@Zionist_Eternal]

Home run! Thanks yet again, Sir.

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Thank YOU

[@randysmith4081]

Great story Josh. Thank you

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Thanks for listening

[@lordbelshare7669]

Yo brotha, this channel is amazing. Subscribed after seeing your 4 hour Podcast on Billy The Kid.

[@alanleemaxwell831]

Outstanding!!! 🙏🇬🇧😉

[@9000ftElev]

Josh, I love your podcast and what I love the most, is that you read your material yourself. I don't care for "AI" narration with all the mis-pronounced names and places making it difficult to follow the story. I eagerly await your next "people powered podcast"!

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Thanks, I'm trying

[@benjaminzook2558]

Thanks for this amazing content, subscribed

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Thanks! Welcome aboard

[@davidstanworth5543]

I'm in Oklahoma and you're saying the names pretty close to accurate good job buddy

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Thanks

[@jonahhex8178]

Not to insult the great Larry McMurtry's magnum opus, but don't it seem like if July Johnson was sheriff of a place like fort Smith he would need to be a serious bad ass? Great episode. Can't wait for part two!

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Ha! Yeah, I think with July he was a more than capable young Sheriff. It's just that when he's held up to legends like Gus and Call it's easy to be over shadowed. Historically, though, I don't think I can name one single sheriff from Fort Smith. They would have only had jurisdiction in the county. It was the deputy marshals who were going into Indian Territory. Good comment, though...now I gotta go research Sebastian County sheriffs.

[@jonahhex8178]

@@WildWestExtravaganza yeah, good point. But I would assume there were probably some rough s.o.b.'s hanging around.

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Yeah for sure

[@kendrickmajor4218]

Hey I’m new here. Love the channel. My only wish is that photos could be shared in the videos of some of the characters being spoken of

[@jonathanhahn3014]

Keeper coming boss! Love your stuff

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

I'm going to try

[@jonathanhahn3014]

@@WildWestExtravaganza tell me how to do the “buy me a coffee” because I’d like to send some your way. I’ve listened to every minute and have bought the shirts. What you’re doing is awesome. I could listen to countless other things but I wait til Wednesday for my new “program” as my grandma would say. Lol

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Haha thanks! You can just click the link in the video description that says buy me a coffee or go here www.buymeacoffee.com/wildwest

[@jonathanhahn3014]

@@WildWestExtravaganza coming at ya

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Very generous, thank you!!!

[@swhip897]

Gosh Josh 🤔 Gotta listen over😂 You get me to daydreaming ❤

[@davidpeterson144]

Gotta skeeter on my figure it out!!!! just don't wack it off!!! 😅 Nice job brother appreciate your stories. I either stay awake or fall asleep just like older , hell you'll figure it out!🤬lord I apologize. Smh😅

[@kcstafford2784]

nice...thank you

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Thank you too

[@donc9751]

My best friends name was Skeeter! At least those of us that grew up with him always called him that his mom gave him that nickname.

[@plymouthduster225]

Another great episode Josh, and yes you said Okmulgee correctly, though it would matter to me if you did or not. I'm not the type to complain about a Oklahoma town name being mispronounced. I'm part Cherokee and Choctaw myself my great grandpa was called Bad Frank and he had a cousin that was called Choctaw Ron. Sadly I was in the part of subscribers that were unable to take the survey. Looking forward to part 2. I definitely got to check out that book, I have never read a book on Cherokee Bill.

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Thanks man! Choctaw Ron is a pretty cool name.

[@plymouthduster225]

@WildWestExtravaganza yeah makes me wonder if nicknames like that were pretty popular back in those days. Choctaw Ron lived from 1886 to 1972 so just got me wondering if nicknames like Cherokee Bill and Choctaw Ron were popular here in Oklahoma.

[@texsocprog3681]

Bill and I are from the same part of Texas, I can understand wanting to go outlaw round there.

[@jacobballinger7208]

Love it man

[@benhinds2971]

You had me at... Extravaganza

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Heck yeah

[@timlenard1646]

hey Mr Josh, I was wondering where to find your series on "the real lonesome dove"... I'm so loving all your content and storytelling

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

It's only on Patreon but I plan on rerecording it in the future

[@timlenard1646]

bet.... done

[@randygraf2474]

great story

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@cmrjc74]

You going to do bass reeves?

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Absolutely

[@cmrjc74]

Hell yeah can’t wait brother

[@jasonum9267]

amazing as always... is it not pronounced 'tal-ee-kah' (Talequah)?

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

At this point I have no idea haha

[@mr.joedirt8583]

You just know that Chicken Lucas and Skeeter Baldwin were the comic reliefs of Bill's gang.

[@tommyjohnson6454]

Well, your one of the few people not from Oklahoma who pronounced Sapulpa right, now considering your from Tex Ass, I would have understood if you hadn't 😂😂😂 , seriously though best podcast ever!! Keep it up!

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Haha

[@tommyjohnson6454]

By the way Henry starr would be a good person to do a show on, he had a prolific career that lasted from the old west era and lasted into the 1920's, and was even in a silent film, starring himself about himself lol

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

I agree. Henry will make an appearance next week

[@lawabernathy9256]

Hey bro. Quick question. On your frank canton videos you have them labeled in parts. But it starts at part 3. Two of them arent labeled. Which one of the two is part one? Im adding them to my wild west extravaganza playlist. Also i will comment on this video once i listen to it lol. Well im about to listen to it while i try and sleep lol. But as always brother…. Keep up the good work. Keep them coming brother. Your my favorite history/storyteller. Just above mr. Ballen lol.

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Good catch, I need to fix that. Outlaw Years is part one and Sheriff is part two.

[@lawabernathy9256]

@@WildWestExtravaganza ur probably getting sick of me pointing stuff out lmao. Ill try and stip

[@lawabernathy9256]

@@WildWestExtravaganza thanks bro

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Not at all!

[@rialobran]

Nice one dude.

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Thanks!

[@Wilson-fm4lg]

Another great one Josh. You just don't mess with a soldiers uniform! How about stone wall jackson I think that would be a good episode.

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Yeah, I could see a Stonewall episode in the future

[@smileysanders470]

Cool content. If ya made an episode about Tom Horn it'd be alot cooler 😎

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

I'm going to do a series on Tom Horn

[@scottn322]

Sir, I think I might have a man-crush on you. I have been binge-listening to your podcasts for days. I grew up on westerns. My dad and grandad are both proud Texans, although I do have the unfortunate curse of having been born in Oklahoma, although it was on a military base. Well, an air force base anyway. But you are hysterical, and as a lover of history, I am really enjoying your content!

[@squatchybobcat4227]

Oklahoma names are tricky. Talequah. Nailed it. Finally. Nowata is NO-WATA ( there is a LOT-A-WATA in Oklahoma not far off)

[@JuliahistoryLover]

Will you one day start a playlist with videos of each different wild West town? I’m from Nevada city/grass valley area and I was a kid and teenager. I would walk the streets and learn everything I could. This was pre-google era. But how cool it would be to see a video on it. Most of what I learned was just rumors what people who lived there had heard and I don’t know it’s true it’s not true. Like the in Nevada curry the old rock shop and Café Mecca who is the located in what was once the Chinatown, and supposedly, Chinese weren’t allowed to leave that part of town after certain hour. And Spring Street was supposedly the red light District…. I’m curious if that’s true that the prostitutes were not at the hotels and not their own building the way they were in deadwood, but they were out a small houses, why during the same era was that industry run so differently? My sister works at an old Victorian house that was a bed-and-breakfast, and supposedly once upon a time it was a brothel with an exit through the kitchen pantry for the women to escape, if their husbands came in…. But now, from what I understand those small doors were for ice to be delivered. It would be nice to know fact from fiction on the small, seemingly insignificant details that really give a picture of an era

[@chrishunsaker1171]

Very good you pronounce all the names of the towns right this lol

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

I tried!!!

[@darrellteague8629]

I think he was hung in ft Smith Arkansas

[@aleanufopilotftlcertified5663]

Just goes to show that SMOKING WILL KILL YOU 😂

[@williamwayland1888]

You did pronounce olmolgee right, dame as tahlaquah, good job dude. I can't even spell half this, but I was raised for 30 years in oklahoma, you haven't fucked up yet. Good job. Tahlaquah Is the same town "where the red fern grows" was based in

[@zackschooley5858]

You need to do show about Arkansas Dave Rudabaugh

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

I did a long time ago but you’ll be happy to know that I’m working on re-recording it with new info

[@zackschooley5858]

@@WildWestExtravaganza Yeah, I found it and it’s a good one 💪🏼

[@chillbunnies7431]

No “shaps “ I can’t 😂😂😂 is it really?

[@adastraperaspera7098]

Daggers Drawn! lol, good one. What if we called "Guns" "Daggers" these days. HE was daggered to death.

[@abrahamisaacmuciusiii9192]

I wish I meet Cherokee Bill, he and I have similar ancestry.

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Do you?

[@abrahamisaacmuciusiii9192]

Yes, he and I have African and Native American lineage.

[@Chicken-1515]

Ok mule geeeee! You got Tahlequah correct! Don't forget bowl legs! Choctaw! Seminole! Wewoka! Ponca! Eufaula! Shaw knee!

[@emadbagheri]

HILY SH!T ad breaks man! 11 minutes in and 4 double ads already, you need to tweak the setting back bro. Thanks as always x)

[@mightyjudo65]

Shhhhaps!

[@igowhereiplease6915]

Nowata is NE of Tulsa rather than NW

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Noted

[@livendapast6347]

Funny they didn't try to come up here and rob coffeyville bank😂😂

[@UnderestimatedA1]

A1

[@ZeroPointsInCharisma]

I had friend we called bubbers 😂

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

I like it

[@abrahamisaacmuciusiii9192]

Technically, Sgt. George Goldsby was a Quadroon. His White father, Thornton Goldsby was a European American of English origin. Sgt. Goldsby's Mulatto mother was an American of African and English European ancestry. Later on, Ms. Hester King left Mr. Thornton Goldsby and moved to her own house. Perhaps, Ms. King did this after the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865).

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Where I come from that's just called "mixed"

[@abrahamisaacmuciusiii9192]

I understand, the labels I use were common with 19th Century America.

[@simonjester0074]

😊👍👍👍👍😁

[@dannysimmons3167]

Have to admit I haven’t heard of him

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

100% outlaw

[@bigjohn75]

Any bartered hanging wallpaper in my house. I’m going to fill them full of 44. I’m am definitely anti-wallpaper

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Haha

[@uttaradit2]

my kinda killa

[@richardhowell7040]

Great story. But even back then it was pronounced “verr-duh-gree”, no accented syllable.

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Gotcha

[@BuffaloveBills]

Yeeeehhhaaawwwww

[@charleslennon1]

Wado, for this video.

[@jasoncrandall]

Humans are not all the same but for the color of their skin. There are many other differences too.

[@ZeroPointsInCharisma]

Bus or Bust Lucky?

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Bus

[@ZeroPointsInCharisma]

You responding with how much I listen to you would be like Robert Redford calling my mom.

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

@@ZeroPointsInCharisma ha! You crazy.

[@jonhenson5450]

Please tell me it aint SKEETER REESE

[@gregledbetter5942]

Bro I love to work do you do. It's like you're a professional historian but every now and then you use common sense and some Modern lingo that just lets me know this is not some old guy on the History Channel this is a peer of mine

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Thanks Greg

[@kevinvilmont6061]

If you’re not safe at Henry Munson uncle place you’re not safe anywhere.

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Exactly

[@jonhenson5450]

They should see if Cherky Bills daddy can spell his name and tie his own shoes, to figure out what he was

[@podunkmissouri4999]

Instead of daggers call them hog legs!

[@podunkmissouri4999]

Skin that hog leg!

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

I like it

[@MTGAttitude]

1st...BOOOOOOM

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Close!

[@jasonmontgomery8393]

$300.00 then would have been worth over $100,000?

[@CrowInMojaveDesert]

If you're accurate about the father's name he technically wouldn't have been a white slaver and his son should be part black, part Indian and part Jewish

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

What are you talking about?

[@godwarrior3403]

Cherokee Bill being named Crawford seems like it would have made into the wild west version of a rap battle. Edit: I did a little of my own research and you left out that Crawford smoked pot with John Hopkins.

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

For sure

[@alynn1477]

If he started as a confederate soldier I’m gonna assume that wasn’t a choice. Probably was a slave.

[@stevenhagebusch9561]

good ole nowata.....my home town......

[@Chicken-1515]

Where the White Women at!!!!! Name that movie?

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Blazing Saddles

[@jonhenson5450]

Yall hands know Cherky Bill wuz tratch.

[@deborahsteele7582]

Also real native Americans was black but we are from different progenitors African Americans are shems people Israelites bantuse or Hebrew I think we are Judah this is just part of are tribe or bloodlines native Americans are hams and this is not why we don't get along because all three sons of noah was black and white is not a color of skin but a title and japheth shem and ham did have black decendents mostly because ham did have some decendents that got leprosy and may look white not just albino but this would be a small portion of so called white skin because at one time it would be seen as a curse or a sickness because it was rare tobe so called white and they wouldn't call themselves white because there family would still have black pigmentation because so called white skin is unprotected because the sun is still out there even in ice cold weather you can still burn it's dead skin really a form of dead skin caucuses is dead skin so there are people around that are proud of having or being called dead skin or a form of dead skin carcasses this is what you are being called dead skin a plague do you realize that leprosy you you have to have some form of color or be black first in order tobe a so called white person and there are more people of color than that are so called white only a black man have both a black and so called white children add on top of that we can have many children where so called whites have problems having children getting pregnant there is a seed within so called white Europeans that will kill off the seed because it will be taken as foreign so it wil kill off that seed or child before it will have a chance

[@WildWestExtravaganza]

Ok. That's not true, though.