Downloaded from YTS.BZ
♪ ♪
WILLIAM: THERE IS A LOT OF DISPUTE
ABOUT THE PONY EXPRESS.
Official YIFY movies site: YTS.BZ
FOLKS ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WAS REAL
AND WHAT WAS NOT.
[HORSE NEIGHS]
I CAN TELL YOU WITH CERTAINTY,
THE ADVENTURE WAS REAL.
THE DANGER WE FACED WAS REAL.
[WOMAN SCREAM, GLASS SHATTERS]
AND THE LEGENDS THAT WERE BORN
[GUNSHOTS]
THEY WERE REAL ENOUGH.
I SHOULD KNOW, BECAUSE I WAS THERE
AND THOSE BOYS WERE MY FRIENDS.
[HORSE NEIGHS]
♪ ["THEME"] ♪
A LOT OF FOLKS FORGET THAT THE PONY EXPRESS
WAS ONLY AROUND FOR 18 MONTHS.
JUST A BLINK OF AN EYE.
BUT IN THAT SHORT TIME, WE CHANGED THE COURSE OF OUR
HISTORY AND GAVE THIS COUNTRY
A GENERATION OF HEROES TO CALL OUR OWN.
YOU COULD SAY IT WAS A LEGENDARY TIME.
♪ ♪
CHARLIE: WHAT TOWN'S THAT, PA?
MILLER: THAT THERE IS OUR STATE CAPITAL,
SACRAMENTO.
CHARLIE: IT DON'T LOOK LIKE MUCH.
MILLER: I SUPPOSE IT DON'T.
GIVE IT TIME.
THIS COUNTRY'S GROWING MIGHTY FAST.
AND IT'S TOWNS LIKE THAT, THAT ARE GONNA LEAD US FORWARD.
COME ON, LET'S GET DOWN THERE.
BEGINNING IN 1848 AND 1849 WITH THE GOLD RUSH,
THE POPULATION EXPLOSION IN THE WEST WAS MASSIVE.
OVER HALF A MILLION PEOPLE LIVED THERE
BY THE TIME OF THE CIVIL WAR.
CAMERON: SO, AS ALL THESE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
OF PEOPLE PUSHED WESTWARD, IT STARTED TO PUSH
THE LIMITS OF THE NATION'S INFRASTRUCTURE.
THERE WAS NO TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD AT THE TIME
AND THERE WAS ALSO NO TELEGRAPH.
SO, IF YOU WANTED TO SEND A LETTER FROM NEW YORK
TO SAN FRANCISCO, YOU BASICALLY HAD TWO OPTIONS.
YOU COULD SEND THE LETTER BY STEAMSHIP DOWN THE ATLANTIC
COAST, ACROSS PANAMA, AND THEN UP THE PACIFIC TO SAN FRANCISCO
OR YOU COULD SEND IT OVERLAND WITH THE BUTTERFIELD MAIL ROUTE.
THIS WAS A ROUTE THAT MADE ITS WAY ACROSS
THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF THE COUNTRY.
IN BOTH CASES, IT COULD TAKE QUITE A LONG TIME,
UP TO THREE TO FOUR WEEKS FOR THE LETTER TO ARRIVE.
WITHOUT RELIABLE, FAST COMMUNICATION,
YOU CAN'T RUN A BUSINESS AND YOU CERTAINLY CAN'T RUN A COUNTRY.
PLAIN AND SIMPLE.
BUT THERE WAS A THIRD OPTION.
RYAN: SO, THE THIRD OPTION IS THE CENTRAL ROUTE
THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY.
THIS ROUTE THAT IS SHORTER,
BUT IT'S MORE DIFFICULT
AND IT'S DANGEROUS, ARID, DRY.
AND THAT'S THE ROUTE THAT THE PONY EXPRESS CHOSE.
CAMERON: SO, THE IDEA BEHIND THE PONY EXPRESS WAS
TO BUILD A SYSTEM OF RELAY STATIONS, ABOUT 190
STATIONS IN TOTAL, SPANNING NEARLY 2,000 MILES AND RUNNING
FROM MISSOURI IN THE EAST TO CALIFORNIA IN THE WEST.
A RIDER WOULD TAKE A BAG OF MAIL AND RIDE AS FAST
AS HE COULD FROM ONE STATION TO THE NEXT.
AT THE NEXT STATION,
HE'D EITHER CHANGE HORSES
FOR A FRESH MOUNT
OR HAND OFF THE BAG
TO A NEW RIDER.
AND IT IMPROVED THE TIME DOWN TO
10 TO 12 DAYS FOR A LETTER TO MAKE ITS WAY ACROSS THIS SYSTEM.
THE CLOCK WAS ALWAYS TICKING AND NOT A SECOND COULD BE WASTED.
THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY IT WOULD WORK.
[HORSE PANTS]
[HORN BLOWS]
ALL CLEAR!
SAM: RIDER COMING.
MATT: THE STATION MASTER
SERVED AN ESSENTIAL LOGISTICAL ROLE.
THEY WOULD GET THE HORSE READY 30 MINUTES BEFORE
A RIDER WAS SUPPOSED TO ARRIVE.
THEY'D HAVE FOOD, THEY'D HAVE WATER,
THEY'D HAVE FEED FOR THE HORSES.
SO, THEY WERE INDISPENSABLE TO THIS ROUTE.
HOWDY, SAM, HOW IT GOES?
HOWDY, BILL.
THEY HAVEN'T GOT ME YET.
WELL, TOMORROW IS JUST A HEARTBEAT AWAY, AIN'T IT?
SAM: YOU GOT THAT RIGHT.
CAMERON: YOU NEEDED REALLY FAST
TRANSFERS AT THOSE STATIONS.
ONCE THE RIDER GOT THERE,
THEY ONLY HAD TWO MINUTES TO SWITCH MOUNTS.
ALL RIGHT.
CAMERON: THAT'S IT.
WE'LL CATCH YOU ON THE RETURN, SAM.
SAM: FAREWELL, BILL.
CAMERON: SO, THE STATION MASTERS REALLY KEPT IT MOVING.
MATT: THE MOCHILA WAS A VERY
SMALL BAG THAT CAN CARRY MAIL.
IT WAS SOMETHING THAT A RIDER COULD THROW ONTO THEIR SADDLE
IN SECONDS AND THEN BE ON THEIR WAY.
THE IMPORTANT THING ABOUT THE MOCHILA
WAS THAT IT FIT OVER THE SADDLE, SO THE RIDER COULD
SIT ON IT.
SO, THERE WAS NO CHANCE OF IT
COMING OFF OR BEING LOST.
JEFF: THAT WAS A RESPONSIBILITY OF
THAT PONY EXPRESS RIDER.
YOU COULD LOSE A HORSE,
YOU COULD LOSE ANYTHING ELSE, BUT YOU DON'T
LOSE THAT SADDLE BAG.
MATT: DIFFERENT HORSES
WERE REQUIRED FOR DIFFERENT KINDS OF TERRAIN.
SO, THOROUGHBREDS WERE USED ON THE PLAINS,
PINTOS WERE USED IN THE MIDDLE,
AND THEN MUSTANGS WERE USED IN NEVADA
AND THEN THE SIERRA NEVADA.
CAMERON: EACH HORSE COULD CARRY NO MORE THAN
165 POUNDS.
SPEED WAS EVERYTHING.
YOU WANTED TO KEEP THINGS AS LIGHT AS POSSIBLE.
♪ ♪
SO, A MAXIMUM OF ABOUT 20 POUNDS FOR THE MAIL ITSELF,
20 POUNDS FOR SUPPLIES, AND THAT LEFT ONLY
A 125 POUNDS
FOR THE RIDER HIMSELF.
♪ ♪
MATT: THESE RECRUITMENT POSTERS,
THEY LOOKED LIKE WANTED POSTERS
WITH CRIMINALS, AND WANTED, AND BIG BOLD LETTERS.
AND SO YOUNG KIDS, TEENAGERS, PRETEENS,
THEY SAW THESE POSTERS AND THEY CONNECTED THAT
WITH ADVENTURE, AND EXCITEMENT,
AND THIS ROMANTICIZED IDEAL OF THE WEST.
AND MANY OF THEM BOUGHT INTO IT AND SIGNED UP.
♪ ♪
[WOMAN SCREAMS, BOY GASPS]
MATT: CHARLIE MILLER AND HIS FATHER WERE ON E STREET,
SACRAMENTO, WHEN THEY CAME ACROSS A HORSE
WITHOUT A RIDER AND BLOOD ON THE SADDLE.
THEY QUICKLY REALIZED THAT THIS IS A PONY EXPRESS HORSE.
SO, SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THAT RIDER ON ROUTE.
CHARLIE: WHOA, EASY BOY.
IT'S OKAY.
YOU'RE SAFE.
YOU'RE ALL RIGHT.
IT'S OKAY.
WILLIAM: THE SCHEDULE WAS LIKE A RELIGION
FOR THESE BOYS.
NO MATTER WHAT DANGER THEY FACED, THEY PUSHED FORWARD,
HAPPIER TO DIE IN THE SADDLE
THAN LOSE A SINGLE MINUTE ON THE TRAIL.
WE HAVE ALL BEEN WITNESS TO A GRIEVOUS ACT TODAY.
THE LOSS OF OUR RIDER WILL NOT GO UNMARKED.
HIS MEMORY WILL BE HELD DEAR AND HIS SERVICE WILL BE REMEMBERED.
BUT I TURN TO YOU NOW WITH A MORE URGENT REQUEST.
THERE'S IMPORTANT WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED.
LETTERS THAT MUST REACH CARSON CITY BEFORE NIGHTFALL.
IS THERE ANY AMONG YOU WHO COULD CARRY ON THIS IMPORTANT MISSION?
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
IS THERE NO ONE?
♪ ♪
I CAN DO IT.
I CAN TAKE THE MAIL.
CAN YOU RIDE, SON?
MILLER: YEAH.
HE'S A GREAT RIDER.
ARE YOU SURE?
WELL, IT'S GOTTA BE DONE.
THEN LET'S GET YOU SORTED OUT.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
♪ ♪
FOR YOUNG MEN THINKING ABOUT RIDING
FOR THE PONY EXPRESS, THERE ARE A COUPLE REASONS.
ONE, THE PAY WAS GOOD, ABOUT $125 A MONTH.
BUT FOR A LOT OF THESE YOUNG MEN, IT WAS MUCH
MORE ABOUT THE EXCITEMENT AND THE ADVENTURE.
RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND AND PLACE YOUR LEFT HAND ON THE BIBLE.
NOW REPEAT AFTER ME.
I, CHARLIE MILLER, DO HEREBY SWEAR BEFORE
A GREAT AND LIVING GOD.
CHARLIE: I, CHARLIE MILLER, DO HEREBY
SWEAR IN FRONT OF A GREAT AND LIVING GOD.
MAN 2: THAT I WILL, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES,
USE PROFANE LANGUAGE.
I WILL DRINK NO INTOXICATING LIQUORS.
AND I WILL NOT QUARREL WITH ANY OTHER EMPLOYEE OF THE FIRM.
CHARLIE: I WILL...
CAMERON: EVERY NEW EMPLOYEE
HAD TO TAKE AN OATH,
PROMISING THEY WOULDN'T SWEAR,
THEY WOULDN'T DRINK, AND THEY WOULDN'T
FIGHT WITH OTHER EMPLOYEES.
NOW, THESE ARE YOUNG MEN,
SO IT'S UNCLEAR HOW MANY OF THEM NECESSARILY
STUCK WITH THAT OATH.
BUT IN ORDER TO GET HIRED, THEY HAD TO SAY THE WORDS.
I WILL CONDUCT MYSELF HONESTLY,
BE FAITHFUL TO MY DUTIES, SO HELP ME GOD.
♪ ♪
WELCOME TO THE PONY EXPRESS, SON.
THANK YOU, SIR.
LET'S GET YOU GEARED UP AND READY FOR THE TRIP.
MATT: THE RIDERS WERE GIVEN
A LIMITED AMOUNT OF GEAR.
THEY GET ABOUT 20 POUNDS.
THEY WERE GIVEN A RIFLE,
A COLT NAVY REVOLVER, A BIBLE, AND A BUGLE.
WHY DON'T YOU TRY THAT ON FOR SIZE?
YOU SURE YOU CAN HANDLE THAT?
I THINK SO.
PERHAPS WE SHOULD STICK WITH THE COLT.
AFTER ALL, IT WOULD BE LIGHTER FOR THE HORSE.
MATT: MOST RIDERS STARTED LEAVING THEIR RIFLES BEHIND.
THEY WERE HEAVY, THEY WERE CUMBERSOME,
THEY WERE DIFFICULT TO CARRY AROUND,
AND AGAIN, SPEED WAS
THE NAME OF THE GAME.
SO, WHEN THESE BOYS WENT OUT THERE,
ALL THEY HAD WAS THAT COLT PISTOL.
LISTEN TO ME, SON.
ONCE YOU LEAVE SACRAMENTO,
YOU RIDE FAST AND YOU RIDE HARD.
AND YOU DON'T STOP FOR ANYONE OR ANYTHING.
YOU GOT THAT?
I WON'T STOP UNTIL CARSON CITY.
I PROMISE.
THAT'S MY BOY.
I'LL SEE YOU SOON, SON.
♪ ♪
WILLIAM: CHARLIE MILLER WAS
THE YOUNGEST RIDER IN
THE HISTORY OF THE PONY EXPRESS.
HE WAS WOUNDED TWICE BY ARROWS,
BUT THE BOY SURVIVED.
CHARLIE WAS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES.
OTHERS WERE NOT SO FORTUNATE.
[ROCKS CLATTERING, PAIUTES YELL]
♪ ♪
[PANTING]
[GUN CLICKING]
♪ ♪
THE PONY EXPRESS WAS A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT, TO BE SURE.
BUT WE MUST NOT FORGET
THE INDIANS OF THIS LAND WHO DIDN'T LOOK
KINDLY ON THE INCURSION.
THIS WAS THEIR HOME,
AND SUDDENLY IT WAS FILLED WITH
UNINVITED GUESTS AT THEIR FRONT DOOR, CLAMORING TO GET IN.
FOR SOME OF THEM, THE PONY EXPRESS WAS A THREAT.
♪ ♪
AND ITS EMPLOYEES?
TARGETS.
♪ [TENSE] ♪
WILL: ONE OF THE RIDERS NAMED BILLY TATE,
HE CAME WEST WITH
HIS FAMILY FROM ARKANSAS IN A WAGON TRAIN.
HIS FAMILY WAS KILLED IN
THE MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE,
AND IN 1860, HE WAS HIRED TO RIDE FOR THE PONY EXPRESS.
WILLIAM: BILLY TATE RAN
AWAY AND HEADED WEST TO START A NEW LIFE ON HIS OWN TERMS.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY,
VIOLENCE FOLLOWED BILLY TO HIS VERY LAST DAY.
THE PAIUTE LIVED IN NEVADA AND UTAH FOR OVER A THOUSAND YEARS.
THIS WAS TOUGH LAND, BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO FIND A WAY
OF LIVING THAT WORKED FOR THEM.
BEGINNING IN THE 1830S, THAT'S WHEN OVERLAND TRANSPORTATION
REALLY BEGINS AND YOU START
SEEING SETTLERS COME THROUGH THERE,
GEOGRAPHERS, SURVEYORS, PEOPLE LIKE THAT.
CAMERON: BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL THE 1850S,
THAT THIS SLOW TRICKLE OF SETTLERS TURNED INTO A FLOOD.
THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, MAINLY SEEKING GOLD
AND SILVER, STARTED TO POUR ONTO TRADITIONAL PAIUTE LAND.
AS ALL THESE PEOPLE MOVED ONTO THAT LAND, THEY INCREASINGLY
BURDENED THE RESOURCES OF THIS FRAGILE LANDSCAPE.
TENSIONS WERE RUNNING HIGH.
THIS WASN'T JUST A COMPETITION FOR SCARCE RESOURCES,
BUT FROM THE PAIUTE PERSPECTIVE,
THIS WAS AN INVASION OF THEIR HOMELAND.
JEFF: THIS WAS ABOUT
A 15-YEAR PERIOD OF ANIMOSITY THAT BUILT UP.
SOMETIMES THERE'D BE CERTAIN INCIDENTS THAT WOULD HAPPEN.
THE PAIUTES WHO WOULD RETALIATE AGAINST THE NEXT
WAGON TRAIN COMING THROUGH.
YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHEN AND WHERE
THE PAIUTES WERE GONNA HIT,
BUT YOU KNOW THEY'RE GONNA HIT.
MATT: THE EVENTS THAT LED
TO BILLY TATE'S ADVENTURE
REALLY BEGAN IN 1860 WITH THE KIDNAPPING
OF TWO PAIUTE WOMEN BY WHITE SETTLERS.
THAT THEN LED TO THE WILLIAM STATION MASSACRE,
WHICH KILLED FIVE WHITE SETTLERS.
THIS WAS BASICALLY THE BACKDROP NOW FOR-- FOR BILLY TATE.
♪ ♪
[GUNSHOTS]
[PAIUTES YELL, GUNFIRE]
♪ ♪
WILL: THE WAY THE STORY GOES IS THAT BILLY TATE IS AMBUSHED
BY PAIUTE HORSEMEN
IN CENTRAL NEVADA, IN THE RUBY VALLEY.
♪ ♪
[YELLING, HOOFBEATS POUNDING]
♪ ♪
MATT: BILLY'S ON THE RUN,
SO HE RETREATS INTO THE HILLS.
BILLY: WHOA, WHOA, WHOA.
MATT: HE DISMOUNTS HIS HORSE...
GO ON, GET OUT OF HERE!
MATT: ...AND HE TRIES TO FIND SHELTER.
♪ [TENSE] ♪
WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT THERE WEREN'T ANY FORTS IN NORTHERN
NEVADA AT THIS POINT IN TIME,
SO THERE WAS REALLY NO SAFE HARBOR FOR HIM.
AND HE APPARENTLY TOOK THE WRONG ROUTE
AND SOON FINDS HIMSELF TRAPPED.
♪ ♪
[PANTING]
RYAN: BILLY TATE HAD TO
CONTEND WITH NOT ONLY THE ENVIRONMENT,
BUT ALSO THE FACT THAT THE PAIUTE
WOULD HAVE KNOWN THEIR WAY AROUND THIS AREA.
SO, INSTEAD OF ESCAPING, BILLY'S TRAPPED.
HE KNOWS IT,
SO HE DECIDES TO MAKE A LAST STAND.
♪ ♪
[PAIUTES WHOOPING]
[GUN CLICKING]
[PANTING]
MATT: UNFORTUNATELY FOR BILLY,
HE LEFT HIS RIFLE BEHIND, SO HE ONLY HAD HIS COLT,
WHICH WOULDN'T DO HIM ANY FAVORS
IN A FIREFIGHT FOR HIS LIFE.
[PANTING NERVOUSLY]
[ARROWS WHOOSH BY]
[PANTS NERVOUSLY]
[GUNSHOTS]
YOUNG BILLY'S MAIL DID ARRIVE AT THE NEXT STATION
A FEW DAYS LATER, BUT UNFORTUNATELY,
BILLY WAS NOT THERE TO ACCOMPANY IT.
♪ ♪
AH, I DON'T LIKE THE LOOK OF THIS.
KEEP YOUR GUARD UP.
COULD BE A TRAP.
[HORSE APPROACHING]
MATT: PONIES ARE VERY INTELLIGENT ANIMALS.
IN BILLY'S CASE, HIS PONY ACTUALLY MADE IT ALL
THE WAY TO THE STATION,
CAUSE THAT'S WHERE HIS FOOD WAS.
WHOA.
[HORSE PANTS]
♪ ♪
IT'S TATE'S PONY.
SO, WHERE'S TATE?
I GUESS WE BETTER GO FIND OUT.
WILLIAM: ALL THEY COULD DO
WAS BACKTRACK AND LOOK FOR BILLY
SOMEWHERE ALONG THE TRAIL.
♪ ♪
HOW LONG WE GONNA LOOK?
AS LONG AS IT TAKES.
[CROWS SQUAWK]
YOU SEE SOMETHING?
I THINK I FOUND HIM.
♪ ♪
[FLIES BUZZING]
MAN: HE KILLED THEM ALL.
NOT QUITE.
SOME GOT AWAY.
WOUNDED THOUGH.
[FLIES BUZZING]
♪ ♪
REST IN PEACE, BILLY.
MATT: WHEN THE STATION MASTER COMES ACROSS BILLY'S BODY,
HE FINDS IT RIDDLED WITH ARROWS.
BUT HE ALSO FINDS HIS REVOLVER CHAMBER EMPTY
AND SEVERAL DEAD PAIUTES NEARBY.
HE MADE EVERY BULLET COUNT.
HE KILLED SEVERAL, WOUNDED THE REST,
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, HE TOO WAS SHOT AND KILLED.
WILLIAM: YOUNG BILLY WAS BURIED
IN AN UNMARKED GRAVE SOMEWHERE
IN THE RUBY VALLEY.
NOBODY KNOWS WHERE FOR SURE.
BUT I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING SPECIAL.
BILLY TATE WAS NOT SCALPED BY THE PAIUTES THAT DAY,
EVEN THOUGH THAT WAS THEIR PRACTICE.
NO, SEE, THE BOY FOUGHT BRAVELY AND THIS WAS
THEIR WAY OF PAYING HIM RESPECT.
BUT...
NOT EVERYONE WAS SHOWN THAT SAME RESPECT.
[FLAMES CRACKLING] ♪ ♪
RIDING FOR THE PONY EXPRESS WAS DANGEROUS WORK
BUT TRUST ME WHEN I SAY THE MOST DANGEROUS JOB FELL
TO THE STATION MASTERS, WHO WERE SITTING DUCKS IN THEIR OUTPOST.
AT LEAST THE RIDERS COULD RUN FOR THEIR LIVES WHEN THREATENED.
BUT THE STATION MASTERS, ON THE OTHER HAND,
THEY HAD TO WAIT
AND HOPE FOR THE BEST.
♪ ♪
[CLOCK TICKS]
[FLIES BUZZ]
♪ ♪
[SKILLET SIZZLES]
CAMERON: PONY EXPRESS STATIONS WERE LITERALLY
IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.
THERE WERE NO CITIES, NO TOWNS.
NEAREST HELP COULD BE MILES AND MILES AWAY.
THAT WAS THEIR ENTIRE POINT, TO BE AN
OASIS IN THE LANDSCAPE FOR THESE RIDERS TO COME INTO.
BUT THESE WERE NOT LUXURY APARTMENTS.
THESE WERE EFFECTIVELY A SHACK AND A STABLE.
SO, THE STATION MASTERS WHO LIVED THERE WERE LIVING
IN EXTREME ISOLATION.
YOU WANT SOME EGGS?
YEAH, THAT'D BE FINE.
MAKE SOME FOR DAN'S, TOO.
HE'S LATE, ISN'T HE?
HE SHOULD BE HERE.
♪ ♪
[METAL CLANKS]
LET ME GO CHECK.
CAMERON: THERE ARE THREE THINGS THAT MADE THESE STATIONS
A TARGET FOR ATTACK.
FIRST, THEY HAD FOOD AND WATER.
SECOND, THEY HAD HORSES.
AND THIRD, THEY WERE STATIONARY.
THEY WEREN'T GOING ANYWHERE, SO YOU KNEW
EXACTLY WHERE THEY WERE.
[HORSES NEIGH]
♪ [SUSPENSE] ♪
OH NO.
WE GOT TROUBLE!
♪ [TENSE] ♪
WILL: 1860
WAS A TOUGH TIME TO BE ON
THE WESTERN HALF OF THE PONY EXPRESS TRAIL.
IT WAS A HOT BED OF VIOLENCE, ESSENTIALLY.
TAKE YOUR RIFFLE!
OH, THIS IS NOT-- NO, NO, THIS ISN'T HAPPENING.
♪ ♪
[HORSES NEIGH]
♪ ♪
THIS ISNT--
STATION MASTER 3: HEY!
KEEP YOUR COOL, OKAY?
[BOTH PANTING]
♪ ♪
[NERVOUS PANTING]
♪ ♪
[YELLING IN PAIUTE]
[PAIUTES YELL OUTSIDE]
STATION MASTER 2: THE CHIEF IS ANGRY.
HIS PEOPLE ARE ANGRY.
AND THEY'RE HERE TO TAKE OUR LIVES.
UNLESS...
UNLESS WHAT?
THEY WANT OUR GUNPOWDER.
TELL THEM NO.
- THEY'RE GONNA KILL US! - I SAID NO!
[PAIUTES YELLING]
♪ ♪
MATT: NOW, WHY WOULD HE REFUSE THAT?
HE DOESN'T WANT THAT GUNPOWDER TO BE USED AGAINST MIGRANTS,
AGAINST RIDERS, AGAINST OTHER STATION MASTERS DOWN THE LINE.
♪ ♪
PAIUTE CHIEF: [SPEAKS PAIUTE LANGUAGE]
WELL, WHAT ARE THEY SAYING NOW?
HOLD ON.
NO. COME ON, WHAT ARE THEY SAYING?
PAIUTE CHIEF: [SPEAKS PAIUTE LANGUAGE]
THEY WANT FOOD!
IN THAT MOMENT,
THERE WAS A GLIMMER OF HOPE FOR THESE MEN.
IF THEY SHARED THEIR FOOD,
THEN MAYBE THERE WAS A CHANCE FOR THEM AFTER ALL.
TO BE CLEAR, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE DON'T VILIFY THE PAIUTE.
NOT ONLY HAVE THEY HAD THIS GENERATION'S WORTH
OF BAD EXPERIENCES, AND BAD ENCOUNTERS,
AND MASSACRES WITH WHITE SETTLERS, BUT
ON TOP OF THAT, THEY HAD A VERY BAD HARVEST THE PREVIOUS WINTER.
THEY WERE STARVING, THEY WERE IN VERY BAD CONDITION,
AND THIS WAS A VERY VULNERABLE TIME FOR THEIR PEOPLE.
♪ ♪
THIS IS ALL WE HAVE.
IT'S FOR YOU.
IT'S FOR ALL OF YOU.
♪ ♪
PAIUTE CHIEF: [SPEAKS PAIUTE LANGUAGE]
STATION MASTER 3: WHAT'S HE SAYING?
THIS IS NO GOOD.
THEY NEED BREAD.
THEY WANT US TO MAKE BREAD.
- WELL, MAKE THEM BREAD. - CAN'T.
THAT WAS ALL THE FLOUR.
[PAIUTE WHOOPING]
WE GOTTA GO! NOW! NOW!
PAIUTE CHIEF: [SPEAKS PAIUTE LANGUAGE]
[PAIUTE WHOOPING]
WILLIAM: ANY HOPE FOR THEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN GONE,
BUT WILLIAM DENNIS WAS WATCHING FROM A NEARBY RIDGE.
THE PONY EXPRESS RIDER,
THAT WAS SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE THERE THAT VERY MORNING,
KNEW HE HAD TO GET HELP.
HE GOES DOWN TO THE NEAREST ARMY DETACHMENT
AND ALERTS THEM TO THE FACT THAT THERE'S POSSIBLE
TROUBLE AT EGAN STATION.
♪ ♪
[GUNSHOT]
♪ ♪
STATION MASTER 2: PLEASE NO! PLEASE!
SOMEBODY SAVE US!
LIEUTENANT STEPHEN WEED
LAUNCHES A CHARGE ON EGAN CANYON STATION.
THEY CHASE OFF THE PAIUTES AFTER A FIREFIGHT.
THREE OF THEIR MEN ARE WOUNDED.
THEY KILL SEVERAL PAIUTES AND INJURE SEVERAL MORE.
THE CAVALRY LITERALLY RODE TO THE RESCUE!
MANY STATION EMPLOYEES LOST THEIR LIVES THAT YEAR,
BUT THE PAIUTES WEREN'T THE ONLY ONES KNOWN TO ATTACK.
JAMES: WHOA THERE, FRIEND!
[GUNSHOT]
THE PONY EXPRESS FACED MANY THREATS FROM INDIANS,
BUT IT ALSO FACED THREATS FROM THIEVES,
BANDITS, AND MURDERERS ALIKE.
IN THESE VIOLENT DAYS,
A BRAVE FEW ROSE TO PROTECT THE WEAK,
AND THE GREATEST AMONGST THEM
WAS MY DEAR FRIEND,
JAMES BUTLER HICKOK.
HE WASN'T KNOWN AS "WILD BILL" IN THOSE DAYS.
NO, AT THE AGE OF 24, HE WAS JUST A YOUNG HERO IN THE MAKING.
♪ ♪
WILL: SO, WILD BILL HICKOK'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE PONY EXPRESS
HAS TAKEN A LOT OF DIFFERENT
FORMS OVER THE YEARS THROUGH HISTORICAL CHANNELS.
SOME SAY HE WAS A STOCK TENDER,
SOME SAY HE WAS SORT OF AN AUXILIARY MEMBER
OF THE MAIL SERVICE.
BUFFALO BILL, WILLIAM FREDERICK CODY,
SAYS THAT HE WAS A RIDER, A COURIER.
WILD BILL'S FAME DID NOT COME UNTIL 1867.
I THINK THAT THE ROCK CREEK EPISODE
IN HICKOK'S CAREER HELPS TO ESTABLISH HIS FAME.
HIS REPUTATION WAS UNKNOWN AT THAT TIME.
♪ [BUGLE] ♪
ACCORDING TO LEGEND, WILD BILL BLEW HIS BUGLE,
DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING IN RETURN,
AND THIS ALERTED HIM TO THE FACT
THAT SOMETHING WAS UP.
♪ ♪
YOU'RE OKAY.
♪ ♪
I DON'T LIKE THIS EITHER.
♪ ♪
[DOOR OPENS]
WHOA THERE, FRIEND!
[GUNSHOT]
[SCREAMING]
ACCORDING TO LEGEND,
WILD BILL COMES INTO THE STATION,
FINDS THE DEAD STOCK TENDER,
AND THEN HEARS SCREAMING
IN AN ADJACENT CABIN.
THE STOCK TENDER HAD JUST GOTTEN MARRIED,
AND THAT WAS HIS YOUNG BRIDE.
- SIT DOWN! - NO, NO! NO!
[SCREAMING]
WHO ARE YOU?
SHOOT HIM! [GUNSHOT]
JAMES: STEP AWAY FROM HER!
♪ ♪
[GUNSHOT]
SECOND ONLY TO WILD BILL'S REPUTATION AS A MARKSMAN
IS HIS REPUTATION WITH HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT.
♪ ♪
I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
IT'S BEST IF YOU LEAVE.
WE'RE LONG PAST THAT, FRIEND.
[FIGHTING]
[YELLING]
[FIGHTING]
[GLASS SHATTERS]
THE INCIDENT AT ROCK CREEK STATION SOLIDIFIED
HICKOK'S REPUTATION AS A FIGHTER,
WHETHER BY REVOLVER, KNIFE
OR HIS BARE HANDS, THE MAN WAS FEROCIOUS!
HE NEVER BACKED DOWN FROM A FIGHT.
NOW, I'M TALKING ABOUT A FIGHT WITH ONE GUY,
TWO GUYS, THREE GUYS, IT DIDN'T MATTER.
HE DIDN'T START A FIGHT,
BUT HE FINISHED THE FIGHT.
[FOOTSTEPS]
♪ ♪
YOU ALL RIGHT, MA'AM?
I THINK SO.
ARE YOU GOING AFTER HIM?
NO, I RECKON I'LL STAY HERE WITH YOU.
HE AIN'T COMING BACK.
THE MAN WHO ESCAPED WAS THE SOLE SURVIVOR OF THE McCANLES GANG.
ACCORDING TO LEGEND, THEY WERE SIX OF THE MEANEST,
WICKEDEST GUNSLINGERS WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI.
THANK YOU, STRANGER.
THE NAME'S HICKOK.
THANK YOU, MR. HICKOK.
YOU SURE YOU'RE ALL RIGHT?
YEAH.
LET'S GET YOU OUT OF HERE.
COME.
COME NOW.
♪ ♪
WILL: THIS IS WILD BILL'S FIRST GUNFIGHT.
FROM THERE, THE LEGEND GREW.
HE BECOMES A STORIED GUNSLINGER IN THE AMERICAN WEST.
HE WAS NOT A TYPICAL GUNFIGHTER.
HICKOK DRESSED EXCEEDINGLY WELL.
HE WAS A GENTLEMAN.
HE COULD GET ALONG WITH EVERYBODY,
A CLASSIC AMERICAN CITIZEN.
♪ ♪
THIS WAGON WILL TAKE YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND TO NEBRASKA CITY.
WAIT, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?
DUTY CALLS, MA'AM.
I HAVE TO COMPLETE MY RIDE.
PLEASE, WON'T YOU COME?
MY CONDOLENCES.
I MUST BE GOING.
MA'AM.
♪ ♪
WILLIAM: AFTER THE INCIDENT AT ROCK CREEK,
FOLKS TOOK TO CALLING HIM WILD BILL,
AND HE GLADLY ACCEPTED THE NEW MONIKER.
♪ ♪
WILLIAM: THE PONY EXPRESS FACED
A HEAP OF TROUBLE IN ITS TIME,
BUT IT WAS WORTH ALL OF IT,
JUST TO DELIVER ONE LETTER.
♪ ♪
[HORSE WHINNIES]
NEW YORK HAS GIVEN LINCOLN RAPH C]
A MAJORITY OF 50,000,
AND WITH THAT, HIS ELECTION IS CONCEDED.
WITH THE TRIUMPH OF THE REPUBLICANS
IN EACH OF THE FREE STATES.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN IS THE NEW PRESIDENT
OF THESE UNITED STATES.
MATT: IN MARCH 1861,
A VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM WASHINGTON
NEEDED TO MAKE ITS WAY TO CALIFORNIA
AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.
THE TRANSCONTINENTAL TELEGRAPH LINE WAS BEING BUILT,
BUT IT WASN'T QUITE YET COMPLETE.
THE WEST COAST HAD TELEGRAPH LINES,
THE EAST COAST AND THE MIDWEST HAD TELEGRAPH LINES,
BUT YOU HAD THAT GAP RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE.
SO, A TELEGRAPH MESSAGE THAT WAS SENT FROM WASHINGTON, D.C.
COULD MAKE IT ALL THE WAY TO FORT KEARNEY, NEBRASKA.
BUT THEN THERE WAS A 1,300-MILE GAP BETWEEN THERE AND NEVADA.
THAT 1,300-MILE GAP
WAS FILLED BY THE PONY EXPRESS.
♪ ♪
WILL: THEY HAD FRESH HORSES STAGED ALONG THE WAY,
SO THEY COULD GET ON THAT NEXT HORSE AND GO,
COVER THAT GROUND AS FAST AS THEY COULD.
♪ ♪
THEY HAD TO HAVE THEIR BEST RIDERS, FASTEST HORSES.
FOR THE PONY EXPRESS,
THIS HAD TO BE THEIR FINEST HOUR.
BYE, BOB.
♪ ♪
MIGHTY TIGHT TURNOVER TODAY.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE.
WHAT'S IN IT?
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT.
♪ ♪
HOPE HE MAKES IT.
HE WILL.
WILL: ONE OF THOSE RIDERS
WAS A MAN NAMED PONY BOB HASLAM.
HE HAD BEEN WITH THE COMPANY SINCE THE BEGINNING.
HE HAD BEEN HIRED TO HELP BUILD THE STATIONS
AND THE TRAIL IN THE EARLY DAYS.
MATT: PONY BOB IS WELL-KNOWN AND ASSOCIATED WITH
THE PONY EXPRESS FOR TWO MAIN REASONS.
THE FIRST REASON WAS HE
DID THE LONGEST RIDE, 380 MILES, DURING THE PAIUTE WAR.
THIS IS THE LONGEST RIDE IN PONY EXPRESS HISTORY.
THE SECOND REASON IS BECAUSE HE TRANSPORTED
LINCOLN'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS FROM
ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI, ALL THE WAY TO SACRAMENTO.
THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF MAIL THAT THE PONY EXPRESS CARRIED
IN ITS SHORT EXISTENCE WAS
LINCOLN'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
IN THE FALL OF 1860, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
ELECTED ABRAHAM LINCOLN
TO BE THEIR NEXT PRESIDENT.
BY THE TIME OF HIS INAUGURATION,
SEVEN STATES HAD SECEDED FROM THE UNITED STATES
TO FORM THE CONFEDERACY.
HIS INAUGURATION WAS A PLEA
TO HOLD THE UNION TOGETHER.
SO, AMERICA WAS IN THE THROES OF CIVIL WAR.
IT WAS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE TO KEEP CALIFORNIA
AND THE REST OF THE WEST COAST
IN THE UNION AS WELL.
CALIFORNIA WAS SO IMPORTANT, BECAUSE
THIS WAS THE NEW FRONTIER.
THIS WAS THE FUTURE OF AMERICA.
GOLD, SILVER, PEOPLE, TRADE,
THE WORLD BEYOND THE PACIFIC.
CALIFORNIA WAS A PORTAL TO ALL OF THAT.
BOTH THE CONFEDERACY AND THE UNITED STATES
HAD THEIR EYES ON CALIFORNIA
TO BE ABLE TO FINANCE THIS COMING WAR.
AND IT WASN'T A FOREGONE CONCLUSION THAT
CALIFORNIA WAS GONNA GO TOWARDS THE UNITED STATES.
THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT CONFEDERATE SYMPATHIZING POPULATION.
MATT: SO, LINCOLN WAS TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE
TO KEEP CALIFORNIA IN THE UNION.
PART OF THAT WAS SENDING THE INAUGURAL ADDRESS
AND REASSURING CALIFORNIANS THAT
THEY WERE PART OF THE NATION.
♪ ♪
WILL: FOR PONY BOB TO COVER THIS COUNTRY
AT SPEED MEANT THAT HE WAS CERTAINLY
THROWING HIMSELF IN HARM'S WAY.
MATT: PONY BOB'S ROUTE WAS DANGEROUS.
HE WAS GOING RIGHT THROUGH PAIUTE TERRITORY.
AND EVEN THOUGH THE WAR HAD RECENTLY ENDED,
THERE WAS STILL THE POSSIBILITY THAT
A WAR BAND MIGHT COME OUT OF NOWHERE AND ATTACK.
♪ ♪
[ARROW STRIKES] [PONY BOB GRUNTS]
PONY BOB IS ON THE RUN.
A PAIUTE WAR PARTY IS CHASING HIM.
AN ARROW HITS HIS ARM AND THIS FORCES HIS HAND.
♪ ♪
[HORSE BLUSTERS]
[BREAKS ARROW SHAFT] [PONY BOB GRUNTS]
♪ ♪
[GUNSHOT]
[HORSE WHINNIES]
♪ ♪
HANDGUNS ARE NOT ACCURATE
IN ANY KIND OF RANGE.
SHOOTING THE HORSES WAS
A MUCH MORE LOGICAL STEP
THAN TRYING TO SHOOT THE RIDERS.
WILLIAM: HE COULD HAVE STAYED TO FINISH THE FIGHT,
BUT PONY BOB UNDERSTOOD HIS DUTY CLEARLY.
MATT: THIS LETTER REALLY PROVED TO CALIFORNIANS
THAT THEY WERE PART OF THE NATION.
BEING ONE WEEK REMOVED FROM THE EAST COAST
WAS SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER THAN BEING ONE MONTH,
BEING SIX MONTHS, BEING A YEAR,
WHICH IS WHAT THE EXPERIENCE HAD BEEN FORMERLY.
CALIFORNIA NOW FELT LIKE A MORE CLOSELY-KNIT
PART OF THE UNION, LIKE A MORE INTEGRATED PART.
AND IN A NATION THAT'S DIVIDING,
LITERALLY FRAYING AT THE SEAMS,
CLEAVING APART,
CALIFORNIA, FOR WHATEVER REASON,
BECAUSE OF THIS LETTER,
BECAME A LITTLE CLOSER TO IT.
PONY BOB'S RIDE HELPED TO SAVE THE UNION THAT DAY!
OF THIS, I AM CERTAIN.
♪ ♪
WHEN THE END CAME FOR THE PONY EXPRESS,
IT WAS SUDDEN!
IT WAS SWIFT!
BUT I GUARANTEE YOU,
NO ONE WAS SURPRISED.
THE TELEGRAPH WAS THE DEATH BLOW
TO THE PONY EXPRESS.
AFTER THE TRANSCONTINENTAL
TELEGRAPH LINE OPENED,
THE PONY EXPRESS CLOSED.
AND YET, THE PONY EXPRESS IS
BOTH THE BEGINNING AND AN END.
IT IS THE BEGINNING OF THE OLD WEST,
THE OPEN RANGE CATTLE RANCHES,
THE MASS MOVEMENT OF AMERICANS IN A SYSTEMATIC,
RAPID FASHION,
WAGON TRAINS GOING INTO THE UNKNOWN.
LONG AFTER THE PONY EXPRESS WAS DELIVERING MAIL,
IT WAS DELIVERING MYTHOLOGY.
WILL: IT EXISTED ONLY AS A LETTER SERVICE.
AND YET, A MORE GLAMOROUS CONTRIBUTION
TO OUR WESTERN HERITAGE WOULD BE HARD TO FIND.
WE CAN PUT ALL THE TRAPPINGS OF ROMANCE ON IT WE WANT.
AND THIS IS REALLY THE VALUE, AS WE LOOK AT THIS
FROM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE.
THAT'S WHAT THE PONY EXPRESS DID.
IT GAVE US A MEANS FOR UNDERSTANDING
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WEST.
I CANNOT NAME A SINGLE RIDER
THAT WAS HIRED THE FIRST DAY
AND WAS THERE AT THE LAST DAY.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS ONE,
BECAUSE THE RIDERS CAME AND WENT.
BUT THE STORIES THAT THEY SHARED
AND WHAT THEY BROUGHT BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITIES,
THIS GOT OUT INTO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC.
AND IT'S A STORY OF HEROES.
AND IT ENDURES TO THIS DAY.
CAMERON: THE PONY EXPRESS EMBODIES, I THINK,
ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF WESTERN AMERICA
AND ITS HISTORY.
AND IN PARTICULAR, THE ASPECTS
THAT WE WANT TO REMEMBER.
THE ROMANCE, THE ADVENTURE, THE ENVIRONMENT, THE DANGER,
THAT IT BECOMES SO CENTRAL TO HOW THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
THINK ABOUT AND REMEMBER,
AND SOMETIMES MISREMEMBER,
THE WESTERN UNITED STATES.
SO, WHETHER OR NOT ALL OF THESE THINGS ACTUALLY HAPPENED,
WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE ACCURATE,
I THINK EVEN JUST LOOKING AT THE PONY EXPRESS,
IT OFTENTIMES REFLECTS
SOME OF THE VALUES AND THE STORIES
THAT WE WANT TO BELIEVE ABOUT OUR OWN PAST.
WILLIAM: JUST TWO DAYS
AFTER THE TELEGRAPH LINE WAS FINISHED,
THE PONY EXPRESS CEASED TO EXIST.
BUT IN OUR SHORT TIME,
WE DELIVERED 35,000 LETTERS
AND ONLY LOST THE ONE MOCHILA.
BUT THE BEST THING THAT WE EVER DID
WAS TO GIVE THIS YOUNG COUNTRY
SOME HEROES OF ITS OWN!
♪ ♪
[SLOW APPLAUSE]
WELL PERFORMED, MR. CODY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR AUDIENCE, MR. EDISON.
BUFFALO BILL AND THOMAS EDISON DID MEET
ON AT LEAST TWO OCCASIONS.
ONE TIME AT THE PARIS EXPOSITION IN 1889
AND ANOTHER TIME IN THE CHICAGO WORLD'S FAIR IN 1893.
THESE TWO MEN, THOMAS EDISON AND BUFFALO BILL,
REALLY REPRESENT THE TRANSITION FROM
THE 19TH CENTURY TO THE 20TH CENTURY.
CAMERON: AND IN A LOT OF WAYS,
THIS WAS A PASSING OF THE BATON
FROM ONE STORYTELLER TO THE NEXT.
THOMAS EDISON: BRONCO CHARLIE,
WILD BILL,
PONY BOB,
THESE ARE ALL VERY COLORFUL CHARACTERS
WITH INCREDIBLE TALES.
BUT I MUST ASK,
HOW MUCH OF THIS IS TRUE?
WELL, MR. EDISON,
YOU CAN APPRECIATE IN THIS WORLD THERE ARE TRUTHS,
THERE ARE HALF TRUTHS,
AND THERE ARE LEGENDS.
I'M A BUSY MAN.
I ONLY HAVE TIME FOR THE LEGENDS.
[LAUGHTER]
RYAN: BUFFALO BILL IS PROBABLY THE BEST STORYTELLER
FOR THE AMERICAN WEST THAT'S EVER EXISTED.
AND WHAT HE WAS INVOLVED IN, WHAT HE ACTUALLY DID,
THERE'S DEBATES ABOUT THAT.
BUT WHAT HE DID MANAGE TO DO IS KEEP
A VERSION OF THE AMERICAN WEST ALIVE TO THE PRESENT DAY.
MATT: BUFFALO BILL INTRODUCED EASTERNERS
AND PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD TO THE WEST
IN A BRAND NEW WAY.
THE WILD WEST SHOW BRINGS TOGETHER
INDIGENOUS WARRIORS, GUNFIGHTERS,
ANNIE OAKLEY, PONY EXPRESS RIDERS,
ALL THESE OLD LEGENDS OF THE WEST.
AND IT IS REALLY THE BEGINNING OF THE CINEMATIC WESTERN.
[LAUGHTER]
WELL, I LIKE IT.
MR. CODY,
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE
A MOTION PICTURE WITH ME?
WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN MIND?
I WAS THINKING,
WHY DON'T WE MAKE
A WESTERN?
♪ ♪
PUT HER THERE, PARTNER.
♪ [PIANO MUSIC] ♪
MATT: TO A LARGE DEGREE, BUFFALO BILL
WAS PASSING ON THE TORCH TO THOMAS EDISON.
HERE YOU HAVE THIS ROADSHOW MASTER
AND THOMAS EDISON, WHOSE INVENTIONS WILL LEAD TO WAYS
THAT WE CONSUME INFORMATION AND STORIES
TODAY ABOUT THE AMERICAN WEST.
RYAN: FILM AND CINEMA CEMENT
THE STATUS OF THE PONY EXPRESS
IN SO MANY AMERICANS' IMAGINATIONS.
PUTTING IT ON THE BIG SCREEN
AND MAKING ALL THESE MYTHS, AND LEGENDS,
AND STORIES A PART OF AMERICAN CULTURE.
JEFF: WE LOVE ENTERTAINMENT
AND HOLLYWOOD WAS A BIG PART OF
EXCITING THE AMERICAN PUBLIC
TO THE AMERICAN WEST.
THESE MOVIES REALLY INSPIRED OUR IMAGINATION
AND THE PONY EXPRESS WAS A BIG PART OF THAT.
I'LL BE SEEING YOU.
CAMERON: THAT WAS WHERE THE WESTERN BEGAN.
THE BEGINNING OF ALL WESTERN FILMS THAT WE SEE TODAY.
RUN, TRIGGER, RUN!
CAMERON: ROMANTICIZED FOR SURE.
BUT BOY, PEOPLE REALLY LATCHED ON TO IT.
I'VE SAVED THE MOCHILA!
CAMERON: THE LAST RIDE OF THE PONY EXPRESS.
♪ ♪