Henry Plummer: A Novel by Frank Bird Linderman (review)

H e n r y P l u m m e r : A N o v e l. By F r a n k Bir d Lin d e r m a n . Fo r e w o r d b y Sa r a h W a lle r H a t fie ld . L in c o ln : U n iv e r sit y o f N e b r a sk a P r e ss, 2 0 0 0 . 2 2 1 p a g e s, $ 1 6 .9 5 . R e v ie w e d by R o sc o e L . B u c k la n d W e st e r n W a sh in gt o n U n iv e r sit y H e n ry P lu m m e r: A N o v e l is a se m ific tio n al a c c o u n t o f th e o u tlaw /sh e r iff w h o ter r or ized th e r ain in g ca m p s o f th e Ba n n o c k an d V ir gin ia C it y ar e a o f M o n t a n a u n t il h e an d h is b an d w er e h an ge d in Ja n u ar y 1864. T h e r ise an d fa ll o f H e n r y P lu m m e r is a le ge n d o f t h e I d a h o /M o n t a n a fr o n t ie r an d a c h a p t e r in t h e h isto r y o f A m e r ic a n v igila n t ism . T h e n o v e l w as c o m p le t e d in 1 9 2 0 , b u t th is p r in t in g is its first p u b lic a t io n . It is a n in t e r e st in g stu d y in th e p r o b le m s o f th e p o p u la r h ist o r ic a l r o m a n c e an d a n in sigh tfu l n ar r at iv e o f a fr o n t ie r in cid e n t . In th e forew ord, Lin d e r m an ’s gran d d au gh ter , Sar a W aller H atfield , d escr ibes h is attem p ts t o get th e b o o k pu b lish ed . H e h ad b e e n gat h er in g m ater ial on P lu m m er for tw en ty years. By th e tim e h e w r ote th e n ov el, h e w as w ell e st ab ­ lish ed w ith Scr ib n e r ’s as a w riter o f In d ian an d M o n ta n a lore, b u t th ey r espectLe ath e r A lb u m C o ve r . Leath er w or k by R ay H o le s, 1956 . P h o t o gr ap h b y Ke lly P ow ell, 1984. C o u r t e sy o f th e Id ah o C o m m issio n o n th e A r ts. WAL 36.1 Sp ri n g 2001 fu lly d e clin ed th e P lu m m er b o o k b ecau se it w as to o factu al, fallin g betw een fiction an d biograph...