Wheat: The Reminiscences of Porter Rockwell

Wheat! The Reminiscences of Porter Rockwell is a work of historical fiction, meaning that some of it is history and some of it is fiction, and some of it is both history and fiction. I (Wally Foote) tell the story from the first-person point of view, to lend it authenticity and also give it the ring of truth, which it mostly is. Why did I write this book? First, because I don't believe any writer has yet done justice to Porter's story, and second, even if some say the story has been effectively told, it's never (until now) been told by me! Porter Rockwell has long been a hero of mine. On the list of colorful characters of the Old West, I find him to be one of the more colorful. At the same time he is one who is often neglected, or it seems to me, under-appreciated. With his unparalleled tracking ability, his proficiency in the use of weapons, his incredible horsemanship and super-human tenacity and endurance, he stands apart from many others who thrived on the American frontier. As he demonstrated many times, he was also completely and absolutely human. This side of him likewise has its appeal. To the best of my knowledge, the dates and the place names I've included are accurate. With the exception of one or two, the people I name are real, or are at least known to history. If the events I relate did not happen just as I have reported them, I'll forever insist they should have. I set out to tell Porter Rockwell's story as I believe he would have told it, had circumstances allowed. Most of the details I provide came directly from an accepted historical source or were suggested by one, except for a few little dainties I created out of whole cloth. The more times I tell these parts, the truer they seem.