In the 1840s, gold had officially been discovered in California, and many men made their way out West in search of riches. The early mining camps were dangerous places full of violence and crime. Law and order was needed, and the Vigilante Committee became the first organized deliverer of justice in these turbulent new towns. As more and more people headed out West, and many new towns sprang up, a more official system of law was needed. From the days of the California Gold Rush to the killing of Bill Tilghman, the last of the traditional frontier lawmen, this book discusses the men that shaped law and order in the 'Wild, Wild West'.

Charles M. Robinson III, a native of Texas, is a history instructor at South Texas Community College and the author of twelve books, primarily on the American West. His most recent book, General Crook and the American Frontier, was released by the University of Oklahoma Press in October 2002. His book, Bad Hand: A Biography of General Ranald S Mackenzie, won the Texas State Historical Commission's prestigious T. R. Fehrenback Award, and was honored by a resolution from the Texas House of Representatives. He is a member of the Texas State Historical Association, the Western History Association, and the Western Writers of America. He is also an honorary member of the Chief Santanta Descendants, a Kiowa Indian heritage organization, in Oklahoma. He lives in San Benito, Texas.