Publisher description: The unique and colorful drama of the Westward Movement is reported by contemporary literary artists, scholars, historians, and humorists in this rich collection that powerfully recreates all the excitement and adventure of America's past. Through the prose, poetry, letters, and fiction of eyewitnesses, readers can explore a frontier of open ranges, rugged pioneering, impassioned politics, fervent gospel religion, earthy, impetuous language, lusty folklore, and often, loneliness. ... Anyone interested in the early history and literature of our country will find these pages bring to life many of the most fascinating, significant, and entertaining aspects of American expansion.