Joseph J. Di Certo

The Saga of the Pony Express Joseph J. Di Certo Revised edition

"Wanted--Young skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily... Orphans preferred."--Pony Express poster, 1860



America in the mid-1800s was a land of burgeoning cities, westward expansion, economic optimism, and political turmoil. Threatened by civil war and Indian uprisings, the government needed better communication with its far-flung citizens in the West. Three visionaries dreamt up a seemingly impossible solution: the Pony Express. An elite cadre of young riders would carry the U. S. mail across 2,000 miles of inhospitable wilderness in 10 days. For a brief yet crucial time, the system worked, until scandal--and the arrival of the telegraph--ended it.



Against a backdrop of colorful characters chasing great dreams and greater adventure, The Saga of the Pony Express brings the legendary mail service to life. Separating truth from myth, it covers the route, the horses, the hard-driving supervisors, and the talented young riders such as Wild Bill Hickok and Buffalo Bill Cody, who shrugged off pain and sneered at danger. Meticulously researched yet anything but dry, this book takes a fresh approach to a topic previously limited mostly to scholarly writings--Di Certo entertains and informs.



Complete with dozens of illustrations, several maps, and appendixes of riders and relay stations--including stations the reader can still see today--The Saga of the Pony Express proves there's a reason some legends endure.