Powder River invasion: War on the rustlers in 1892

Powder River invasion by A. S. Mercer is a historical account written in the early 20th century. It chronicles the 1892 Johnson County conflict in Wyoming from an outspoken anti–cattle baron perspective, portraying the “invasion” as a lawless corporate campaign against small settlers labeled as rustlers. Drawing on personal acquaintance and local knowledge, it depicts lynchings, ambush murders, a fortified siege, and alleged political and military complicity that turned a regional range dispute into a notorious episode of frontier violence.

The opening of the book sets out Mercer’s claim to tell a strictly factual narrative, then surveys how open ranges gave way to corporate consolidation, overstocking, hard winters, and falling prices—conditions that cattle companies masked by blaming “rustlers” and pushing the Maverick law. It shows the Stock Growers’ Association’s dominance and rising friction with settlers, then details early flashpoints: the lynching of Jim Averill and “Cattle Kate,” the hanging of Waggoner, the ambush murders of Orley Jones and J. A. Tisdale, and an attempted killing of Nate Champion—often tying suspects to prominent cattle interests and noting failed prosecutions. It then traces the organization of the 1892 raid from Cheyenne—fundraising, recruitment (including Texans at $5 per day and bounties), press manipulation, and, crucially, the acting governor’s order curbing local militia call‑outs—before recounting the special-train move to Casper, the dawn assault on the K.C. ranch, the wounding of Nick Ray, Nate Champion’s lone defense and powerful diary, and his death after the cabin was burned. Finally, it describes the invaders’ retreat to the TA ranch, the settlers’ siege and “go‑devil” breaching plan, and their rescue by U.S. cavalry ordered after the acting governor wired President Harrison, with the captors listed and civil warrants immediately sought—firmly framing this as only the beginning of the larger story.