An Affiliated Posse of the National Congress of Old West Shootists
  
line decor
 
line decor

Inaugural Shoot

Members Page 1. 

Members Page 2.

Photos Page 1. 

Photos Page 2.

Videos

Match Scores

Contacts, Map, Directions, Announcements

The Trading Post

Legal Stuff

   
See our Contact's Page For a report on the 2012 NCOWS Convention by Jeff Bailey

Updated Saturday April 28, 2012

We had a pretty good turn-out this morning considering the weather...saw some old faces we haven't seen for a while as well as several new members...Welcome Dart Liebrandt and Mick Pflum. Mike Owen was also there and said he is going to bring half of his relatives to next months match. I know if god is willing, I'll be there and my son William is planning to shoot too, should be a good crowd.....?? As as soon as Jeff Bailey emails me the scores I will post them here.

Today I've added several new members photos on the Members page...If you are not on there...I'll get to you , or, you can send me a photo via email and I'll insert it into the Members page.

And, I've added a "Click Here" function that will take you to a larger image of the person or scene that you click on and you can down load it to your computer...try it out, and let me know what you think!!

I've added a new video on the video page today...this is a shortened version of a video that is over an hour in length of the 2009 NCOWS National Shoot. This version shows our members only, and only shooting their revolvers, check it out.

I also want to remind everyone that we have our first scheduled shoot of 2012 this Sturday...check the Match Scores Page for shooting times and schedule.

New Information, Please Read Below

New Shooting Schedule for 2012...please read and mark on your calendar....

Starting with the April 2012 match, we will shoot on the fourth weekend, Saturday April 28th. 2012. Please be there by 09:30AM, to help set up the range. Safety talk will be at 10:00AM. Match to start immediately after safety talk.

Jeff Bailey has agreed to be our new Treasurer ....Patty (my wife) has been the treasurer since our club started...,so, she needs a break.

For those interested, Thunder Creek Long Rifles will be holding their 40th year anniversary Rendezvous the third full weekend of October, Saturday and Sunday the 20th & 21st 2012. Some of our members plan on attending. contact Glenn McClain at westforkforge@webtv.net

Mike Owen stepped down as Territorial Rep., so I'll temporarily fill this post until we can vote on it at our meeting.

Check out our new page "The Trading Post"

THE National Congress of Old West Shootists

Was established to promote the sport of Western Action Shooting and to preserve the heritage of the Old West, 1865-1899. To this end, our organizational goals are: To conduct and/or sponsor family-oriented Western Action Shoots and other activities appropriate to the Old West on national, regional, and local levels. To encourage a high level of historical authenticity in weapons, clothing, and accouterments while participating in NCOWS-sponsored activities. To engage in historical investigation to enhance our overall level of authenticity and increase our knowledge of the Old West. To actively promote a positive public image of Western Action Shooting in particular, and of the safe and responsible use of firearms in general. To establish a membership of like-minded individuals and Charter Clubs (Posses) to help the sport of Western Action Shooting grow and prosper. http://www.ncows.org

History Of The Scarlet Mask Vigilance Society

 The Reno Brothers, Frank, John, William, and Simon, embarked on the trail to infamy during the final year of the Civil War when they became involved in "bounty jumping". (Draftees who wanted to avoid the war could hire someone else to go in their place. The Reno boys would accept the bounty and enlist in another's stead, only to desert later and repeat the process.) Then in late 1864 and 65 the Reno Brothers and associates began robbing a number of post offices, business and homes in Jackson County, Indiana, and before long they would add murder to their list of crimes. Their depredations in Southern Indiana made history on October 6, 1866, when they committed the world's first known peacetime train robbery. Over the next two years the Reno Brothers and their gang terrorized Indiana and the Midwest as far West as Missouri (where John Reno was captured by Pinkerton's and imprisoned for 25 years) and Iowa.

To counter the Reno's reign of terror the citizens of Jackson County formed the Jackson County (or Southern Indiana) Vigilance Committee, which was also known as the Scarlet Mask Society because of the long red bandannas they wore. In March of 1867, 250 to 300 members of the Scarlet Mask Society broke into the jail in Brownstown, Indiana and grabbed two Reno Gang members which they promptly hung from a large tree on the courthouse lawn.

Later, in July of 1868, when 6 members of the Reno Gang were captured while trying to rob a train near Brownstown, Ind. on July 20, the Scarlet Mask Society took three of the robbers being transported from Seymour to Brownstown, by train and hung them from a large beech tree. Fearing the same fate would await the other three prisoners, county authorities decided to secretly transport them by wagon to Brownstown. However, on July 25, the Scarlet Mask Society stopped the wagon near the same crossing were they had stopped the train, and took the other three robbers and hung them from the same limb of the same large beech tree. That spot is still well known to this very day as "Hangman's Crossing."

Finally, on the night of December 11-12, 1868, about 100 masked men of the Scarlet Mask Society arrived by rail in New Albany were Frank, William, and Simon Reno along with two of their gang were being held in the jail. The masked men of the Scarlet Mask Society organized themselves into columns and at the leader's cry of "Salus Populi Suprema Lex" ("The Wish of the People is the Supreme Law") began their march on the jail. Where they overpowered the jailer and the sheriff, and then hung the three Reno's and the two gang members inside the jail. The Reno's' reign of terror was over.

Some Reno supporters threatened retaliation for the hangings, but notices posted by the Jackson County Vigilance Committee promising a "a short shift and a hempen collar" to outlaws were well heeded. Peace was restored to Southern Indiana.