This amazing Wild West caper occurred during the Civil War’s final year. It was California front-page news that captured the country’s attention. This epic story includes a secret society, a daring stagecoach robbery, plus a cast of real-life characters featuring California Confederates, Copperhead citizens, Civil War drama, court judges, and convicted criminals.

Author and passionate genealogist William E. Cole is a relative of one of the perpetrators. Bill dug deep into the California State Archives to uncover the full story. The treasure trove of information he found tells an amazing story, where fact is truly stranger than fiction.

Bill Cole is a member of the Mayflower Society, California Historical Society, California Genealogical Society, Downey Historical Society, Surry County Genealogical Society, and the Sacramento German Genealogical Society where he currently serves as vice president. He also co-chairs the International German Genealogy Conference to be held in Sacramento in June 2019 and serves as an executive team member of the International German Genealogy Partnership.