UT Arlington Library

Benjamin Franklin Capps was born June 11, 1922, in Dundee, Texas, in the West Texas country he writes about. He grew up on a ranch near Archer City, Texas. After graduating from Archer City High School in May 1938, at age fifteen, Capps left home to attend Texas Technological College in Lubbock. After a year of college he served one year in the Civilian Conservation Corps. Capps then worked as a surveyor for the U.S. Department of Engineering in the construction of airfields in Colorado and Texas, and as a truck driver in the building of Lake Texoma. In 1942 he married Marie Thompson, whom he met in Colorado, and entered the U.S. Army Air Force. During World War II he flew forty bombing missions as the navigator of a B-24 Liberator in the Pacific and attained the rank of first lieutenant.

Thanks to the GI Bill, Capps was able to attend The University of Texas at Austin after the war. He graduated in 1948 with a B.A. in English and a Phi Beta Kappa key, and in 1949 he received his M.A. in English. After graduation Capps taught English and Journalism for two years at Northeastern State College in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Teaching was time-consuming and did not allow him time to write and be with his family. In 1951, Capps left teaching to write full-time in Paris, Texas. A year later, his savings exhausted, he took a job as a machinist after he moved the family to Grand Prairie, Texas. He reasoned that such work would be different enough from writing fiction that it would not drain his creativity. During the years as a machinist and tool-and-die maker, he continued to write and publish short stories and articles in addition to accumulating a wealth of material on the Old West. With the help and support of his family, Capps left his mechanical trade in 1961 to become a full-time writer. In 1976 he returned briefly to teaching as the first writer-in-residence at UT Arlington, where he taught a senior writing workshop and served as a consultant to the English Department. That year he co-edited, with Dr. Thomas Sutherland, the first book UT Arlington published, Duncan Robinson: Texas Teacher and Humanist.

Capps' first novel, Hanging at Comanche Wells, a Ballantine paperback, was published in 1962. It related the tale of a valiant deputy helping to keep peace in a town awaiting the execution of a convicted hired gun. The Trail to Ogallala was Capps' first hardcover novel and established him as a major chronicler of the West. The story realistically dramatized a trail drive by focusing on moving a herd of cattle 1,500 miles to market. The novel received a Spur Award from the Western Writers of America and the Levi Strauss Golden Saddleman Award for its outstanding contribution to western literature in 1964. It was selected by the National Association of Independent Schools as one of the ten best books that year for pre-college readers. It was also selected as one of thirty-one books placed in the White House Library that year by the American Booksellers Association. Another novel, Sam Chance, profiled a West Texas cattle baron and won the Spur Award for 1965.

In 1969, The White Man's Road, the story of a Comanche half-breed trying to find his place in the world of western Oklahoma, won Capps his third Spur Award. It also won the Wrangler Award from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center for the best western novel of the year. The True Memoirs of Charley Blankenship (1972) and Woman Chief (1980) were each one of three finalists for the Spur. True Memoirs is the light-hearted story of a runaway who "went west" as a boy and came back a man. Woman Chief is based on the story of a captive Gros Ventre girl who became a warrior chief in a band of the Crow tribe. The Warren Wagontrain Raid won the Wrangler Award in 1974 for the best western book of non-fiction and was also a finalist for the Spur.

Other Capps books include: The Brothers of Uterica (1967), which portrayed a common but almost forgotten ingredient of Western settlement, the socialist colony, and A Woman of the People (1966), the story of a white girl and her sister captured by Comanches. The Heirs of Franklin Woodstock, published in 1989, is Capps first contemporary novel. Set against West Texas ranch life, it explores the relationship between grown children and aging parents. Tales of the Southwest, a collection of short stories written over a span of forty years, was published in 1991. In addition to western novels, Capps is recognized as one of America's authorities on Indian life and culture. He produced two works on the American Indian for Time-Life Books, The Indian and The Great Chiefs.

Capps is also the author of numerous published short stories, articles, essays, and book reviews. In 1991 he won the Western Writers of America Spur Award for one of his short stories, "Cimarron, The Killer." He writes on many subjects and does not consider himself only a western writer, even though his greatest successes were western novels. However, he is primarily interested in the past and its influence on us today. Much of his writing's appeal lies in his knowledge of the Old West's folklore. According to Capps, his writing's aim is to be authentic and "to probe the human nature and human motives" involved in his stories. His works are painstakingly researched for historical accuracy and generally explore lesser known facets of the American frontier. The Western Literature Association honored Capps with the Distinguished Achievement Award in October 1986.

Benjamin Capps died December 23, 2001.

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Sources:

Clayton, Lawrence. Benjamin Capps and the South Plains: A Literary Relationship. Texas Writers Series. Denton: University of North Texas Press, 1990.
Speck Ernest B. Benjamin Capps. Boise State University Western Writer Series, Number 49., Boise, Idaho: Boise State University, 1981.
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Selected Bibliography

Works by Benjamin Capps
Fiction:

The Brothers of Uterica. New York: Meredith Press, 1967; reprint, Popular Library, n.d.; Dallas: Southern Methodist University Press, 1988.
Hanging at Comanche Wells. New York: Ballantine Books, 1962.
The Heirs of Franklin Woodstock. Fort Worth: Texas Christian University Press, 1989.
Sam Chance. New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1965; reprint, New York: Ace Books, n.d.; Dallas: Southern Methodist University Press, 1987.
Tales of the Southwest. New York: Doubleday, 1991.
The Trail to Ogallala. New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1964; reprint, New York: New American Library, 1965; Fort Worth: Texas Christian University Press, 1985.
The True Memoirs of Charley Blankenship. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1972.
The White Man's Road. New York: Harper and Row, Publishers, 1969; reprint, New York; Ace Books, n.d.; Dallas: Southern Methodist University Press, 1988.
Woman Chief. Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1979. reprint by Ace Books, c.1982.
A Woman of the People. New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1966; reprint Greenwich, Connecticut: Fawcett Publications, n.d.; Albuquerque: New Mexico University Press, 1985.

Non-fiction:

Duncan Robinson: Texas Teacher and Humanist. Arlington, Texas: UT Arlington Press, 1976. (co-edited with Dr. Thomas Sutherland)
The Great Chiefs. New York: Time-Life Books, 1975.
The Indians. New York: Time-Life Books, 1973.
The Warren Wagontrain Raid: The First Complete Account of an Historic Indian Attack and Its Aftermath. New York: The Dial Press, 1974; reprint, Dallas: Southern Methodist University Press, 1989.
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Series Description

The Benjamin Capps Papers are arranged in seven series:

Series I. Diaries, 1946-1979. 1.5 inches (4 items). Arranged chronologically. Description of experiences and thoughts in notebook format. Includes a manuscript publication record. Dates of diaries overlap.

Series II. Correspondence, 1968-1993 (bulk 1974-1990). 5 inches (1 document box). Arranged alphabetically. Correspondence with friends, colleagues, and members of the Western Writers of America.

Series III. Plagiarism Case Files, 1980-1988 (bulk 1981-1983). 15 inches (3 document boxes). Arranged by document-type. Correspondence, legal documents, financial documents, essays, notes, statements, clippings, and exhibits. Includes an M.A. thesis about the case.

Series IV. Reviews, 1951-1992 (bulk 1964-1992). 5 inches (1 document box). Arranged alphabetically and chronologically. Primarily clippings divided into three subseries: general publicity, reviews about Capps' work, and reviews by Capps.

Series V. Literary Works, 1946-1991. 3.3 linear ft. (8 document boxes). Arranged chronologically and alphabetically. Manuscripts, typescripts, notebooks, galleys, clippings, and photocopied research materials of early unpublished stories up through his latest published work. Includes University of Texas at Austin classwork and teaching notes from Northeastern State College.

Series VI. Printed Material, 1965-1991. 5 items (l document box). Arranged by document-type. Award certificates and copies of Sacajewea.

Series VII. Oversize Material, 1869-1989. 10 inches (2 oversize boxes, 2 oversize folders). Chronological arrangement. Includes research materials, galleys, printed material, legal documents, maps, and a certificate.

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Scope and Content Note

This second acquisition of Benjamin Capps Papers, 1946-1993, overlaps and supplements the division's earlier acquisition of his papers acquired in 1977. They were developed since the late seventies and include some material that has been in storage since the 1940s. The inclusive dates of Capps' papers do not reflect the dates of research materials, but rather the dates during which he produced and collected the materials. There are six and one half linear feet in sixteen document storage boxes of correspondence, legal and financial documents, manuscripts, typescripts, research materials, notes, galleys, and printed material. The collection was organized into seven series: diaries, correspondence, plagiarism case files, reviews, literary works, printed materials, and oversize materials.

Series I, diaries, 1946-1979, are notebooks in which Capps describes his feelings and experiences as a rookie schoolteacher, machinist, and full-time writer. They also contain a manuscript publication record in which he lists expenses and income related to writing, descriptions of family activities, studies of writing techniques, character descriptions, letter drafts, a biographical outline, and the story draft for "Pilgrimage of a Writer," a fictional autobiography.

Series II, correspondence, 1968-1993, contains letters exchanged with Henry Allen (pen name, Will Henry), Lawrence Clayton, Don Graham, Dorothy M. Johnson, Elmer Kelton, and C.L. Sonnichsen as well as officers and members of the Western Writers of America. Earlier correspondence with some of these writers can be found in his other collection. Of special interest is the correspondence with writers Henry Allen and Dorothy Johnson with whom he discusses the writing of western literature, other authors and their works, current projects, and his plagiarism case.

Series III, the plagiarism case files, 1980-1988 (bulk 1981-1983), is the second largest series. It contains the widest variety of materials, correspondence, legal and financial documents with accompanying exhibits, and printed materials. A few letters are from people who read Capps' work and noticed the similarity between his writings and the novel Sacajawea, by Anna Lee Waldo. Most of his time and energy from 1981 through June 1983 was involved in "the most outrageous case of plagiarism in the history of this country," according to Capps. Waldo and the publisher, Avon Books, were sued by Capps for copyright infringement of parts of several of his works that were used in Sacajawea. Capps has stated that the case exhausted him and caused him to be hospitalized for major surgery. A long recovery period was necessary. The settlement was finalized in June 1983. Capps agreed not to publicize the case, but because several scholars knew about it before the final agreement was settled, Capps believes that the details of the case should be available specifically for scholarly research.

The bulk of the correspondence in series III is between Capps and his attorney, Richard S. Pastore of Albert, Pastore & Ward, P.C., New York City, and his literary agent, Al Hart, of The Fox Chase Agency, New York City. Much of the correspondence with his agent, attorney, and friends discuss possible settlement amounts. The letters and contracts that reflect the final agreement are closed at this time for research to prevent them from being used by the news media until after Capps' death. An agreement stipulates that the "parties agree to keep confidential the terms of this agreement, including the amount of any payment or payments made. . . ." Included are the various court documents, proofs, essays, interrogatories, financial records, and comparisons of text (which Capps calls paste-ups) between his work and Lee's novel as well as text from other well-known authors, especially Jack London, James Michener, John Steinbeck, and Andrew Garcia. Also included is a copy of a 1986 M.A. thesis by Mary C. Simpson, Benjamin Capps and the Sacajawea Plagiarism Case.

Series IV, reviews, 1951-1992, are primarily in the form of clippings. They include general publicity about Capps, the writer, reviews of Capps' work in whole or in part, and reviews by Capps of other western writer's work. The general publicity files contain biographical information and an oral interview transcript by Joanna Gibson conducted in March 1978. The reviews of Capps' work are organized by the title of the work with a collection of essays about several of his works organized according to the journal title in which they appeared. Reviews by Capps of other authors' work is organized by the newspaper or journal in which they were published. Included there is a file of early rejection slips, 1951-1962, primarily for short story submissions to various publishers.

Series V, literary works, 1946-1991, the largest series, contains manuscripts, typescripts, galley sheets, research materials from published sources and various libraries, notebooks, printed material, letters, and clippings. The literary material is arranged in chronological order by publication date. Early unpublished materials, short stories, published and unpublished are arranged alphabetically by title. Most of the materials in the collection were created and published during the late 1970s to 1991. However, many early works that had been in storage are included. Short stories, essays, and classroom assignments for English and Journalism classes dominate the early materials. This material overlaps and repeats some of the same material from Capps first collection of papers, although they are, in many cases, different versions or drafts of those same stories. Class notes and exams for classes that Capps taught at Northeastern State College at Tahlequah, Oklahoma, demonstrate his philosophy of teaching and writing. Notes and research materials for Brothers of Uterica, Sam Chance, and The Warren Wagontrain Raid appear in this collection and in AR309. Parts of two unpublished novels, short stories, published and unpublished, are in both collections of his papers. Manuscripts, typescripts, galley sheets, notebooks, outlines, plans, and drafts pertaining to three novels published after 1979, Woman Chief, The Heirs of Franklin Woodstock, and Tales of the Southwest are included.

Ten notebooks placed at the end of the literary series did not fit exclusively into any of the previous categories. The notebooks contain a mixture of story plans, notes, essays, character descriptions, ideas, biographical information, and letter drafts pertaining to two or more of his works. Letter drafts in the notebooks include letters regarding the plagiarism case, reviews, and letters for which there is likely a typed copy in the appropriate series.

Series VI, printed materials, includes three award certificates, 1965-1991, and two editions of Sacajawea published in 1978 and 1980. Series VII, oversize materials, 1865-1989, contains photocopies of research materials, photostatic copies of post returns, 1871, and maps, 1869-1875, legal documents, printed materials, and galley proofs taken from other series and placed here due to the size limitations of the containers.

A list of books and periodicals that were removed from the collection to be cataloged individually for Special Collections can be found in the Materials Removed List at the end of this finding aid. The collection was originally contained in twenty-one boxes of varying sizes. Correspondence, plagiarism case files, reviews, short stories, and manuscripts were received in labeled folders, one certificate was framed, maps were rolled, and post returns were folded. Several documents, research materials, photocopied articles, the diaries, notebooks, and galley sheets, as well as printed materials such as books, flyers, periodicals, and booklets, were received packed in boxes but unfoldered. Original folder titles were retained, and the remaining materials were placed in folders and combined with related materials. The series were organized by the processor by document-type and subject as developed by the creator. Basically, this collection is organized similar to AR309, Capps' earlier papers.

Personal material such as diaries, correspondence, and the plagiarism case files were placed before Capps' literary works and materials related to those works both published and unpublished. Oversize materials from all series were placed in larger containers at the end of the collection. Document out sheets in the original locations show the original placement of these documents. Contents of all files were arranged in chronological order. Several files, especially in the plagiarism case series were very large. These files were divided into two or sometimes three smaller files. Large documents and the rolled maps were humidified and flattened before they were housed. Duplicate photocopied letters and documents, and clippings were discarded. Most of these duplicates appeared in the plagiarism case series. Clippings were photocopied on acid-free paper and the originals were discarded.

Biographical information about Capps, his works, and writing experiences can be found throughout the collection; in his diaries, in reviews, and general publicity clippings, in his letter files, in his literary files, and in his notebooks. Although they defy catagorizing, the notebooks should not be ignored by the serious Capps researcher. They contain a wealth of information about Capps' life, the development of his style, and his methods.

These papers are of great value for law students, journalism students, and students of literature and creative writing.

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Provenance Statement

The Benjamin Capps Papers were purchased by The University of Texas at Arlington. Gerald D. Saxon, Assistant Director for Special Collections, received the materials from Benjamin Capps at his home in Grand Prairie, Texas, on June 10, 1993.

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Literary Rights Statement

Permission to publish material from the Benjamin Capps Papers must be obtained from the Special Collections Division. Approval to publish unpublished material from the Benjamine Capps Papers in Special Collections should come from Mrs. Marie Capps.

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Note to the Researcher

See also collection AR309, the Benjamin Capps Papers, acquired by the Special Collections Division in 1977. There is overlap in the correspondence, publicity, and literary works files of the two collections.

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Container List

Series I. Diaries, 1946-1979

Box 1
Folder Title, Dates, and Description 1. Diary, 1949-1962. Experiences as a rookie schoolteacher, machinist, and writer. 2. Diary, 1946-1970. Manuscript publication record, writing experiences, expenses and income related to writing, and letter drafts. 3. Diary, 1951-1964. Writing experiences and experiments, character descriptions. 4. Diary, 1979. "Pilgrimage of a Writer," story draft, biographical outline, letter drafts.

Series II. Correspondence, 1968-1993 5. Clayton, Lawrence, 1986-1990. Dean, Hardin-Simmons University. 6. Fan Letters, 1981. 7. Graham, Don, 1984-1986. Dept. of English, UT Austin. 8-11. Henry, Will (H.W. Allen), 1968-1989, bulk 1981-1988. Author of Western literature. 12-13. Johnson, Dorothy M., 1974-1985, bulk 1980-1984. Author of Western literature. 14. Kelton, Elmer, 1990-1993. Author of Western literature.

Box 2
Folder Title, Dates, and Description 1. Sonnichsen, Charles Leland, 1983-1991. Professor Emeritus, UT El Paso. 2-3. Speck, Ernest B., 1974-1991. Dept. of English, Sul Ross State U. 4-8. Western Writers of America, 1969-1990. Organization of professional writers of fiction or non-fiction related to the American West. Includes directories, constitutions, newsletters, and reviews.

Series III. Plagiarism Case Files, 1980-1988 9-14. Correspondence, 1980-1982(April). Letters between Capps and attorneys, literary agent, and other interested parties. Includes examples of copyright infringement.

Box 3
Folder Title, Dates, and Description 1-8. Correspondence, 1982(May)-1988 9. Correspondence and Legal Documents, 1983. Materials regarding the plagiarism settlement. The parties involved agreed to keep confidential the terms of the agreement and to refrain from commenting publicly or, in a manner likely to result in public dissemination, the settlement of this case. 10. Journal, 1982-1983. Capps' thoughts and drafts of letters regarding the case. 11-14. Legal Documents, January-September 30, 1982. Copies of the complaint against Waldo and Avon Books with responses of the defendant to the plaintiff's interrogatories, including notices and motions by the court and evidence and exhibits by the plaintiff.

Box 4
Folder Title, Dates, and Description 1-5. Legal Documents, September 30, 1982 (continued)-March 1983. 6. Miscellaneous Documents, 1981-1983. Letter drafts, notes, paste-ups, and clippings. 7. Paste-ups, 1981. Andrew Garcia, James Michener, and John Steinbeck' works shown in Waldo's novel. 8. Paste-ups, c.1981. Jack London's work shown in Waldo's novel. 9. Paste-ups, 1983. Complete copy with Capps' works shown in Waldo's novel. 10. Paste-ups, 1983. Second version, original copy. 11. Paste-ups, 1983. Second version, with exhibits plus interrogatory answers. 12. Phone Calls, 1982-1983. Summaries of conversations with Al Hart and Dick Pastore. See correspondence files for additional phone call summaries.

Box 5
Folder Title, Dates, and Description 1-2. Royalty Statements, 1964-1982. Statements for several published works. 3. Statements to the Court, 1981. Essays, research, and arguments in support of the case against Anna Lee Waldo and Avon Books. 4. Statements to the Court, 1982-1983. More descriptions of copyright infringement. See also correspondence and legal files for statements. 5. Thesis, c.1986. By Mary Simpson of Denton, no title page included. Describes copyright infringement by Waldo of Capps' works.

Series IV. Reviews, 1951-1992: A. Reviews of Capps' Work, 1963-1992 6 .General Publicity, 1967-1992. Clippings. 7. General Publicity, 1979-1990. Essays, biographical information, and oral interview transcript (March 1978 by Joanna Gibson). 8. Brothers of Uterica, 1967-1968 9. Sam Chance, 1965-1968 10. Trail to Ogallala, 1964-1966 11. True Memoirs of Charley Blankenship, 1972 12. Woman Chief, 1979-1982 13-14. Woman of the People, 1965-1985 15. Miscellaneous Reviews, 1969-1991. Reviews of four other works. 16. Reprinted Works, 1985-1991. Reviews of works reprinted by TCU and SMU Presses. 17. Southwest Review, 1980 18. Western American Literature, 1967-1991 19. Western Writers of America, 1963-1989. Reviews and stories of participation in WWA activities published in the Roundup.

Series IV. Reviews, 1951-1992: B. Reviews by Capps, 1951-1989 20 .Tahlequah Star-Citizen, 1951; Dallas Morning News, 1978-1983.

Box 6
Folder Title, Dates, and Description 1. Dallas Times Herald, 1982-1984. 2. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1976-1979. 3. Rejection slips, 1951-1962. 4. Western American Literature Association, 1967-1970. 5 .Western Writers of America (The Roundup), 1963-1989.

Series V. Literary Works, 1946-1991 6-13. Classwork at University of Texas, Austin, 1946-1949. Short stories, essays, letter, and clipping. 14. Northeastern State College (Tahlequah, OK), 1950-1951. Class notes and exams, English and Journalism classes.

Box 7
Folder Title, Dates, and Description

1. Brothers of Uterica (published 1967), c.1966-1967. Notes, bibliography, maps, book jacket, clippings, illustration. (See AR309 for manuscript and related materials.) 2. "Continuing Inquiry into Writing Techniques," c.1965-1976. A study of fiction writing by Capps' in which he analyzes some of his works as well as works of others. 3-4. Ethel Mae, 1947. Unpublished novel. Includes plot outline, letter, notes. 5. "The Last Bearden," 1963. Short story published in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. (December 1963) 6. Mesquite Country, 1949. Thesis, unpublished novel. (See AR309 for complete thesis and other information.) 7. Poker Book with Roy (J.R. Capps), 1978-1981. Correspondence, outline, diagrams, printouts, and clippings. 8. Sam Chance (published 1963). Notes. (See AR309 for manuscript and other information) 9. Short Story Submissions, 1948-1987. Stories submitted for publication with letters and clippings. 10. Southwest Letters, 1984-1985. Copies of column published in the Dallas Times Herald. 11. "Uncle Rufus and the Cat-Scratch," 1949. Short story published in SIR!, December 1949. 12-13. Warren Wagontrain Raid (published 1974), 1934-c.1974. Manuscript with early name, Darkling Plain; letters and manuscripts from James Auchiah, Kiowa historian, 1934-1969. (See AR309 for manuscript and other information)

Box 8
Folder Title, Dates, and Description

1-2. Warren Wagontrain Raid, 1943-1967. Research materials: Kiowa history by James Auchiah, Kiowa historian and grandson of Chief Satanta. 3. Warren Wagontrain Raid, 1867, 1871. Research materials: photocopy of Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty with Cheyenne and Arapahos, and photocopies of legal document, the State of Texas vs. Satanta. 4. Warren Wagontrain Raid, 1869-1875. Maps: "A Portion of the South Plains" (manuscript copies). For descriptions and location of maps of frontier posts. See Materials Removed List. Post returns for Fort Griffin, Fort Richardson, and Fort Sill are in GO2. See list at end of finding aid. 5. Warren Wagontrain Raid, c.1972. Notes. 6-13. Warren Wagontrain Raid, undated. Research from books: photocopied portions of several published works on the subjects of the frontier, Indian Wars, Indians, Jack and Young counties, Kiowa history, Satanta, particularly during the 1860s-1870s. 14. Warren Wagontrain Raid, 1871-1872; 1965-1970. Clippings. 15. Warren Wagontrain Raid, c.1960s-1970s. Printed materials: pamphlets on Forts, historic sites, and Indian reservations.

Box 9
Folder Title, Dates, and Description

1-8. Warren Wagontrain Raid, c.1960s-1970s. Printed materials: pamphlets, booklets, and indexes on Indians in Texas, Fort Richardson, Fort Sill, Fort Worth, Young County history and records, Newcastle (Texas) Cemetery history, and the frontier, 1870s. 9. Woman Chief (published 1979), 1977. Outline. 10-14. Woman Chief, c. 1978-1979. Typescript with editor's notes.

Box 10
Folder Title, Dates, and Description 1-4. Woman Chief, c.1977-1978. Notebooks: manuscript draft with notes and drafts of letters. 5. The Heirs of Franklin Woodstock (published 1989), 1984-1985. Outline and plan. 6. The Heirs of Franklin Woodstock, 1988-1989. Letters from Judy Alter (TCU Press), plans, book jacket, clipping, TCU Press catalog. 7-10. The Heirs of Franklin Woodstock, c.1988. Typescript manuscript with changes by Capps. 11-12. The Heirs of Franklin Woodstock, 1989. Typescript manuscript with editor's changes and letter, pp. 1-118.

Box 11
Folder Title, Dates, and Description 1-2. The Heirs of Franklin Woodstock, 1989. Typescript manuscript with editor's changes, pp. 119-234. 3. The Heirs of Franklin Woodstock, 1989. Proofs. 4. The Heirs of Franklin Woodstock, 1989. Letter and silver prints. 5. The Heirs of Franklin Woodstock, 1989. Galley proofs. 6. The Heirs of Franklin Woodstock, 1989. Printed text, unbound. 7-11. The Heirs of Franklin Woodstock, 1985-1988. Notebooks: manuscript draft with plan and notes.

Box 12
Folder Title, Dates, and Description 1. Tales of the Southwest (published 1991), 1986-1992. Letters, statement of earnings, book jacket. 2. Tales of the Southwest, c.1991. Introduction, typescript with Capps' corrections. 3-11. Tales of the Southwest, c.1946-1987. Manuscripts and typescripts of short stories, some previously published, created over a forty year period. (See also box 6 and AR309 for other versions of some of the same short stories.) 12-15. Tales of the Southwest, 1987. Typescript photocopy with letter. 16-19. Tales of the Southwest, 1990. Typescript with editor's changes, pp. i-xx, 1-270.

Box 13
Folder Title, Dates, and Description 1-2. Tales of the Southwest, 1990. Proofs, revised, introduction-p.174. 3. Tales of the Southwest, 1990-1991. Galleys, clipping. 4-10. Notebooks, c.1975-1985. Notes, story plans, drafts of letters and reviews, including plagiarism letter drafts, indexes.

Box 14
Folder Title, Dates, and Description 1-3. Notebooks, 1982-1989, undated. Essays, story drafts, drafts of letters, descriptions of characters, and ideas.

Series VI. Printed Materials, 1965-1991 4. Awards, 1965, 1986, 1991. National Association of Independent Schools, Annual Book Award for The Trail to Ogallala, March 5, 1965; Western Literature Association, Distinguished Achievement Award, October 10, 1986; Western Writers of America Spur Award, Best Western Short Fiction for "Cimarron, The Killer," 1991. 5. Sacajawea by Anna Lee Waldo. New York: Avon Books, 1978. First Avon Mass Market Printing, May, 1980. 6. Sacajawea by Anna Lee Waldo. New York: Avon Books, 1978. First Avon Printing, April,1979.

Series VII. Oversize Materials, 1869-1989

Box 15
Folder Title, Dates, and Description 1-2 .Warren Wagontrain Raid, 1867, 1871, n.d. Research materials, treaty and Kiowa history. 3 .Legal Documents, 1963-1982. Photocopies of contracts, various published works. 4-7. The Heirs of Franklin Woodstock, 1989. Galley proofs, original and revised.

Oversize Box 187

Research for The Warren Wagontrain Raid. Photocopies of letters of General W. T. Sherman, 1871.
Scrapbook of Young County, Vol. One, by Barbara Neal Ledbetter, published by the Graham News, Graham, Texas, 1966.
Alcalde, January 1971. The University of Texas at Austin, Alumni Magazine. Contains story about Capps.
Sunday, Dallas Times Herald, June 3, 1973. Contains story about Capps.
The Texas Guardian, February 1976. Contains story about Capps, "Novelist Comes Home."
Sunday, Dallas Times Herald, March 2, 1980. Feature story about Capps with photo on cover.
Westward, Dallas Times Herald, November 8, 1981. Contains short story by Capps, "A Secret of Military Significance."
Westward, Dallas Times Herald, December 20, 1981. Contains short story by Capps, "Mama, Bill, Roy, and Me."
Westward, Dallas Times Herald, February 6, 1983. Contains short story by Capps, "Cimarron, the Killer."
Ben Capps name tag, Fort Worth, Texas.

Garrett Oversize (Drawer GO2)

Western Literature Association Distinguished Achievement Award, October 10, 1986. Certificate, 41 x 51 cm.
The following are photostatic copies from the National Archives, Record Group no. 94 (all 41 x 51 cm.):
- Post return of Fort Griffin, Texas, commanded by Col. William H. Wood, 11th Infantry, May 1871.
- Post return of Fort Richardson, Texas, commanded by Col. Ronald E. MacKenzie, 4th Cavalry, May 1871.
- Post return of Fort Sill, Indian Territory, commanded by Col. Benjamin H. Grierson, May 1871.
- Commissioned Officers, Present and Absent, accounted for by name, Post Returns, Fort Griffin, Texas, May 1871.
- Commissioned Officers, Present and Absent, accounted for by name, Post Returns, Fort Richardson, Texas, May 1871.
- Commissioned Officers, Present and Absent, accounted for by name, Post Returns, Fort Sill, Indian Territory, May 1871.

Oversize Maps in Cartographic History Library Drawer 62/9. All maps are photostatic copies from the National Archives, Record Group no. 94.

U.S. War Dept. Corps of Engineers. [Map of Frontier Posts in Texas, 1865-66-67-68]. Copied Oct. 25, 1869, Morris G. Miller (2 parts). 33 x 48 cm. each.
No. XVI-Outline Map of the Country from Ft. Phantomhill to Ft. Belknap and Big Wichita River, n.d. 51 x 43 cm.
No. XVII-Outline Map of Fort Richardson and Vicinity, n.d. 51 x 43 cm.
General Land Office, Oklahoma Map #9, compiled in 1875. (Insets: Ground Plan of Fort Sill, Ground Plan of Camps Supply). 37 x 62 cm.

Drawer 92/7

Lake Texoma and Texoma-Land. [Sherman:] Lake Texoma Sportsman Club, c1949.

Drawer 19/4

U. S. Geological Survey, Dept. of the Interior. Breckenridge, Texas. Reconnaisance Map. Washington, D.C.: Department of the Interior, 1922. Note: Surveyed in 1888, edition of 1890, reprinted in 1922.
U. S. Geological Survey. Dept. of the Interior. Medicine Mound Quadrangle, Texas. Washington, D.C.: Department of the Interior, 1958.

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Materials Removed List

Books, Booklets, journals, and article reprints transferred from the Benjamin Capps Papers to Special Collections Division.
The American West in Fiction edited with a general introduction and prefaces by Jon Tuska. New York: New American Library, 1982m (A Mentor Book). (Includes "The Slaughter" by Benjamin Capps.
An assortment of Effusions by Ernest B. Speck. Hobbs, New Mexico: Hawk Press, 1989.
Benjamin Capps by Ernest B. Speck. Boise State University Western Writers Series, number 49. Boise, Idaho: Boise State University, 1981.
The Brothers of Uterica by Benjamin Capps with a new Preface by Benjamin Capps and an Afterword by C.L. Sonnichsen. Dallas: Southern Methodist University Press, 1967, 1988.
Cattlement’s Association by Barbara Neal Ledbetter. Reprint from The Quarterly, Local History and Genealogical Society, Dallas, Texas, volume XII, Number Two, June 1966. Signed by author.
Das Endlose Treiben by Benjamin Capps. Munich: Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, 1964, 1972. (German reprinted of The Trail to Ogallala.)
Elm Creek Raid in Young County, 1864 by Kenneth F. Neighbours. Reqrinted from the West Texas Historical Association Yearbook, volume XL, October 1964, Abilene, Texas, 1965.
The Fifty Best Books on Texas by A.C. Greene. Dallas: Pressworks Publishing, 1982. (Lists A Woman of the People by Capps.)
The Fort Belknap of Yesterday and Today, 1851-1963 compiled by Barbara Neal Ledbetter. Newcastle, Texas: Barbara N. Ledbetter, 1963, Signed by author.
Fort Sill Centennial, 1869-1969. (Fort Sill, Oklahoma)
The Heirs of Franklin Woodstock by Benjamin Capps. Fort Worth: Texas Christian University Press, 1989. (Autographed by Capps)
Imagining Texas: The Literature of the Lone Star State by William T. Pilkington. Boston: American Press, 1981. (Includes section"Tom Lea, Benjamin Capps and Others")
Die Legende von Woman Chief by Benjamin Capps. Munich: Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, 1979, 1981.
Roundup: An Anthology of Great Stories by the Western Writers of America edited by Stephen Overholser. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1982. (Includes the Disgraceful Affair of Turpentine Jackson by Capps.)
Sam Chance by Benjamin Capps with a new Introductiion by Benjamin Capps and an Afterword by Elmer Kelton. Southwest Life and Letters. Dallas: Southern Methodist University Press, 1965, 1987.
Tales of the Southwest by Benjamin Capps. A Double D Western. New York: Double D Western. New York: Doubleday, 1990, 1991.
A Texas Christmas: A miscellany of art, poetry, and fiction. Edited by John Edward Weems. Dallas: Pressworks, 1983. (Includes the "Night Old Santa Claus Came" by Capps.)
The Trail to Ogallala by Benjamin Capps with a new Introduction by Benjamin Capps and an Afterword by Don Graham. Number Three in the Texas Tradition Series. Fort Worth: Texas Christian University Press. 1964, 1985.
The Warren Wagontrain Raid: the first complete account of an historic Indian attack and its aftermath by Benjamin Capps. New York: The Dial Press, 1974. (Autographed by Capps.)
The White Man’s Road by Benjamin Capps with an Afterward by James Ward Lee. Southwest Life and Letters. Dallas: Southern Methodist University Press, 1969, 1988.
Who Was Saint-to-Hoodle Goombi? by Barbara Neal Ledbetter. Reprinted from the West Texas Historical Associatiion Yearbook, Volume XLI, October, 1965. Abilene, Texas, 1965.
Woman Chief by Benjamin Capps. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1979. (Autographed by Capps.)
Zacharia Ellis Coombes, the Samuel Pepys of the Texas Frontier by Barbara Ledbetter. Reprinted from West Texas Historical Association Yearbook, Vol. XLIV, October 1968. Abilene, Texas.

Periodicals

Cross Timbers Review. Cisco: Cisco Junior College, vol. 1, no. 1, May 1984. (Contains " ‘Mesquite Country’: Benjamin Capps’s Unpublished First Novel" by Don Graham)
The Roundup. Official Organ, Western Writers of America. Bradenton, Florida, v. XXII, no. 9, October 1974. (Contains "Overture to Ogallala" by Capps, also see pp. 13, 19 for a review of The Old West: The Indians, and a photo of Ben and Marie Capps). Vol. XI, no. 12. Contains "Texas Mistreated Indians???" by Capps. Additional issues: December 1963; February 1985; November-December 1985.
Southwest Review. Dallas: Southern Methodist Press, Summer 1980. (Contains article "Old and New Cowboy Classics" by Don Graham in which he compares Capps’ Trail to Ogallala with other works especially The Log of a Cowboy.)
The Texas Literary Tradition edited by Don Graham, James W. Lee, and William T. Pilkington. Austin: The College of Liberal Arts, The University of Texas at Austin and the Texas State Historical Association, 1983. (Capps’ works are discussed in the various essays. Inscribed to Capps by author Jim Lee.)
Texas Literary Quarterly. Austin: Texas Literary Quarterly, v. 1, no. 2, Autumn 1948. (Includes short story, "Blind Man’s Buff" by Capps and a poem by his brother, Joe Capps.)
Texas Monthly. Sesquicentennial Collector’s Issue. Austin: Texas Monthly, v. 14, issue 1, January 1986. (Contains story by Capps, "Centennial!")

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This page last updated December 8, 2004

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