Charley Sole

[high plains drifter]

Charley Sole was born in North Carolina in the midst of the civil war, in 1862. His family, who owned a small pastoral and a number of slaves, was exempt of the patriarch of the family, Abraham Sole, who was a Chaplain  and who served in the Confederacy. Sole Sr. was killed in the Battle of Wilmington in 1865, leaving behind a wife and three sons. Charley was the baby of the family and both of his brothers had left by their teenage years, which fell in Sole's childhood. His mother was useless and gave Sole the same workload as if his two brothers were there to help him. This carried on until around fourteen years of age, where Charley left, seeing no use to the abuse. He took with him his fathers 1850 Colt Dragoon, still in the original kit. This and a small knife used for whittling which he kept in his bootstrap, an easily accessible tool for killing and maiming, which he would need where he was headed.

Sole, a well travelled man, sought refuge from the ruined Southern countryside during reconstruction, which still bore its effects well into the 1870's. He passed the famous Mississippi river, and rode into Texas on a mangy horse who was beaten into submission and made to serve his master well into retirement age. Sole was a barfly in many of the famous saloons, and explored as far South as Corpus Christi and as far West as El Paso. When he went somewhere, he tried his best to make money. Mostly he'd work in small farms tending to pigs and sheep. Sole raising sheep as a child had no camaraderie for them, he found them stupid and unable to take orders, which infuriated him. He swore never to take that position again. This didn't apply to cows or horses. Sole thought some horses were smarter than some men and some cattle were too. 

Into the 1880's Charley had worked many drives, using his above average skill at riding to herd cattle into submission. He also took naturally to taming wild horses and Charley if liquored up claims he can halter break any horse you throw at him in a matter of a day. He was paid well for his effort, but only in lodging and a hot meal. The cash was sparse and what was of it went to gambling and liquor. On one of the runs they made it North to South Tahoma. Charleys' elderly horse 'broke down' (died) on him and he was left in Tahoma. When prompted, Charley decided he would remain and not travel back to Texas with the posse. It's unclear what the man wants, he may just want to plant his flag, maybe start his own ranch. But when he reaches for cash in his pocket, he pulls out lint. So he's on the groove looking for work in any field and getting into the occasional scuffle, a gunfight, a fight with fists, feet or a knife fight and take it in jest the whole while.

[high plains drifter]

Reserved.