Butcher's Crossing

Butcher’s Crossing, published in 1960, is a western and the second novel by American author John Edward Williams. The book is set in the 1870s in the fictional frontier town of Butcher’s Crossing, Kansas. The story centers on a young Harvard student from Boston William Andrews who leaves his scholarly life behind in search of adventure as he explores the American Midwest, joining a buffalo-hunting expedition.

The story begins as William arrives in the small town of Butcher’s Crossing, looking for a man by the name of J.D. McDonald, a businessman who is known for purchasing buffalo skins directly from hunters and selling them to manufacturers in the east. William locates McDonald’s office, explaining that he was inspired by his father to seek the man out, as he and McDonald had met in Boston ten years prior. William goes on to tell McDonald how he was in his third year of college at Harvard University but decided to abandon his studies in lieu of exploring the American frontier. Finally, William gets to the true reason for his visit to McDonald’s office, which is that he wishes to embark on a hunting expedition. McDonald tries to dissuade the boy from getting involved in buffalo hunting, stating that it is far too dangerous, but when William refuses to listen, McDonald offers him the name of a hunter who lives in town who might be able to assist William in his quest.

William meets Miller at the local saloon, along with a man named Charley Hoge. After listening to William’s inquiry, Miller tells him about a hidden valley that he stumbled upon, filled with roaming buffalo. Intrigued by the prospect of a visit to this valley, William agrees to fund the expedition in order to secure himself a spot in the hunting party. Miller agrees to William’s terms and proceeds to gather the supplies they will need on their journey. He also hires of Fred Schneider, a skinner, whom he invites to join the expedition.



As the hunting party prepares to leave Butcher’s Crossing, Francine, a young prostitute, approaches William and attempts to seduce him. However, the attention makes William uncomfortable and he flees her company, reasoning that he has more important things to think about at the moment, such as readying himself for the upcoming expedition.

The four men depart Butcher’s Crossing, heading west and embarking on a two-week journey across the plains in the direction of Colorado. William notices that buffalo sightings are rare in these parts, and Miller explains that they have been hunted almost to extinction. The group carries on, struggling when Miller loses his sense of direction and they begin to run low on water. When they arrive at the mountains of Colorado, everyone is relieved. Miller hopes that he can still find the way to the hidden valley, and when he does, he shows the rest of the party that he was telling the truth; it is indeed inundated with buffalo.

While Miller hunts the buffalo, it is left to Fred and William to skin them, a job which William finds difficult to stomach. Miller says that it is his goal to kill the entire herd of buffalo. However, the group soon finds themselves at the mercy of the elements, as snow begins to fall in the valley, blocking the passage and leaving the hunting party stranded there for the entire winter.



After a long six months throughout which the group survives by eating buffalo meat and wrapping themselves in their hides, the party finally sees that the snow is melting and prepares to leave the valley, loading up as many buffalo skins as they can carry. However, as they are exiting the valley, they are forced to cross a stream. In a freak accident, Schneider and the wagon are swept away by the river, as are the buffalo hides. Schneider drowns and the hides are swept downstream, impossible to recover.

The three who remain of the group return to Butcher’s Crossing. They find that the town has become completely deserted in their absence, and after a conversation with McDonald, learn that he is in financial ruin, and everyone else in the town has moved on in search of better opportunities. The group is informed that the market for buffalo skins has completely dried up, making the skins themselves worthless. The men are devastated, and each deals with the fallout in his own way. Miller goes off in a rage in search of Francine, not realizing is that William is already with her. Unable to handle the intensity of emotion rising inside him, Miller sets fire to McDonald’s buffalo hides. At the end of the novel, William decides to leave Butcher’s Crossing, not to return to Boston, but rather to continue exploring the American frontier.