Will-o'-the-Wisp, Beadle's New Dime Novels

This 1874 dime novel, "Will-o'-the-Wisp: The California Trooper" by Frederick H. Dewey, tells of a military skirmish during the Mexican-American War in California. The protagonist is Roland Haywood, a rancho proprietor commanding an irregular cavalry unit (the "San Miguel Greens") who tracks Marcos Alvarez's guerrilla band to the San Rafael ranch. Haywood is motivated partly by military ambition but largely by jealousy—Alvarez rivals him for the affections of Señorita Isabella Diaz, the rancho owner's daughter. When barking dogs spoil their planned surprise, Haywood's men surround the building and demand Alvarez's surrender. The narrative emphasizes Haywood's honor despite his jealousy and depicts the undeclared, irregular nature of California's wartime conflict.