I recently picked up the new special edition of the a "True Grit" movie. They is narration by Bob Boze Bell and a couple of others. If you listen to the narration you can quickly tell that the reviewers may know something about John Wayne but nothing about the Fort Smith federal court or Indian Territory. Bell referred to Heck Thomas as the inspiration for Rooster Cogburn. This is totally incorrect. I have spoken to Charles Portis, author of True Grit, and Cogburn is a totally fictitious character from Portis' intellect. It would have been nice if they would have gotten some people who know something about the Indian Territory and Fort Smith to serve as narrators for this special editon of the movie "True Grit." This is just some ramblings from a true Oklahoman.

I had heard several years ago that James H. Mershon was the "loose" inspiration for Cogburn (ie the snake pit incident in the movie mirrors the snake pit excursion by Mershon). However, I've never heard that Heck Thomas was the inspiration.