Hollywood has warped us to the point where somebody has to go full Rambo before we are impressed. [citation needed], Usually, when a gunman was hired by a town as town marshal, they received the full support of the townspeople until order was restored, at which point the town would tactfully indicate it was time for a change to a less dangerous lawman who relied more on respect than fear to enforce the law. William H. Bonney or just Billy the Kid, started his life of crime with petty theft and horse thievery, but is said to have first killed a man at the age of eighteen. In his early 20s, Masterson worked as a buffalo hunter, operating out of the wild Kansas cattle town of Dodge City. In his introduction to The Shootist (1976), author Glendon Swarthout says "gunslinger" and "gunfighter" are modern terms, and the more authentic terms for the period would have been "gunman", "pistoleer", "shootist", or "bad man" (sometimes written as "badman"). He escaped and killed the men guarding him. [28] Gunfighters in history did fight Native Americans. This was rarely the case. Davis whipped out his Bowie knife and quickly warded off the thrusts from the two of the bandits. These were on personal reasons not while he was on the police force but as a civilian. Colton White was the protagonist of 2005's best-selling western video game Gun. Hickock was an expert shooter at a young age and built up a good reputation in his hometown. One of the most famous stories about him involves a confrontation he had with a sheriff named Bud Frazer over Millers alleged involvement in the murder of a cattle rancher. Bob Munden, the worlds fastest gunslinger, was one of those special few. Wyatt died on January 13, 1929, in Los Angeles at the age of 80; his ashes were interred in Jewish Hills of Eternity Cemetery in Colma, California. [59] At times they were hired by cattlemen or other prominent figures to serve as henchmen or enforcers during cattle wars. [29], General George S. Patton himself had a gunfight when he was a young second lieutenant chasing Pancho Villa all over northern Mexico in 1916. After the play, Fisher and Thompson went to the Vaudeville Variety Theater and headed upstairs to meet with the owner, Joe Foster. Baca went on to a distinguished career as a lawyer and legislator and died in his bed in 1945, at age 80. Marshal Virgil Earp had considerably more experience with weapons and combat as a Union soldier in the Civil War, and in law enforcement as a sheriff, constable, and marshal. Two years later, Miller tracked the Sheriff down and killed him with a shotgun. He started out by getting caught stealing food, clothing, and guns in 1875, but he escaped his captors and made his way to Arizona. At the same time, Luke Short, a former friend of Courtright's, was running the White Elephant Saloon and Jim was trying to get Short to utilize his services. Captain Davis later described himself as being "in a fever of excitement at the time." Nicholas is more violent than Vash, and the two would often argue about killing opponents. Orrin Porter Rockwell killed more people than any of these guys, he is not as well known because of being in the far west. He sent two deputies to arrest Ike Clanton. #1.Captian Johnathan Davis. Hickok got his start as a constable and rider for the Pony Express, but he gained a reputation for being handy with a gun after he killed outlaw David McCanles with a single bullet from 75 yards away. Wyatt Earp was a lawman, a gambler, a lover of prostitutes, a buffalo hunter, a saloon keeper, a miner, a boxing referee, maybe a bordello keeper and, most famously, a gunslinger of international renown. Earp, as historians long have recognized, possessed an almost preternatural coolness under fire. Frank was running to Fremont Street, and he challenged Holliday for killing his brother, but Doc dropped his shotgun, drew his pistol, and shot Frank in the right temple. But they would not have understood if you'd have said, 'Who's fastest with a gun? Corral. [1], Another classic bit of cinema that is largely a myth is the showdown at high noon, where two well-matched gunslingers agree to meet for a climactic formal duel. Cradling his Winchester rifle in his arm, Sheriff Owens knocked on the Blevins' door. This only marked the beginning of what would be a bloody campaign for Stoudenmire as sheriff. James Butler Hickok is one of the most famous gunmenof the Old West. Wow great info. Get Jesse on this list! Wild Bill Hickok should be straight to # 01. Hardin replied with a shot to Bradleys head and one to his chest. [citation needed], On March 9, 1877, gamblers Jim Levy and Charlie Harrison argued over a game of cards in a saloon in Cheyenne, Wyoming. "He called it deliberation," says Dunham, who also serves as president of the Wild West History Association. Often, a gunfight was spur-of-the-moment, with one drawing his pistol, and the other reacting. "[47], After his brother Virgil was maimed in an ambush and Morgan was assassinated by hidden assailants, the men suspected of involvement were provided alibis by fellow Cowboys and released without trial. Bass himself was shot, but he escaped and was found lying in a field west of Round Rock. He killed some six people in two days and then wounded eight more. There is no clear evidence that Doc Holiday ever killed anyone before Tom McClaury at the [1], The term "gunslinger" was used in the Western film Drag Harlan (1920). What a great website. Some historians have since stated that it is possible that over time he was confused with another Wild Bunch member, Kid Curry, who was without a doubt the most dangerous member of the gang, having killed many lawmen and civilians during his lifetime before being killed himself. That year he opened a dental office in Atlanta. In 1858, he became a constable in Monticello Township, and several years later he joined the Russell, Waddell & Majors Freight Company, the owners of the Pony Express. WebGunslingers in the 19th century. When he was 15, he attempted to join the Confederacy to fight in the Civil War, but he was discharged when his true age was revealed. Gunslingers usually gave each other a wide berth, and it was uncommon for two well-known gunslingers to face off. Doc hollidy, kid curry, Luke short and dave matter should be on there before half those guys. Jonathan R. Davis shot eleven bandits single-handedly on 19 December 1854. Cowboy Fast Draw World Championship Shooting [citation needed], Quick draw and hip shooting was a rare skill in the West,[17] and only a handful of historically known gunslingers were known to be fast, such as Luke Short, John Wesley Hardin, and Wild Bill Hickok. Jesse James was not a gunfighter. Gunfighters, also called gunslingers (/nslr/), or in the 19th and early 20th centuries gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in gunfights and shootouts. The gunfight at the O.K. This list is absolutely terrible.. king fisher was hardly a gunfighter but more of a cowboy type figure who for intl a few scrapes with ranch hands..btk was not a gunfighter he was a cattle rustler/hired hand who handled himself well and used a gun when he had to(only 4 kills). Billy The Kid. The two had a history of disagreements, and with no warning Colbert pulled out his pistol to shoot Allison. A few years later, he re-enlisted and served as a private in Company F, 45th Alabama Infantry Regiment. Andy Blevins answered with a pistol in hand, the lawman told him to come out, that he had a warrant for arrest. Famed gunman Clay Allison died in a wagon accident. In his most famous gunfight, Fisher is said to have taken on four Mexican cowboys single-handedly. After hitting one with a branding iron, he supposedly outdrew another and shot him. [48] He is often viewed as the central character and hero of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in 1881. [citation needed], It is often difficult to separate lawmen of the Old West from outlaws of the Old West. Tom Horn Jr. was a scout, cowboy, soldier, range detective, and Pinkerton agent in the 19th-century The shootout took less than one minute and made Owens a legend. He never cleaned up any town where he served either. [65][66][67], The quick draw which gunfighters help popularize, is still an important skill in the American military and law enforcement communities. A gunfighter, gambler, showman, and peace officer, Hickok may have killed more than 100 He has been said to have been involved in more than one hundred gunfights in his lifetime. Gunfighter and lawman Frank Eaton, known as "Pistol Pete" lived into old age and gained further fame, before his death at age 97, by becoming the mascot for Oklahoma A&M College (now Oklahoma State University). There is more speculation than history in this list. Today, the term "gunslinger" is more or less used to denote someone who is quick on the draw with a pistol, but can also refer to riflemen and shotgun messengers. Definitely agree that Hardin is the deadliest, almost all were head on gun fights with armed gun fighters and law men, and well documented. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, on Oct. 26, 1881. He never killed a man that did not need killing.. [citation needed], People relive the Wild West both historically and in popular culture by participating in cowboy action shooting events,[61] where each gunslinger adopts his or her own look representing a character from Western life in the late 1800s, and as part of that character, chooses an alias to go by. Fisher was known both for his flamboyant style, which saw him wear brightly colored clothes and carry twin ivory-handled pistols, as well as for his propensity for violence. Buckshot Roberts Last Stand. John King Fisher was born in 1853 in Texas, to Jobe and Lucinda Warren Fisher. That 30-second throwdown, which came to be known as [67][68], Gunfighters have been featured in media even outside the Western genre, often combined with other elements and genres, mainly science-fiction space Westerns, steampunk, and the contemporary setting. While there he left for periods while he went to Deadwood and another time to Texas. Thus he ultimately became known as one of the most feared lawmen in Texas. Owens shot through the wall, striking Andy in the right hip he died that night. Owens saw Andy Blevins in the window moving to shoot back. No business my buddie eyeball?! The gunfighter could also be an agent of the state, archetypically a lone avenger, but more often a sheriff, whose duty was to face the outlaw and bring him to justice or to personally administer it. The two last attackers were the men who had been wounded in a previous bandit raid. [10] Gunmen Kid Curry, Jim Courtright, Dallas Stoudenmire and Dave Rudabaugh were killed in raging gun battles, much as portrayed in films about the era, and usually against more than one opponent. When his location was discovered, he killed the three Union soldiers sent to capture him and was forced to run away from home. Earp wasnt even on the street when this occurred. Who killed John Wesley Hardin? He kept his pistol in the pocket of his coat. [citation needed], These fights were usually close-up and personal, with a number of shots blasted from pistols, often resulting in innocent bystanders hit by bullets gone wild. Hickok has the distinction of being one of the few gunfighters to ever participate in a real Western-style quick-draw duel, when he killed a man named Davis Tutt, Jr. over a dispute concerning gambling debts. As to Clay Allison, Earp had aleged that he had confronted Allison in Dodge and that Allison had backed down. [31] By the second half of the 19th century, few Americans still fought duels to solve their problems, and became a thing of the past in the United States by the start of the 20th century. Jim miller?? Thompson was shot in the head and died instantly. The Allison family moved to New Mexico after the war. These guys are all legends for different reasons but lets face it Kid Curry and Jesse James not on this list is a shame. In 1884, Fisher was ambushed and killed, along with Ben Thompson, by friends of a man whom Thompson had previously killed in a gun battle. In 1865, Hickok and David Tutt had several disagreements, culminating in a shootout in which Hickok killed Tutt with a single bullet from 75 yards away. Over the next several years, Allison was reported to have killed several men over disagreements, and in one case he decapitated a man and brought the severed head into a saloon. He was never really considered 'deadly'. "Anything that has created this myth of the fast draw is a byproduct of entertainment," says Jim Dunham, the director of special projects and historian at the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, Georgia. They followed them to the horse barn and witnessed the hanging. 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He killed a black child for swimming in the wrong swimming hole. When the group was broken up by law-enforcement officers, the Kid escaped and shot a gambler in a New Mexico saloon. One the lesser-known but more notoriously violent gunslingers of the Old West was John King Fisher, who was in and out of prison from the age of Often it would develop into a shootout where both men bolted for cover. Gunfighters range from different occupations including lawman, outlaw, cowboy, exhibitionists and duelist, but are more commonly synonymous to a hired gun who made a living with his weapons in the Old West. If you look very closely at the photo on the right side of the crowd, behind the fence you will see the comedy team Laurel and Hardy who were waiting on a train. Degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery from Pennsylania College of Dental Surgery. Doc instantly killed Tom with blasts from his shotgun. When the Civil War broke out, John Wesley attempted to run away to join the Confederate Army. Both claimed to have fired the shot which killed him. An example of this is "Han shot first", in which Han Solo, a gunfighter-like protagonist in Star Wars, kills his opponent with a subtle, under-the-table draw. Patrick Floyd Jarvis Pat Garrett was an American Old West lawman, bartender and customs agent. ", "The Truth About Gunfights in the Old West", "Did Western gunfighters really face off one-on-one? During that time, Wyatt allowed Cruz to keep his revolver to "give him a chance to fight like a man." William H. Bonney, was born in 1859 in New York City to Patrick McCarty and Catherine Devine. Corral: The Gunfight of All Gunfights, Special Offer on Antivirus Software From HowStuffWorks and TotalAV Security, wasn't even wearing a holster at the O.K. [10], The most important lesson I learned was that the winner of a gunplay usually was the one who took his time. [9] Some were simply the result of the heat of the moment, while others were longstanding feuds, or between bandits and lawmen. On February 8, 1887, the two quarreled, and with Bat Masterson at Short's side, Courtright and Short dueled in the street. Short shot him in the chest, killing him. James Brown Miller was born October 25, 1861, in Van Buren, Arkansas, to Jacob and Cynthia Basham Miller, but he was raised in Texas. Even J.W.H., admired most of his gunshow marksmanship yadyadayda. [1], In the days of the Old West, tales tended to grow with repeated telling, and a single fight might grow into a career-making reputation. Though, in the end that doesn't register a smudge on Earp's reputation as the quintessential American gunfighter. Billys group, called the Regulators, became known for their wanton violence, and were themselves soon regarded as outlaws. He was known for carrying two pistols in holsters strapped to his chest, which he claimed facilitated the quick draw, and he used them to gun down three more people in various gunfights soon after his flight. In 1877 he argued with and killed a blacksmith. But the Dodge City gunfighter told Courtright to "go to Hell," and that he could do anything that was necessary to take care of his business. But Prof. Bill O'Neal cites just five incidents in his Encyclopedia of Western Gunfighters. Though its hard to know for sure but he killed at least 50 men and some estimates go as high as 200. Gentleman. Several legendary gunslingers are revealed in the gallery of photos. After moving to El Paso, Texas, to serve as sheriff, he killed three men before the end of his third day in the Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight.. He died the next day. The body count of 44 for John Wesley Hardin was all from the recorded names of lawmen and two individuals he was actually convicted of killing not the uinknown total of others who stood in his way. James Butler Hickok is one of the most famous gunmen of the Old West. After being wounded several times while fighting in the Civil War, Stoudenmire moved to the lawless city of El Paso, Texas to serve as sheriff. [31], The famous lawman Wyatt Earp gave an account of having participated in a duel once during his vendetta. Among them was civilian Billy Dixon, who made one of the longest recorded sniper kills, by shooting an Indian off his horse almost a mile away with his Sharps rifle, during a standoff in the Second Battle of Adobe Walls. Hickok was born on May 27, 1837, to William Alonzo and Polly Butler Hickok in Illinois. The group was eventually broken up by law enforcement, but the Kid managed to elude capture. The James Younger gang was just a gang of cowards, not "revolver fighters". According to Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp was one of the few men I personally knew in the West in the early days whom I regarded as absolutely destitute of physical fear. [25], In January 1887 Commodore Perry Owens took office as Sheriff of Apache County, Arizona. [83], Former professional American football quarterback Brett Favre was nicknamed "The Gunslinger" due to his rural, Southern upbringing and his wild, risky, quick-throwing play style that led him to great success in the National Football League.[84][85]. But he killed all the way from back east to the west coast. A little closer look, though, reveals that Earp who never was wounded in a gunfight and died at age 80 of natural causes maybe wasn't that fast. [25][38] Timothy Isaiah "Longhair Jim" Courtright was running the T.I.C. [57] Ben Thompson, best known as a gunfighter and gambler, was a very successful chief of police in Austin, Texas. Sam Bass was born on July 21, 1851, in Mitchell, Indiana. His father was an ardent abolitionist, and their home may have been a stopping point on the Underground Railroad. He missed and Owens shot John Blevins in the arm, putting him out of the fight. Thomas Horn, Jr. was born in Missouri on November 21, 1860 to Thomas S. Horn, Sr. and Mary Ann Maricha Miller Horn. rob Campbell The O.K. Of his long life he was a policeman a total of about 35 months. This story is not true because Laurel arrived the first time in the USA (was english) in 1910 together with Chaplin (born english too) for the first American tour and met Oliver Hardy ten years later. Wes Hardin was no doubt a killer, but he probably didn't kill 44 men. Hickok was playing poker when he was shot in the back of the head by a gambler named Jack McCall, supposedly in retaliation for a prior insult. In 1869, Hickok was elected sheriff of Ellis County Kansas, and is said to have killed two men in his first month on the job. ', "When it comes to gunfights, the idea is to stay alive, not necessarily draw fast. The following are ten of the most famousand downright deadlyof these Old West gunslingers. A few days after the fight, friends of the men Stoudenmire had shot hired the town drunk to assassinate him. King Fisher had great success as a county sheriff in Texas. Wyatt could scrap with his fists, and had often taken all the fight out of bad men, as they were called, with no other weapons than those provided by nature.. Wanting to escape this reputation, he took a job as the City Marshall of Austin, Texas, but he was forced to resign when he killed a local theater owner named Jack Harris during an argument. The gunfight caused a huge scandal, and friends of the cowboys soon retaliated, wounding Wyatts brother Virgil and killing Morgan. It lasted only 30 seconds, contrary to many movie adaptations. After the confession, Wyatt told Cruz to draw, challenging him to a duel, and the posse counted to three before Wyatt gunned Cruz down. Corral was a thirty-second shootout between lawmen led by Virgil Earp and members of a loosely organized group of outlaws Gunfighters, also called gunslingers ( / nslr / ), or in the 19th and early 20th centuries gunmen, were The first man had been fatally wounded in the exchange and tried to draw his pistol before Patton killed him with a single shot. In fact, his brother, Tombstone Marshal and Deputy U.S. [73] The story's protagonist, Vash the Stampede, is a wandering gunslinger with a dark past. Where the frack is Mr. dandy Doc Holliday?! At 15, he gunned down an ex-slave, and then proceeded to kill three Union soldiers before going on the run. [80] The New York Times stated: "he and his creators conjure such a convincing, cohesive and enthralling re-imagination of the real world that it sets a new standard for sophistication and ambition in electronic gaming. From what I have gathered, many of the gunfighters were violent racists, and a significant number of their victims were former slaves who wanted to vote. Stoudenmires luck would not last forever, though, and in 1882 he was killed when a discussion between he and a group of his enemies escalated into a gunfight in which he was shot three times. Holliday then drew his pistol and shot Gordon at long range with one shot. Hickhock should be second or first. All told, Billy the Kid is said to have killed a total of 21 men, one for each of the years of his life, though this number is often regarded as inaccurate and exaggerated. Hardin rode with outlaw Frank Polk in Navarro County until Polk was arrested for murder. Dr. Bolivar managed to get his six-shooter out and fire twice at the highwaymen before he dropped, badly wounded. Most of the time, gunfighters would just hide their pistols in their pockets and waistbands. Owens shot and Sam fell backward, dying in his mother's arms. not dentistry) a hard reputation was a definite benefit. Just because Wyatt Earp was a lawman doesn't mean he wasn't involved in a lot of gunfights. Many well-known gunfighters were so feared by the public because of their reputation that when they were killed, they died as a result of ambush rather than going down in a "blaze of glory". How can you not include the most famous outlaw of all? He probably embellished in his book, just to make things sound interesting. [8] They are depicted as similar to a knight-errant, wandering from place to place with no particular direction, often facing curious and hostile enemies, while saving individuals or communities from those enemies in terms of chivalry. The last was debunked by Mythbusters as an impossibility, as unjacketed bullets tend to shatter into fragments that can hurt or even kill. In the saloon, Frank sat down at a long table, Richardson turned around and took a seat at the same table. Wyatt has been portrayed in a number of films and books as a fearless Western hero.
