These guys are all legends for different reasons but lets face it Kid Curry and Jesse James not on this list is a shame. Billy Clanton fired at Virgil, but his shot also went astray when he was hit with Morgan's shot through his ribcage. Jonathan R. Davis shot eleven bandits single-handedly on 19 December 1854. Rare are the gunfighters who, like William Sidney "Cap" Light, died accidentally by their own hand. The hitman Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men shares many elements of a hunted outlaw. Owens' two deputies killed Ike Clanton; Phin Clanton was arrested; three other gang members were killed; and the Clanton gang was done. He's older, and he's probably not going to rush his shot,'" Trimble says. Its kill or be killed. He was involved in several gunfights, mostly just maiming opponents, so he was a gunfighter because he did fight armed opponents. Earp's fellow lawman and general Old West badass Bat Masterson once said that speed in a gunfight is probably the least important factor in winning. The gunfight at the O.K. Ive been in several gunfights, people have no idea how scary it is when your trading rounds with someone trying to kill you. [37] One of the women who worked there had an ex-boyfriend named Mike Gordon who had just been discharged from the Army. [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. "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. 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. Stoudenmire got involved in a feud with members of the Manning family, which ended when he and three of the Manning brothers got into a gunfight. It's "Gunfight at the O.K. ', "When it comes to gunfights, the idea is to stay alive, not necessarily draw fast. Both parties simultaneously drew their guns, which added to the confusion about who fired first. Sheriff Owens shot him through his back and chest, killing him. [69] He also wore his holster low on, and tied to, the thigh with a cutaway for the trigger. Wild Bill's armed presence caused the crowd to immediately scatter to the safety of nearby buildings, leaving Tutt alone in the northwestern corner of the square. After that, he was just a gambler and knockabout. Colton White was the protagonist of 2005's best-selling western video game Gun. Ike Clanton panicked as well and ran towards Wyatt pleading for his life. King Fisher had great success as a county sheriff in Texas. Often, the hero of a Western meets his opposite "double", a mirror of his own evil side that he has to destroy. But Dallas was able to get the drop on him and supposedly shot the man eight times, killing him. 16 individual kills and involved in the death of over 180 others! Allison died in 1887 when he broke his neck after falling from a wagon. [7], In films, the gunslinger often possesses a nearly superhuman speed and skill with the revolver. Cradling his Winchester rifle in his arm, Sheriff Owens knocked on the Blevins' door. Some gunslingers, such as Bat Masterson, actively engaged in self-promotion. Dodge City Marshal Charlie Bassett, who was in Beatty & Kelley's Saloon, heard the shots and came running. Captain Davis later described himself as being "in a fever of excitement at the time." The result was the gunfight at the O.K. He came to Dodge first in the spring of 1876 and left or good in fall of 79. Historians believe this event explains some of his shockingly brutal actions. In January of 1874, Allison and fellow outlaw Chunk Colbert enjoyed a race on their horses and afterward went to dinner at the Clifton House in Colfax County. Theres more to his biography than meets the iris. [60] While technically working as lawmen, they were little more than hired guns. In 1870, he joined a group of outlaws raiding ranches in Mexico. The James boys ran for there lives when a bunch of townspeople started shooting, and the Youngers did fight back but were shot to pieces. They returned to California around 1911 and settled in Los Angeles, where they became a popular fixture in Hollywood as Earpserved asa technical adviser for Old West films. Gun Fighter. He died the next day. Patton and 10 enlisted men had been sent to San Miguelito Ranch to look for Villa, who had recently raided the city of Columbus, New Mexico. [49] As city marshal, Virgil made the decision to disarm the Cowboys in Tombstone and requested Wyatt's assistance. The son of a Methodist preacher, Hardin displayed a capacity for violence early on in life when he stabbed a fellow student in the schoolyard at the age of 14. He was buried in Round Rock Cemetery, and the road to the cemetery was later named Sam Bass Road. IGN ranked Jonah Hex the 73rd greatest comic book hero of all time. Cullen Baker should be on this list. 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. Earp and Holliday then led a team of gunfighters on what has become known as their Vendetta Ride, and they eventually killed several men connected with the murders before fleeing the territory. Hardin was eventually arrested at age 17 for the murder of a Texas City Marshal, but he was able to procure a gun while in jail, and when transferred he killed one of his guards and again went on the lam. Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article: John Donovan And Wyatt Earp, though he wasn't the fastest gun in the fight, came out without a scratch. I live in Colorado where Doc is reportedly buried and he knifed a man to death in Denver over a card game (knife instead of gun because there were no guns allowed in Denver at the time.) [10], The most important lesson I learned was that the winner of a gunplay usually was the one who took his time. King Fisher. Men such as these were called gunmen, pistoleers, and shootists; the term gunslinger is only a Hollywood creation. At 15, he gunned down an ex-slave, and then proceeded to kill three Union soldiers before going on the run. Andy Blevins answered with a pistol in hand, the lawman told him to come out, that he had a warrant for arrest. Unfazed, he stood his ground, pulling out both pistols and firing a barrage at the charging outlaws. It is this ailment that many historians have said explains his shockingly brutal actions, which included once beheading a man he suspected of murder and carrying the head into his favorite bar. After failing to succeed in business, he joined a group of outlaws and began robbing stagecoaches. [26] Wounded and dying, Billy Clanton fired blindly into the gun smoke encircling him, striking Virgil's leg. Davis whipped out his Bowie knife and quickly warded off the thrusts from the two of the bandits. I love the sitebut wish to heaven I could correct it's many SPELLING errors. Hence, it is the Sundance Kid who is better known. Bottom line is nobody can confirm all these guys kills. In the early 1870s, Fisher became known as a bandit when he started running with a group of outlaws who raided ranches in Mexico. [57] Ben Thompson, best known as a gunfighter and gambler, was a very successful chief of police in Austin, Texas. Kid Curry killed no less 30 people. The group was eventually broken up by law enforcement, but the Kid managed to elude capture. Wild Bill Hickok should be straight to # 01. [53] At the same time, gunmen like Scott Cooley are all but unknown, when they actually led a life reflective of what most would consider a gunfighter to be. [1] In the real world, however, gunmen who relied on flashy tricks and theatrics died quickly, and most gunslingers took a much more practical approach to their weapons. Wyatt moved to California and married Josephine Marcus in 1882. Then Sheriff Owens turned his attention to the Blevins family, the other rustling gang in the county. Gentleman. After a number of run-ins with the law, the Kid was again captured and sentenced to death, but he managed to escape after he got a hold of a weapon and gunned down the two men guarding him. THIS DAY IN HISTORY July 14 1882 July 14 Gunfighter John Ringo found dead John Ringo, the famous gun-fighting gentleman, is found dead in Turkey Creek Canyon, Arizona. [25] The gunfight itself did not actually happen in the corral but in a vacant lot outside of it. [46] Wyatt Earp with his brothers Morgan and Virgil along with Doc Holliday killed three outlaw Cowboys in the Gunfight at the O.K. He resigned on his own a couple of days later. 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. There were also a few historical cowboys who were actual gunfighters, such as the Cochise County Cowboys who participated in the bloody 1879 Skeleton Canyon massacre. His gravestone is said to read: Clay Allison. [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. Doc instantly killed Tom with blasts from his shotgun. Because of a dubious identification by two of the Nickell children, and Horns drunken boasts about the murder of young Willie, he was arrested and convicted of murder. Corral was a thirty-second shootout between lawmen led by Virgil Earp and members of a loosely organized group of outlaws called the Cowboys that occurred at about 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26, 1881, in Tombstone, Arizona Territory, United States. Thompson was shot in the head and died instantly. After the conversation, Richardson drew his pistol, and Loving drew his in response. In 1880s, Garrett became the Lincoln County Sheriff and Doc Holliday has also been credited with wounding and shooting a pistol out of saloon owner Milt Joyce's hand when he tried to brandish it at Holliday. But he killed all the way from back east to the west coast. I have often remarked, and I am not alone in my conclusions, that what goes for courage in a man is generally fear of what others will think of him in other words, personal bravery is largely made up of self-respect, egotism, and apprehension of the opinions of others. Jim miller?? Nothing proved Earp's mettle more than the tumultuous gunfight near the O.K. WebAnswer (1 of 10): No rifle of the period shot more often or as reliably as did the Winchester some models were capable of holding as many as 16 cartridges, but (I hate to admit) Less than a year after these incidents, he would kill as many as six more men in gunfights while in the line of duty, eventually gaining a reputation as one of the most feared lawmen in Texas. Ben Thompson was a gambler, gunfighter, and sometimes lawman who rubbed shoulders with some of the most famous figures of the Old West. Although many Old West legends have "fast gun" reputations, it appears that John Wesley Hardin, Wild Bill Hickok, Doc Holliday, and Billy the Kid were actually really There's the gunfighter, frontiersman, classic cowboy, and duelist each with its own specifications. what about Ned Kelly William Pinkerton, whose National Detective Agency had sought to capture Hedgepeth and his gang for years, noted that Hedgepeth once gunned down another outlaw who had already unholstered his pistol before Hedgepath had drawn his revolver. For a short time, Miller was an upstanding citizen and was committed to the Methodist church. Hollywood has warped us to the point where somebody has to go full Rambo before we are impressed. Went by the name of no names, that is to say he never attended to a single identity. 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. How embarrassed I was! Despite their weakened condition, they foolishly approached Davis with drawn knives. He was released from his sentence after having served17 years, and became a lawyer in El Paso. He killed at least 17 and was credited or at least partially credited with up to 180 from his bushwacking days correct this error or your list is meaningless. After three months, Sheriff Pat Garrett and two deputies shot and killed the Kid at Fort Sumner on July 14, 1881. Ive enjoyed the info and discussion. Most of these historical figures were not known to be capable of trick shooting, nor did they necessarily have a reputation for precision sharpshooting. Wow great info. [54] In other cases, certain gunfighters were possibly confused, over time, with being someone else with a similar name. in a rare book in my library, written by Sheriff Pat Garret who killed Billy the Kid and was a personal friend of Wyatt Earp, he claimed that Doc Holliday started killing as a teen. Only three days into his tenure, he became involved in one of the Wests most legendary battles, what is common known as the Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight, in which he shot three men. [23] Actual gunfights in the Old West were very rare, very few and far between, but when gunfights did occur, the cause for each varied. Tops, Masterson said, is a steely will and the ability to use that to your advantage. Wyatt became a marshal and met and befriended John Doc Holliday. [35], The LangfordPeel shootout occurred on July 22, 1867, between gunmen John Bull and Langford Peel. He kept his pistol in the pocket of his coat. But they would not have understood if you'd have said, 'Who's fastest with a gun? 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. The list is missing Kid Curry/Harvey Logan. They had ordered the Cowboys to give up their guns earlier in the day, warning them with a pistol-whipping at the hands of Wyatt. I think he deserves a place here. Theres no more iconic scene in Western movies than the good old-fashioned pistol duel, where the lawman and the outlaw meet at high noon to see whos faster on the draw. Killers friends managed to escape with him, only to find that he had been wearing a metal plate under his shirt, which had blocked all of Frazers bullets. These duels did occasionally happen, as in the case of the Luke ShortJim Courtright duel, but gunfights were typically more spontaneous, a fight that turned deadly when one side reached for a weapon, and no one knew who actually won the fight for several minutes until the air finally cleared of smoke. Overall great info though thanks! [78], Gunfighters have also been featured in many video games, both in traditional Old West and in contemporary and future settings. 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. There is a story too, that he could put a coin on the back of his hand, then draw and fire twice before the coin hit the ground. But Billy rushes his shot and misses.". Youtube Channel "Shooting USA". A sharpshooter when she was still a young woman, she engaged in the old west sounds like it would be a wild time in life. [10] How famous gunfighters died is as varied as each man. WebCaptain L.E. A+. He killed at least 16 or 17 men and perhaps many, many more. Show 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. Fifteen-year-old Samuel Houston Blevins ran out the front door, with his brother's revolver, and yelled "I'll get him." How can you not include the most famous outlaw of all? In many cases, the term gunfighter was applied to constables. Orrin Porter Rockwell killed more people than any of these guys, he is not as well known because of being in the far west. Stoudenmire was shot from behind by James Manning and died instantly. Robert Clay Allison was born to Jeremiah Scotland Allison, a Texas cattle rancher and Presbyterian minister, and Mariah Ruth Brown Allison on September 2, 1841, in Tennessee. 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"). Real gunslingers did not shoot to disarm or to impress, but to kill. [51] Of the documented instances where Ringo killed men, they were unarmed, and there is no evidence to support his participation in a single gunfight. On February 8, 1887, the two quarreled, and with Bat Masterson at Short's side, Courtright and Short dueled in the street. The well-worn picture we have of a Wild West gunfight a tension-filled standoff in the middle of a dusty street, often at high noon, won invariably by the man who unholsters his gun more quickly than his opponent is largely fiction. Scott Cooley, a pal of John Ringos from the Mason County War, Cochise County Sherriff, John Slaughter and Will Carver of Butch Cassidys Wild Bunch are all more deserving to be on this list than Wyatt Earp. [59] A case in point: the service of the Jesse Evans Gang, and outlaw Jesse Evans himself, as agents for the Murphy-Dolan faction during the Lincoln County War. "[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. As to Clay Allison, Earp had aleged that he had confronted Allison in Dodge and that Allison had backed down. When she told him to leave her alone, he became angry, went outside the saloon, and started shooting out the windows with his pistol. In fact , in Dodge the city leaders wanted to keep a fine a balance between wild and tame in order to keep the attraction of the Texas Cattle drives. He's rumored to have been in a lot of gunfights, but outside of the OK Corral there's only a few that are actually confirmed by historians. [52] Clay Allison and Ben Thompson had well-deserved reputations. The most famous of these was against outlaw Chunk Colbert, whom Allison shot in the head when the other drew his gun on him following a meal they had shared. In his most famous gunfight, Fisher is said to have taken on four Mexican cowboys single-handedly. Alll this info is interesting. When the group was broken up by law-enforcement officers, the Kid escaped and shot a gambler in a New Mexico saloon. Longabaugh was reputed to be the best shot and fastest gunslinger of the Wild Bunch, a group of robbers and rustlers who ranged through the Rocky Mountains Together they bought a ranch near the Pecos River. [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. [21] However, face-to-face fast draw shootouts did occur in the real West. Tom Horn Jr. was a scout, cowboy, soldier, range detective, and Pinkerton agent in the 19th-century They may not have dressed like Clint Eastwood, with a holster slung low on the hips, but these gunmen made names for themselves nonetheless. Several legendary gunslingers are revealed in the gallery of photos. 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. ), Billy the Kid only killed like four people, Some say 4, Some say 9, and some say 20+ (21 or 22 ish). After three months on the run, he was killed when Sheriff Pat Garrett and two deputies shot him to death in 1881. [44][45], Most Old West men who were labeled as being "gunfighters" did not kill nearly as many men in gunfights as they were given credit for, if any at all. It is not known who fired the first shot, but Wyatt's bullet was the first to hit, tearing through Frank McLaury's belly and sending McLaury's own shot wild through Wyatt's coattail. Gunmen Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Bass Reeves, Commodore Perry Owens, and Luke Short all died of natural causes, living out their lives on reputation and avoiding conflict in secluded retirement. Hickock was acquitted of all charges, having claimed self-defense. After his troops took down the remaining outlaw, Patton tied the three dead men to the hood of his touring car and drove the bodies back to his commanding officer. This garnered nation wide news. Haha! And that's when Wyatt Earp stepped into Western lore. Still, there is no denying that he was responsible for a great many other killings. 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). [15] Other gunfighters would use bridgeport rigs that gave a faster and easier draw. Your list is worthless without him in the top 3 at least! Billy Claiborne ran as soon as shots were fired and was already out of sight. The Earps weren't really expecting a gunfight. Harvey Kid Curry Logan should be 2nd to Wes Hardin, yet he wasnt even mentioned. Patton positioned his men by the south gate and was making his way up to the north gate when a trio of Villa's men came into the ranch on horseback. ringo was a back shooting goby dummy. A gunfighter could be an outlawa robber or murderer who took advantage of the wilderness of the frontier to hide from genteel society and to make periodic raids on it. Bill Longley and Tom Horn were executed. [10] Earp expressed his dismay about the controversy that followed him his entire life. 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. In Hickoks hand when he was killed were aces and eights, later known as the Dead Mans Hand.. One of those killed was an innocent Mexican bystander. After one of the gang turned informant, Bass and his men were ambushed by Texas Ranger Sergeant Richard Ware and Ranger George Herold in Round Rock, Texas, where the gang attempted to rob the Williamson County Bank. [citation needed], Most gunfights are portrayed in films or books as having two men square off, waiting for one to make the first move. Corral (though it wasn't really in a corral at all), cemented Earp's reputation as a quick and deadly draw. I do find this hard to believe. He was wounded several times but stayed in service until the end of the war. So when they went to arrest the Cowboys at about 3 p.m., they expected the Cowboys to be unarmed. Might as well replace Ringo with Holliday. Straight out of For A Few Dollars More ha! Most of those guys back then were trying to make a name for themselves in lawless lands drunk on wisky. Corral made legends of Wyatt Earp and the Cochise County Cowboys, but they were relatively minor figures before that conflict. Corral, at least in part because he was the only one who was not wounded or killed. In fall of 79 he want to Tombstone where his older brother, Virgil was policemen. Patrick Floyd Jarvis Pat Garrett was an American Old West lawman, bartender and customs agent. Johnny Ringo built a reputation as a gunslinger while never taking part in a gunfight or killing unarmed civilians. While in the South Pass of the Dragoon Mountains, Earp's posse found one of the outlaw cowboys named "Indian Charlie" Cruz. [9] Wild Bill Hickok popularized the butt-forward holster type, which worked better on horseback. 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. "Having said that, there was this sense of a reputation of dangerous men with a gun. Later that year he was deputized during the Lincoln County War and joined lawmen searching for a group of men who had murdered a rancher. how about Jesse James? 15 of the most infamous and deadly gunslingers in history (15 Photos), Known for his unpredictable personality and violent temper, Clay Allison was a gunfighter who is remembered as one of the deranged outlaws of the Old West. [citation needed], It is often difficult to separate lawmen of the Old West from outlaws of the Old West. Hardin killed for the first time in November of 1868 at the age of 15 years, when he shot a former slave who allegedly attacked him with a stick. Hardin Senior was a Methodist minister who settled his family in Trinity County, Texas, in 1859. Allison fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War, but was discharged after a blow to the head started causing erratic behavior in him. [42] The infamous assassin Tom Horn was also said to have participated in a duel with a second lieutenant from the Mexican Army, due to a dispute with a prostitute when he was twenty-six years old. The gunfighter could be a lawman, outlaw, cowboy, or shooting exhibitionist, but was more commonly a hired gun who made a living with his weapons in the Old West. The two last attackers were the men who had been wounded in a previous bandit raid. Agreed, nobody ever mentions Porter Rockwell but he has the best backstory of any of them and killed more men then all of them. ", "Old West Myths And Things Little Known", "Top Shot (season 3): Episode 7 ("Tricked Out")", "Frontier Style Handguns For The Modern Backwoods Home", "Five Greatest Gunfights of the Old West", "6 Real-Life Gunslingers Who Put Billy the Kid to Shame", "Wild Bill Hickok fights first western showdown", "Politics And Pistols: Dueling In America", "First action hero: Wyatt Earp was an elderly movie groupie who failed to make it as an extra ", "Testimony of Virgil Earp in the Preliminary Hearing in the Earp Case", "Johnny Ringo Called Gallatin Home as a Boy", "Modern-day gunslingers enjoy competition and camaraderie", "Nominees for Spike Video Game Awards 2010 revealed", "Gunfighters Walkthrough Medal of Honor Game Guide", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gunfighter&oldid=1137100133, Articles with dead external links from August 2021, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2018, Articles containing Japanese-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 2 February 2023, at 20:22. [1] They rarely took undue risks and usually weighed their options before confronting another well-known gunman. My grand father was one of the mob who drug Miller out of the and hung him. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. obviously the worst shot in the west very few(If any ) fatalities. 8. That year he opened a dental office in Atlanta. Yes, by all means King Fisher , definitely top ten, from his statements and other witnesses, an argument between Fisher and four Mexican vaqueros erupted. Billys group, called the Regulators, became known for their wanton violence, and were themselves soon regarded as outlaws. [34] The party managed to capture Cruz and he confessed to having taken part in Morgan's murder, and that he identified Stilwell, Hank Swilling, Curly Bill, and Johnny Ringo as other of Morgan's killers. Corral (though it wasnt really in a corral at all), cemented Earps reputation as a Fourteen-year-old Willie Nickell was found murdered; a month later his father, Kels, was killed and most of his stock was slaughtered. The gunfighter is also one of the most popular characters in the Western genre and has appeared in associated films, video games, and literature. Commercial agency in Fort Worth, which provided "protection" to gambling dens and saloons in return for a portion of their profits. 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. He's a dead man walking. Billy The Kid. He wrote in a letter to John Hays Hammond on May 21, 1925, that "notoriety had been the bane of my life. His gravestone is said to read: Clay Allison. 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