fastest gunslinger in the 1800s

But when his gun bumped the table as he drew, Allison reacted by shooting Colbert in the head. [16] Revolvers were a popular weapon to gunfighters who were horsemen, cowboys, and lawmen because of their concealability and effectiveness on horseback. The method actors portrayal of Holliday put the legendary gunslinger in the same league as the dark, brooding, and violent post-modern heroes of today. But they would not have understood if you'd have said, 'Who's fastest with a gun? 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. After three months, Sheriff Pat Garrett and two deputies shot and killed the Kid at Fort Sumner on July 14, 1881. Bob Munden, the worlds fastest gunslinger, was one of those special few. 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 Another famous female shooter is Calamity Jane, born Martha Jane Canary in 1852 in Missouri. 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. [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. [1] The gunslinger's reputation often was as valuable as any skills possessed. Wyatt and his brother Warren set out on a vendetta ride to locate and kill those they felt were responsible. His days of bloodshed finally came to an end in 1909, when he was arrested for the murder of a U.S. Marshall. After a mob of some forty people broke into the prison, Miller and three other outlaws were dragged to a nearby barn and lynched. 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.) The Allison family moved to New Mexico after the war. [1][10] For instance, the gunfight at the O.K. Here are10 of the most well-known. In 1880, Allison relocated to Mobeetie, Texas, where he met and married America Medora Dora McCulloch. There is more speculation than history in this list. Though its hard to know for sure but he killed at least 50 men and some estimates go as high as 200. Even accuracy is low on the list. Most of the time, gunfighters would just hide their pistols in their pockets and waistbands. This was the first recorded example of two men taking part in a quick-draw duel. He was not a killer in the ranks of Clay Alison. The dumb guy fired and hit Jesses hat and then paid the ultimate price for missing! The gunfight caused a huge scandal, and friends of the cowboys soon retaliated, wounding Wyatts brother Virgil and killing Morgan. Years later, I found out that Arness was known to be horribly slow at drawing a gun and was filmed many times before he could "beat" the gunslinger to the draw. After hitting one with a branding iron, he supposedly outdrew another and shot him. While played five-card-draw poker in Deadwood, South Dakota, on August 2, 1876, Hickok was shot point blank by Jack McCall as revenge for a perceived insult. Curry was known to be faster. That 30-second throwdown, which came to be known as the Gunfight at the O.K. His sarcasm revealed a dangerous man whose violence was controlled and focused through the barrel of a gun. This only marked the beginning of what would be a bloody campaign for Stoudenmire as sheriff. 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) James Butler Hickok is one of the most famous gunmen of the Old West. Many gun toters who did the same often lined their pockets with silk or another slippery material so as to keep the gun from catching on the fabric in case they needed to pull it out quickly. Corral (though it wasn't really in a corral at all), cemented Earp's reputation as a quick and deadly draw. 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. The first story of the shootout was detailed in an article in Harper's Magazine in 1867 and became a staple of the gunslinger legend. He ran or sherif I the county there but was defeated. Breaking into the jail, an angry mob took Miller and two other prisoners to the gallows, where they were hanged. [57] Ben Thompson, best known as a gunfighter and gambler, was a very successful chief of police in Austin, Texas. Portrait of American gunman Billy the Kid (18591881). Corral, at least in part because he was the only one who was not wounded or killed. Just because Wyatt Earp was a lawman doesn't mean he wasn't involved in a lot of gunfights. 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. He should be replaced on the list by John Ringo or the Sundance Kid-. 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. 16 individual kills and involved in the death of over 180 others! He never cleaned up any town where he served either. Hardin replied with a shot to Bradleys head and one to his chest. 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. But the absolute, without-a-doubt, hands-down, fastest gun in the West? 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. Cullen Baker should be on this list. Rare are the gunfighters who, like William Sidney "Cap" Light, died accidentally by their own hand. Corral. Reformed form his years behind bars, Hardin began studying law and even passed the bar, but his old reputation eventually caught up with him. Here are the top 10 real-life deadly gunslingers from the wild west era. One journalist reckoned that if Munden had Definitely agree that Hardin is the deadliest, almost all were head on gun fights with armed gun fighters and law men, and well documented. rob Campbell 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. Both claimed to have fired the shot which killed him. 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. [21] However, face-to-face fast draw shootouts did occur in the real West. Wyatt Earp was famous mostly because he said, himself, that he was famous. They appear on a mission named "Gunfighters", and the player will act as Captain Brad "Hawk" Hawkins from 1st Aviation Regiment. Nothing proved Earp's mettle more than the tumultuous gunfight near the O.K. What a great website. Bottom line is nobody can confirm all these guys kills. Jonathan R. Davis carried two revolvers in his iconic gunfight,[19] while Jesse James himself carried over half a dozen revolvers in many of his gunfights. When asked why he had eaten with a man who wanted to kill him, Allison replied, I wouldnt want to send a man to hell on an empty stomach. For a man who led such a dangerous lifestyle, Allison met a rather ironic and unimpressive death in 1887, when he fell off a wagon and broke his neck. In the 1880s, Horn was popular as a tracker and a bounty hunter; he was hired by the Pinkerton Detective Agency but was forced to resign after he was associated with the murders of17 men. [citation needed], It is often difficult to separate lawmen of the Old West from outlaws of the Old West. While many of the deaths attributed to these gunmen were committed within the scope of the law, folklore and stories as to the number of people they each killed continue to add to their mystique. That year he opened a dental office in Atlanta. [10], The most important lesson I learned was that the winner of a gunplay usually was the one who took his time. He then spun around and shot the other two, who evidently had not produced weapons and both of whom were merely sitting on the fence the entire time. But they were just as apt to be like the O.K. Though known as being eerily cool under pressure, Horn was considered to have a dangerous capacity for violence, and in 1894 he was forced to resign his post as a detective after he became linked to the murders of 17 people. [13] Ed McGivern dispelled the myth of the inaccuracy of pistol fanning by shooting tight groups while fanning the revolver. [33], The most famous and well-recorded duel occurred on 21 July 1865, in Springfield, Missouri. [10] Some of these shootouts became famous, while others faded into history with only a few accounts surviving. Earp, as historians long have recognized, possessed an almost preternatural coolness under fire. [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. [48] He is often viewed as the central character and hero of the Gunfight at the O.K. Allison died in 1887 when he broke his neck after falling from a wagon. In 1871, Hardin was arrested for the murder of Texas marshal Laban John Hoffman, but he escaped after killing another police officer, Jim Smalley. Doc Holliday was able to speak Latin and French pretty good. Hickock was acquitted of all charges, having claimed self-defense. Doc Holiday better fits that epithet, Wyatt Earp was NOT a "gunslinger". There they found themselves victims of an ambush. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. In actuality, this kind of thing very rarely occurred, and the true life Western storieslike Wild Bill Hickok being shot in the back while playing cardstell a much more gruesome and less gallant tale. Earp, as any Wild West buff knows, was in the center of the most famous street fight in American history. [40] They met in an alley following an argument about a card game. 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. No Jesse James in your list?! He never killed a man that did not need killing.. 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). In 1895, he was killed after being shot in the back by a lawman in El Paso, Texas. Buckshot Roberts Last Stand. [37] One of the women who worked there had an ex-boyfriend named Mike Gordon who had just been discharged from the Army. I have always been fascinated with Billy The Kid, Although i dont want to glamorize what these men did in their time it certainly was a time to die with their Cowboy Boots on. [4] Clay Allison (18411887), a notorious New Mexico and Texas gunman and cattleman, originated the term "shootist". Fourteen-year-old Willie Nickell was found murdered; a month later his father, Kels, was killed and most of his stock was slaughtered. Its kill or be killed. Who killed John Wesley Hardin? "Gunslinger" redirects here. He came to Dodge first in the spring of 1876 and left or good in fall of 79. 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. This respect for one another is why most famous gunfights were rarely two or more well-known gunmen matched up against one another, but rather one notable gunman against a lesser-known opponent or opponents. It is widely believed that the name Kid caused his exploits to be attributed to the Sundance Kid (who wasnt much of a gunfighter). In his typical maniacal fashion, prior to being hanged Miller is said to have shouted, Let er rip! and voluntarily jumped off the box to his death. He was at the time the most fearless man I ever saw, and Satan and all his imps could not scare Wyatt Earp," Richard Codgell, a Wichita clerk, wrote in his memoirs, as detailed in Hornung's book. After the play, Fisher and Thompson went to the Vaudeville Variety Theater and headed upstairs to meet with the owner, Joe Foster. 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. Frank Loving, who had only a slight scratch on his hand, was immediately taken to jail. [58] "Big" Steve Long served as deputy marshal for Laramie, Wyoming, while the entire time committing murders and forced theft of land deeds. Wyatt Earp searched for Ike Clanton in his vendetta, but never found him Ike moved north to Apache County to continue rustling cattle and killing. 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. This garnered nation wide news. His gravestone is said to read: Clay Allison. Patton drew his obsolete single-action Colt Peacemaker revolver and shot two of the men. Obviously the most well-known Old West figure in history, Bill the Kids life has A town with a substantial violent crime rate would often turn to a known gunman as their town marshal, chief, or sheriff, in the hopes that the gunman could stem the violence and bring order. It's "High Noon." After the confession, Wyatt told Cruz to draw, challenging him to a duel, and the posse counted to three before Wyatt gunned Cruz down. His gravestone is said to read: Clay Allison. 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. Levy aimed carefully and hit Harrison, who died a week later. After a longstanding feud with Pecos Sheriff George A. Frazer, Miller shot Frazer in a Toyah, Texas, saloon. The shootout took less than one minute and made Owens a legend. Owens shot his rifle from his hip through the door, hitting Andy Blevins in the stomach. Bass himself was shot, but he escaped and was found lying in a field west of Round Rock. [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. 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. In many cases, the term gunfighter was applied to constables. He would get drunk and shoot unarmed men in bars, but outside of that his reputation is almost entirely myth. When a gunman did square off, it rarely was with another gunfighter. Wild Bill Hickok should be straight to # 01. He was pursued by the Pinkerton National Detective Agency and the Texas Rangers. John King Fisher was born in 1853 in Texas, to Jobe and Lucinda Warren Fisher. In 1877 he argued with and killed a blacksmith. [citation needed], Another well-documented gunfight resulted in the most kills by one person in a single event, when Capt. Just one example of Jesse Jamess skill was when he shot one of his gang who had fired at him while they were riding at speed. I do find this hard to believe. [5], Often, the term has been applied to men who would hire out for contract killings or at a ranch embroiled in a range war where they would earn "fighting wages". It lasted only 30 seconds, contrary to many movie adaptations. For other uses, see, For a list of notable Old West gunfighters, see. He started out by getting caught stealing food, clothing, and guns in 1875, but he escaped his captors and made his way to Arizona. 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. On the contrary, in cases where two men held a similar reputation, both would avoid confrontation with one another whenever possible. Three of the cowboys were killed in the fight, and everyone except Wyatt was wounded. Even other gunslingers were likely to avoid any unnecessary confrontation. [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. The most famous of these is undoubtedly the Gunfight at the O.K. Andy Blevins answered with a pistol in hand, the lawman told him to come out, that he had a warrant for arrest. Gordon died the next day and Holliday fled. After more killings over the next three years, Hardin was captured by the Texas Rangers and sentenced to25 years at Texas State Prison in Huntsville. That afternoon, Earp, his brothers Virgil and Morgan, and Wyatt's friend John Henry "Doc" Holliday faced off against a rowdy group of outlaws known as the Cowboys; Billy Claiborne, brothers Ike and Billy Clanton, and brother Frank and Tom McLaury. Although many of his exploits are legendary, probably the most famous aspect of Wild Bills life is his death, which occurred in Deadwood, South Dakota in 1876. Owens' two deputies killed Ike Clanton; Phin Clanton was arrested; three other gang members were killed; and the Clanton gang was done. The 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. Bob Munden, the worlds fastest gunslinger, was one of those special few. Munden was born in Kansas City, Missouri, but his family later moved to Southern California to be closer to his father after he suffered from a life-altering injury during World War II. After an argument with the other gang members, Fisher killed three of them, took over as the leader, and killed seven Mexican bandits. Ferd Patterson Living and Dying by the Gun. I agree with Mander. Thompson was himself killed in 1884, along with gunfighter King Fisher, when friends of Harris ambushed the two and gunned them down while they were watching a performance at an opera house. [22] The most notable and well-known took place in the states/territories of Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. [9] Some were simply the result of the heat of the moment, while others were longstanding feuds, or between bandits and lawmen. Often, a gunfight was spur-of-the-moment, with one drawing his pistol, and the other reacting. Hickok was supposedly holding a pair of Aces and Eights at the time, a combination now known as the Dead Mans Hand., Known for his mercurial personality and violent temper, Clay Allison was a gunfighter who is remembered as one of the most notorious and downright deranged outlaws of the Old West. At 15, he gunned down an ex-slave, and then proceeded to kill three Union soldiers before going on the run. [9][15] Shooting a pistol with one hand is normally associated with gunslingers,[18] and is also a standard for them of the era to carry two guns and fire ambidextrously. He never killed a man that did not need killing.. Even J.W.H., admired most of his gunshow marksmanship yadyadayda. Others deserved the reputation associated with them. Within moments, seven of the bandits were dead or dying on the ground and Davis's pistols were empty. Tom Horn died by hanging in Cheyenne,Wyoming after the wealthy ranchers of the day deserted him. Some of his time in Dodge he was on the police force there. Owens shot and Sam fell backward, dying in his mother's arms. 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. One of those pictured is famed black cowboy Jesse Stahl, whose rodeo riding skills were unparalleled in the 1800s. Hence, it is the Sundance Kid who is better known. [32] Writer Wyatt-Brown in his book "Southern Honor: Ethics and Behavior in the Old South" described dueling in the American frontier as a "custom", and was primarily used for teenage disputes, rise in rank, status, and scapegoating.

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