American Old West Gunmen/Pistoleer

[don44]

Commodore Perry Owens was a hell of a good man! Thanks for this whole thread, very informative and well put together. Thanks, Don

 

[JWhitmore44]

This kid, Riley, killed four men and severely wounded three others. If all chambers fired he took twelve shots in unimaginably gun smoke filled poorly lighted room and hit with ten of them. He then turned and walked out of the saloon and was never heard from or seen again. It is my opinion that once McCluskie, his friend, was shot he no longer cared, he just unleashed lead.

Six guns would normally been carried with 5 rounds unless he was carrying them on half cock. It could be he was loaded 6 in each knowing full well one may need as many rounds as possible. But if loaded 5 in each means he hit with every shot. May not bee well placed hits, but hit none of the less.

 

[Chief_10Beers]

Next subject:

Is their any interest in "The Harpe Brothers"? Outlaws and killers of the first West? If not I can go with the Dalton Brothers escapade, or whatever.

Yeah, lets hear about those Harpe Brothers...................................

 

[SAJohn]

Odd, but I swear I was going to ask you if the Louie L'Amour novel which featured the 'kid at the crossing' incident where the kid locked the door and proceeded to shoot, in the dark, the men who had just killed his adopted gunfighter father was based on any western fact. I think you just answered my question.

 

[Sam Johnson]

Gibson, thanks for posting these. I enjoy the history lessons. How about the rest of the story....A El Paso lawyer, the Manning brothers and Marshal Stoudenmire .

 

[Chief_10Beers]

Those Harpe Brothers are a nasty Piece of Work............................

 

[SAJohn]

Interesting that Walt Disney used them in 'Davy Crockett and the River Pirates".

Gibson, do you think there is any truth to the rumors that the Earp family were direct descendants of the Harpes? (Harpe, then Harp, then Earp)

 

[don44]

I was born in New Albany, Indiana and have read about the Reno Bros and their hanging since I was in school there. Thanks for the update on the "Rage At Dawn" movie. Keep it up!

 

[Danno]

Gibson...thanks for your research and presenting these! I must admit, every evening I look for the latest installment. And I am mesmerized!

 

[bogus bill]

Years ago the oshkosh wisconsin museum had a revolver, a colt navy, and holster that was said taken off cole younger. Sounds like the gang were on their way to hit the northfield banks and probley got to oshkosh on the train with their horses. The constable figured younger a vagrant and took youngers gun. Later he found to C Younger from Maj Quantrill burned engraved under the flap of the holster. Also CY was carved on the left grip. This gun entriged me as a boy there and I looked at it a number of times. I went home on a trip and then to the museum again in 2001. I didnt see the gun and asked the new young currater about it. He defintly didnt seem to be a gun guy and just shrugged his shoulders and said must be in storage then. The museum just had a few guns on display and now had murals where once they had many guns. Also they had a fire I later learned, and the holster burnt. A old secatary heard me talking to him and said, I remember that gun! She said they used to have pictures of that gun on a post card in the gift shop. I had her dig in storage and she came up with one. I misplaced my picture card with the short explaination of it, but will post it if I run across it. I googled my story and found the following: http://www.oshkoshmuseum.org/Virtual/exhibit3/e30266a.htm
http://www.oshkoshmuseum.org/Virtual/exhibit3/e30266b.htm

 

[bogus bill]

Someone mention john doyle lee. Lee was my mother in laws great great grandfather. (Wifes stepmother). By coincidence our daughter married a great great great grandson of one of the surviveing orphans that were spared by lee and the morman battalian from cedar city utah. (We live at cedar city). We moved here in 2,005. When we moved here from calif. my MIL told us she. was a lee decendant. Then two years ago when daughter was announceing their engagement his mother, my MIL and us all got together. The two old ladys were compareing notes and it came to light! If you havent seen the movie, "September Dawn" you ought to. John Voight plays Lee in it. The mormans massicured a wagon train passing through here on 9-11-1857. The first 9-11. They killed about 120 + adults and spared about 16 kids under 6 years old figuering they wouldnt remember it. Years later Lee was exicuted on his coffin at the site for his part in the massicure. He was the only one of many that paid for it.

 

[bogus bill]

Gibson, thanks! I just seen this thread and havent read all the posts yet. I always have been pretty much a western fan. Part of the reason I retired here in the middle of the west. I have a few more tales and insite and will try to put a few together and post them soon.
I used to collect old western guns but pretty much got wiped out by my ex years ago. Still own a few relics. Heres a little "bait" for now. The first one is a first or 2nd year s&w american. That would be 1870 or 1871, a few years before civilians could get a colt single action army. This one was found in a old barn being tore down in montanna that once was a stage coach stop. The barrel was cut back from 8"s.

 

[contender]

I started reading some of these post several days ago. However,, due to the fact my time on most days is limited,,, I chose to wait until I had time to enjoy what is here.
Thanks for the history Gibson,,, it is fun to follow these threads.

 

[RonEgg]

Gibson, you are quickly becoming a main reason to go to this section of the Forum first. Thank you for your research, entertaining commentary and most of all for taking the time to enlighten all of us on these legendary hombres.

 

[Ruger Packer]

Do you have any material on "The Three Guardsmen"?

 

[BIGGUY]

I've been by the site of Bear River, WY many times. All there is left is a sign with info on it as the town burned down. I'll stop and take some photos of the sign and area next time I'm down that way.

There is a newly incorporated town of Bear River, WY from 2001. The old town was approx 10 miles south of Evanston, WY and the new one is approx 10 miles north of Evanston, WY. It surprised me that they used the name of the old one.

 

[Boge]

Years ago doing research in grad school I sporadically came across the name Jim Currie. That was back before CD Rom discs and all research was painstaking and I would have had to have gone to KS & TX to search newspaper stories on microfiche. The two vol. series "Deadly Dozen" & "Deadly Dozen II" By Robert K. DeArment is priceless IMO. Very well written & researched. Here is the google version of the man that many called the deadliest gunman in the Old West. The only man Wild Bill Hickock was said to have "dreaded" and who almost killed Bill in Hays City, KS in 1869. Little known today, here is Jim Currie in all his glory. I think you'll find the connection to the Barrymore acting dynasty stranger than fiction as well:

http://books.google.com/books?id=qBgG_erDCOMC&pg=PA22&lpg=PA22&dq=gunfighter+jim+currie&source=bl&ots=UXlAY7Q7Ct&sig=ZFeMJum7kKXXdntM5EPsk6C93Aw&hl=en&ei=bqzVScy4G5nIM6uP6YcP&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=gunfighter%20jim%20currie&f=false

 

[ftlupton]

I love these old stories but have to disagree with statements about him taking the law into his own hands. That is exactly what our forefathers did with the King of England. We would not be here as we are if they had not.The law can be as corrupt as anybody and good men(and women)must then respond. Just my thoughts.

 

[Riot Earp]

A gunman was also called a "shootist." Clay Allison referred to himself as such.

 

[tuskbuster]

can we get audio ,so i wont have to read, like the old radio shows . really Gibson thanx for the diggin . been a long time fan of THE MEN OF THE OLD WEST