Week 33: August
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8/13 of… 1860
Phoebe Ann Mosey, ‘Annie Oakley’ born Woodland, Drake County, IA: Exhibition Shooter. {001}
1869
John Wesley Powell‘s first Colorado River Expedition reaches the mouth of The Virgin River in Arizona after 82 days and some 930 miles perilous river miles. Three men who quit the expedition and tried to walk out, were likely killed by Paiute Indians. His second expedition traversed the route again in 1871-72. Beginning in 1867 he had been exploring and mapping areas that would, in time, become treasured national parks: Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands; Grand Canyon, Zion and many others, which would become national monuments and recreation areas. His story is far too big for The Reader; start with his revised expedition report: The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons – J.W. Powell (1895). (see also: Wk. 38, 09/23/1902) {001 & 003}
1877
LCW: Regulator “Doc” Scurlock arrested for allegedly having stolen horses on his Rio Ruidoso, NM ranch; by Murphy-Dolan faction, Lincoln County Sheriff William Brady. {001}
1896
WB Montpelier, ID; Butch Cassidy, Elza Lay and Bub Meeks; holding cashier G. C. Gray and teller A.N. MacKintosh at gun point, took $16,500 from the safe and rode quietly out of town. Pursuit by bicycle, horse and posse proved ineffective. Meeks, later identified by teller MacKintosh, arrested and convicted of participation in the robbery. {001}
8/14 of… 1848
The lands determined by the Oregon Treaty of 1846 (Wk. 24/06/15/1846) are now designated the Oregon Territory. Congress got off their duff after more than two years; partly because the news of the Whitman Massacre had caused an uproar when it reached the Eastern press (see: Wk. 48, 11/29/1847). Graphic: PD 2004 Mathew Trump
1851
John Henry “Doc” Holliday; born in Griffin, GA; a harelip and cleft palate, Gambler, Gunfighter. {001}
1860
Ernest Thompson Seton born Ernest Evan Thompson in South Shields, County Duram, England; author. {001}
1861
Mark Twain and his brother Orion arrive safely in Carson City, NV. {001}
1877
Captain Nolan and the survivors finally return. The whole story is too big to tell in detail in The OWDR. Look up the Buffalo Soldier Tragedy, aka: “The Staked Plains Horror“. Truly the end of The Buffalo Hunter’s War. (see: Wk. 31, 07/30/1877) {001}
8/15 of…1824
John Simpson Chisum born in Hardeman County, TN: Cattle Baron. {001}
1872
Named after nearby Fort Dodge, the town company of Dodge City, KS made a formality of the little settlement around Henry L. Sitler’s three room soddy and George M. Hoover’s plank and sod whiskey bar on the Santa Fe Trail where it crossed the Arkansas River. The Santa Fe Railroad arrived in September to bring in supplies and take out hides and meat. Green buffalo hides piled high along Front Street provided an odious background to the saloons and the brothels lit by the red lanterns of the visiting railroad men. Land Speculators, gamblers, merchants and madam’s flourished in booming Ford County. In time, Texas cattle would arrive for shipment east and the city would become the epitome of the Wild Western community. Boot Hill would become legend. {001}
1888
Charlie Montgomery killed by Bob Dalton at Brown’s Farm, Bartlesville, KS; shotgun. {001}
1935
Will Rogers (William Penn Adair Rogers) age 55; real cowboy, Writer, Philosopher, Movie Star, (an amazing trick roper!). Killed in
Barrow, Alaska Territory in an airplane crash with aviator Wiley Post during an around-the-world flight attempt. Movies : The Roping Fool (1925) TYH! {001}
8/16 of… 1815
Born William Adams “Wild Bill” Hickman; Mormon +3 Assassin. {001}
1878
Henry Beckwith Ranch near Seven Rivers, NM; Henry Beckwith shotguns William Johnson (his son-in- law) to death during a family quarrel, then threatens his son John Beckwith because he attempted to intervene. Henry is then shot in the nose and cheek by John Olinger, Johnson’s partner; Olinger arrested but released. Henry lives and is never charged. {001}
1989
Amanda Blake, Miss Kitty Russell on Gunsmoke for 19 years, dead at 60, in Sacramento, CA. Inducted into The Hall of Great Western Performers at The National Cowboy and Western Museum in Oklahoma City, OK in 1968. {001}
1894
Due to his heavy involvement in disputes with miners (see: Wk. 22, 05/30/1894), Colorado Adjutant General Thomas J. Tarsney is kidnapped from The Alamo Hotel in Colorado Springs, CO; likely by dissident miners from Cripple Creek, CO. Taken some miles north of the city, He is stripped, tarred and feathered and set loose to walk back. {001}
1904
Col. Prentiss Ingraham, age 60, died in Biloxi, MS; Soldier, Soldier of Fortune, Dime Novel Author. Advance man for Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. He claimed to have written 600 novels. {001}
8/17 of… 1854
Miniconjou Lakota warrior High Forehead kills a cow belonging to a Mormon +3 pioneer on the Oregon Trail and takes refuge in a nearby Brule’ Sioux Village. It will be a very expensive cow all around. {001}
1856
Delay after delay… first it was the ship departing England, then it turned out they were unexpected by Mormon Church officials in Iowa City, IA. So preparations were hurried, but it’s more delay. Now concerns are raised about the late start in the travel season, but the Fourth Hand Cart Company [Willie] with 500 eager emigrants sets out for Florence, NE but only 404 will press on from there across the vast prairie into the rapidly waning summer. (see also: PLAYERS H – Hand Carts & Photo Gallery – Transportation Photos – Mormon Hand Carts) {001}
1869
The killing of Malcolm Clarke and wounding of his son by Piegan Blackfoot Indians led by Owl Child [Clarke had raped his wife among other things]. Owl Child takes refuge in the camp of Piegan Blackfoot Head Chief Mountain Chief. Now comes the uproar that will set the stage for the Marias Massacre. (see: Wk. 04, 01/23/1870) {001}
1877
‘Billy the Kid’ to be (17), kills blacksmith F.P. Cahill in George Adkin’s Saloon at Ft. Grant, AZ; Billy’s first shooting. {001}
1920
Maureen O’Hara (Maureen FitzSimons), born in Ranelagh, County Dublin, Ireland. Well known Irish/American actress, starred in a 
number of Westerns: Buffalo Bill (1944) with Joel McCrea as Buffalo Bill and Anthony Quinn as Chief Yellow Hand; Comanche Territory (1950) with McDonald Carey, she played opposite John Wayne in Rio Grande (1950), McLintock (1963), and Big Jake ( 1971). {001}
8/18 of… 1854
Newspaper editor Richard H. Weightman stabs Francis X. Aubry to death by in a saloon in Santa Fe, NM, over a comment about Weightman’s paper. {001}
1884
The Dodge City Democrat (KS), reports that the operators of a Chinese laundry on the south side of Town attacked a cowboy who went for his washing. He is rescued from potential death by the timely arrival of the city police. {001}
1975
Western Author Luke Short (Frederick Dilley Glidden), age 66, died in Aspen, CO. Short penned many short stories and more than 50 novels: The Feud at Single Shot (1935), Blood on the Moon aka: Gunman’s Chance (1941) movie 1948, Ramrod (1943) as a movie in 1947, Trouble Country (1976). Yes, the pen name from gambler/shootist Luke Short (see: Wk. 36, 9/08/1893). {001}
8/19 of…1854
The Gratten Massacre: An Indian killed a cow from a Mormon +3 wagon train. (see: 08/17/1854 above) The army sent inexperienced second lieutenant John L. Grattan and an incompetent, drunken interrupter named Lucienne Auguste to arrest the miscreant and deal with an issue which should have been handled by the Indian agent. The situation quickly deteriorated when a nervous soldier shot an Indian and a melee ensued. Chief Conquering Bear was fatally wounded and the Indians, then led by Red Cloud, killed all the soldiers and went on the warpath. Trader James Bordeau, well liked by the Indians and married to a Brule’ woman, who had been at the scene and left before the fight started, accurately reported the causes of the incident. East of Fort Laramie, Nebraska Territory (WY) Photo: memorial stone PD, Phil Konstantin {001}
1863
Here is a story for some thought: President Abraham Lincoln, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton and several other high government officials join Christoper Spencer on the Washington, DC Mall, near the White House, for some target practice and a demonstration of Spencer’s Lever Action Repeating Rifle. This, because the day before, Spencer had walked through the White House, past the guards, carrying his rifle and ammunition to show the President his product. He caught the President’s interest. I’d say times have changed a bit… {001}
1882
Deputy Sheriff M.B. McGraw and George Goodell shoot it out over accusations by Goodell that McGraw was being paid to allow prisoners to escape. Goodell kills McGraw and its ruled self defense: downtown Trinidad, CO. {001}
1883
Doc Holliday shoots Billy Allen in Hyman’s Saloon on Harrison Avenue over harassment and threats about a $5.00 debt; disarmed by bystanders and arrested by Captain Ed Bradbury of the Leadville, CO police. Not guilty verdict at trial. This is Doc’s last shootout. The laudanum days are coming… {001}
1887
PVW: Billy Graham shot on the Payson Trail in Pleasant Valley, AZ. Cowboy Louis Gruwell and stockman Al Rose, both later testified that, on his deathbed, Billy said the shooter was Ed Tewksbury. {001}
1895
John Wesley “Wes” Hardin {02} “Little Arkansas” (age 42); Hardin was courageous; a well practiced fast draw and good shot with eleven kills (up to 41 by some counts) to his credit. That’s
probably why, then lawman, (drunk) John Selman, shot him in the back of the head at the Acme Saloon in El Paso, TX. (see: Photo Gallery – Pushin’ Up daisies & The Originals – Gunfighter Statistics)
I tend to view Hardin as the #1 real Gunfighter of the Old West. Hardin was not a back shooter such as Killer Miller (see: Wk. 16, 4/19/1909) or Tom Horn (see: Wk. 47, 11/20/1903) and definitely not the likes of “Wild Bill” Longley (see: Wk. 41,10/11/1881).
Well… that snorer in Abilene must have been a rip-roarer! Anyway, an interesting bad man; daddy was a preacher, he became a lawyer in prison, look him up. {001}
