Gunfighter

"Gunfight" redirects here. For the video game, see Gun Fight.

This article is about the Old West profession or avocation. For the 1950 movie, see The Gunfighter (film). For the American football player, see Brett Favre. For other uses, see Gunslinger (disambiguation).

Gunslinger from "The Great Train Robbery"

Gunfighter, also gunslinger (Template:Pron-en), is a 20th century name, used in cinema or literature, referring to men in the American Old West who had gained a reputation as being dangerous with a gun. The term used for these individuals in the 19th century was more commonly "gunman."

Origin of the term

Noted amateur etymologist Barry Popik has traced the term "gun slinger" back to its use in the 1920 Western movie Drag Harlan. The word was soon adopted by other Western writers such as Zane Grey and became common usage. In his introduction to The Shootist, author Glendon Swarthout says that "gunslinger" and "gunfighter" are modern terms and that the more authentic terms for the period would have been "gunman", "pistoleer", "shootist" or "bad man". While Swarthout seems to have been correct about "gunslinger", Bat Masterson used the term "gunfighter" in the newspaper articles he wrote about the lawmen and outlaws he had known. Clay Allison (1841–1887), a notorious New Mexico and Texas gunman and cattleman originated the term, "shootist". Chuck Parsons, Clay Allison: Portrait of a Shootist (Seagraves, Texas: Pioneer, 1983). Joseph Rosa further supports the use of "gunman" during the Old West period, noting that even though Masterson used the term "gunfighter", he "preferred the term 'mankiller'" when discussing these individuals.

Usage

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." Others, like Billy the Kid, were notorious bandits and still others were lawmen like Pat Garrett and Wyatt Earp. A gunfighter could be an outlaw, a robber or murderer who took advantage of the wilderness of the frontier to hide from, and make periodic raids on, genteel society. 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 or, more likely, personally administer justice. The title is often misused in historical accounts to describe men killed in gunfights. For instance, the three Cowboys who died in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral—Billy Clanton, Frank McLaury, and Tom McLaury—were sometimes called "gunfighters" when the three were more likely cowboys and ranchers.

Gunslingers frequently appear, along with cowboys, as stock characters in Western movies and novels. In Western movies, the characters' gun belts are often worn low on the hip and outer thigh, with the holster cut away around the pistol's trigger and grip for a smooth fast draw. This type holster is a Hollywood anachronism. Twirling one's revolvers is a trademark trick of movie gunslingers; and drawing and spinning the pistol from time to time, without intending or being expected to shoot, is a commonly portrayed habit or compulsion. Fast-draw artists can be distinguished from other movie cowboys because their guns will often be tied to their thigh. en.wikipedia.org]s were steel-lined, they were soft and supple so they could be comfortably worn all day long. Tie-downs were used to keep the pistol from catching on the holster as it was drawn.

Fact versus fiction, gunfights

Most gunfights are portrayed in films or books as having two men square off, waiting for one to make the first move. This was rarely the case. Often, a gunfight was spur-of-the-moment, with one drawing his pistol, and the other reacting. Often it would develop into a shootout where both men bolted for cover. Other times, one or both were drunk and missed several normally easy shots. Many times the shootout was little more than one taking advantage of the other's looking away at an opportune moment. In popular folklore, men who held noteworthy reputations as a gunfighter were anxious to match up against another gunman with the same reputation. On the contrary, in cases where two men held a similar reputation, both reputable gunmen would avoid confrontation with one another whenever possible. They rarely took undue risks, and usually weighed their options before confronting another well-known gunman. 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.

Generally, two well-known gunmen coming into contact with one another would result in either the two keeping a distance but being cordial, or avoiding one another altogether. In cases where one well-known gunman was a lawman, and another was merely in town, the one that was visiting would avoid problems. He avoided confrontation with the law-serving gunman.

How famous gunfighters died is as varied as each man. 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". Others died secluded deaths either from old age or illness.

Mythology and folklore often exaggerate the skills of famous gunfighters. Most of these historical figures were not known to be capable of trick shooting. Nor did they necessarily have a reputation for precision sharpshooting. Such tropes that are frequently seen in westerns include shooting the center of a coin, stylistic pistol twirling, glancing shots that intentionally only graze an opponent (the bullet through the hat being an example, the bullet cutting the hangman's rope being another trope in Westerns), precise shots that shoot the guns out of opponents' hands (typically as an alternative to killing), or shooting an opponent's belt buckle, thus dropping his pants. In reality, skill at gunfighting involved luck and survival instinct as opposed to fancy, stylistic gunplay.

Gunfighters King Fisher, John Wesley Hardin, Ben Thompson, Billy the Kid, and Wild Bill Hickok all died as a result of ambush, killed by men who feared them because of their reputation. 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. Bill Longley and Tom Horn were executed. Famed gunman Clay Allison died in a wagon accident. Gunmen Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Commodore Perry Owens, and Luke Short all died of natural causes, living out their lives on reputation and avoiding conflict in secluded retirement.

Living on reputation

Most Old West men who were labelled as being "gunfighters" did not kill nearly as many men in gunfights as they were given credit for, if any at all. They were often labelled as such due to one particular instance, which developed from rumours into them having been involved in many more events than they actually were. Often their reputation was as much "self-promotion" as anything else, such was the case of Bat Masterson.

Wyatt Earp with his brothers Morgan and Virgil along with Doc Holliday killed three outlaw Cowboys in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona Territory. He has been said to have been involved in more than one hundred gunfights in his lifetime. But Prof. Bill O'Neal cites just five incidents in his Encyclopedia of Western Gunfighters. Earp expressed his dismay about the controversy resulting from the that followed him his entire life, he wrote in a letter to John Hays Hammond on May 21, 1925, "notoriety had been the bane of my life."

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. Wyatt and his brother Warren set out on a vendetta ride to locate and kill those they felt were responsible. Wyatt has been portrayed in a number of film and books as a fearless Western hero. He is often viewed as the central character and hero of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, at least in part because he was the only one who was not wounded or killed. In fact, his brother, Tombstone Marshall and Deputy U.S. Marshall 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. As city marshal, Virgil made the decision to disarm the Cowboys in Tombstone and requested Wyatt's assistance. But because Wyatt outlived Virgil and due to a creative biography, Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal published two years after Wyatt's death, Wyatt became famous and the subject of various movies, television shows, biographies and works of fiction.

Only one killing has been attributed to Doc Holliday prior to that shoot out in Tombstone. There are no records to support the reputation that Johnny Ringo developed. Of the documented instances where Ringo killed men, they were unarmed, and there is no evidence to support his participation in a single gunfight.

Others deserved the reputation associated with them. Jim Courtright and Dallas Stoudenmire both killed several men in gunfights both as lawmen and as civilians. Clay Allison and Ben Thompson had well-deserved reputations. 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. In other cases, certain gunfighters were possibly confused, over time, for being someone else with a similar name. The most well known of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch gang, the Sundance Kid, was in reality only known to have been in one shootout during his lifetime, and no gunfights. 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. Hence, it is the Sundance Kid who is better known.

Most famous gunfights of the Old West

Main article: Old West gunfights

The image of a Wild West filled with countless gunfights was a myth generated primarily by dime-novel authors in the late 19th century. However, gunfights did occasionally occur. The most notable and well known of these took place in the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Causes for each varied. Some were simply the result of the heat of the moment, others were the result of long standing feuds, while others were between outlaws and lawmen. There were also various other reasons that resulted in gunfights. Some of these shootouts became famous, while others simply faded into history with only a few accounts of them left today. Listed below are some of the more notable and remembered gunfights that did receive wide acclaim:

Gunfighter, outlaw, or lawman

It is often difficult to separate lawmen of the Old West from outlaws of the Old West. In many cases, the term gunfighter was applied to constables. Despite idealistic portrayals in television, movies, and even in history books, very few lawmen/gunfighters could claim their law enforcement role as their only source of employment. Unlike contemporary peace officers, these lawmen generally pursued other occupations, often earning money as gamblers, business owners, or outlaws—as was the case with "Curly" Bill Brocius, who, while always referred to as an outlaw, served as a deputy sheriff under sheriff Johnny Behan. Many shootouts involving lawmen were caused by disputes arising from these alternative occupations, rather than the lawman's attempts to enforce the law.

Tom Horn, historically cited as an assassin, served both as a deputy sheriff and as a Pinkerton detective, a job in which he shot at least three people as a killer for hire. Ben Thompson, best known as a gunfighter and gambler, was a very successful chief of police in Austin, Texas. King Fisher had great success as a county sheriff in Texas. Doc Holliday and Billy the Kid both wore badges as lawmen at least once. "Big" Steve Long served as deputy marshal for Laramie, Wyoming, while the entire time committing murders and forced theft of land deeds. 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.

Known gunmen/lawmen were generally effective, and in time the violence would subside, usually after the gunman/lawman had been involved in several shooting incidents, eventually leading to a substantial and well earned fear that kept everyone in line. At times they were hired by cattlemen or other prominent figures to serve as henchmen or enforcers during cattle wars. Although sanctioned by law enforcement officials, the gunmen were not always actually deputized. Sometimes, however, just to make things "official", they would go through the formality of deputization. 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. While technically working as lawmen, they were little more than hired guns.

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. Sometimes the gunman would simply become bored as the times changed and move on. A good example was the 1882 decision by the El Paso, Texas, town council to dismiss Town Marshal Dallas Stoudenmire. He entered the council hall and dared the councilors to try and take his guns or his job, at which point they immediately changed their mind, saying he could keep his job. He resigned on his own a couple of days later. Another example was the dismissal of Sheriff Commodore Perry Owens in Holbrook, Arizona, after which the local county commission also withheld his last paycheck. Owens entered the county building and forced them to pay him at gun point, and he received no resistance.In the case of Marshal Jim Courtright, for example, he did "clean up the town" while serving as town marshal for Fort Worth, Texas. However, it was his habit of strong-arming local businesses in the area into paying him for protection that ultimately led to his fatal gunfight with gunman and saloon owner Luke Short.

Famous gunfighters

Main article: List of Old West gunfighters

Frederick Russell Burnham's sidearm: a Remington 1875, .44-40 caliber

There is not always an agreement among historians about the authenticity of the records of some gunfighters. The crimes of a few are well known and documented. Some men gained a reputation as a dangerous gunfighter. In some instances, the actual numbers of gunfights or murders by an individual were grossly exaggerated. For example, Doc Holliday was sometimes rumored to have killed more than a dozen men, although modern researchers can only identify three men he killed.

The term gunslinger is a modern, 20th century invention, often used in cinema or other media to refer to men in the American Old West who had gained a reputation as being dangerous with a gun. Some gunfighters may have also served in law enforcement like Marshal Burt Alvord who became an outlaw, and some outlaws like Johnny Ringo who were deputized at one time or another.

In popular culture

• John Bernard (J.B.) Books, from The Shootist
• Chick Bowdrie, from a series of Louis L'Amour stories
• Rooster Cogburn, from True Grit
• Kid Colt, from Marvel Comics
• Ethan Allen Cord from the TV show Paradise
• Jed "Kid" Curry, from the TV show Alias Smith and Jones
• Revolver Ocelot from the Metal Gear series.
• Dante from the Devil May Cry series
• Roland Deschain, from The Dark Tower, a fantasy series by Stephen King
• Marshal Matt Dillon, from Gunsmoke
• Gunslinger, a robot-duellist from Westworld
• Jonah Hex, from DC Comics
• Hogan (Clint Eastwood), from Two Mules for Sister Sara
• Morgan Kane from the book series by Norwegian author Louis Masterson
• Marshal Will Kane and Frank Miller, from High Noon
• Bat Lash, from DC Comics
• The Lone Ranger, from various media, but originally radio drama
• Lucky Luke from the Franco-Belgian comics of the same name
• Man with No Name, from The Dollars Trilogy
• John Marston, from Red Dead Redemption
• William Munny, from Unforgiven
• Paladin (Richard Boone), from Have Gun Will Travel
• Rawhide Kid, from Marvel Comics
• Shane, from the novel, film and television series of the same name
• Han Solo and Boba Fett from the Star Wars trilogy (Episode IV to VI)
• Spike from the anime series Cowboy Bebop
• Two-Gun Kid, from Marvel Comics
• Vash The Stampede from anime series Trigun and Trigun: Maximum
• Josey Wales, from The Outlaw Josey Wales
• Yazoo, from the movie Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
• The Gunslinger, an Engineer weapon from Team Fortress 2.
• Raylan Givens, from "Justified"
• Rattlesnake Jake, from the movie Rango.
• Black Hand Kelly from the movie Tremors 4: The Legend Begins.

See also

• Boss of the plains
• Cowboy action shooting
• Duel
• Fast Draw
• Gunspinning
• Swordsman

References

• Eugene Cunningham. Triggernometry: A Gallery of Gunfighters. (Originally 1934). University of Oklahoma Press (1996).
• Bill O'Neal. Encyclopedia of Western Gunfighters. University of Oklahoma Press (1979).
• Joseph G. Rosa. The Gunfighter: Man or Myth? University of Oklahoma Press (1969).
• List of and History of Old West Gunfights
• Slap Leather, Gunfighter Myth