1871 in the American Old West

"See also:"
1870 in the American Old West,
other events of 1871,
1872 in the American Old West and the
list of 'years in the American Old West'.

Events

*John K. "King" Fisher is hired by settlers of the Pendencia River country, Dimmit County, as a hired gun to protect their livestock and other property. It is during this time that Fisher became known as a skilled gunfighter. Thrapp, Dan L. "Encyclopedia of Frontier Biography: In Three Volumes, Volume I (A-F)". Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1988. ISBN 0-8032-9418-2 ]
*January 1 - After a long illness, Captain John Barry is forced into retirement. While stationed at Fort Ord, Barry attempted to improve relations between the United States and the Apaches as well as encouraging the enlistment of scouts to combat against renegade Apaches.
*February 16 - John Younger kills Captain S.W. Nichols in a gunfight in Dallas, Texas. Wellman, Paul Iselin. "A Dynasty of Western Outlaws". Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1986. ISBN 0-8032-9709-2 ]
*February 23 - While heading an Apache hunting force near present-day Clifton, Arizona, John M. Bullard is shot and killed while approaching a wounded Apache warrior.
*February 28 - "Handsome Jack" John Ledford, a former outlaw involved in counterfeiting and horse theft in Kansas and the Indian Territory turned hotel owner, is killed in a shootout between he and a group of U.S. Army soldiers led by army scout Lee Stewart and US Marshal Jack Bridges which claimed to have a warrant for his arrest. Although he had recently come under suspicion for his involvement in the robbery of a government wagon train in which several teamsters had been killed, later newspaper accounts claimed that Ledford had been murdered by Bridges due to a previous argument in which bridges had threatened his life. [ Wallis, Michael. "Billy the Kid: The Endless Ride". New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2007. ISBN 0-393-06068-3 ]
*April 15 - Wild Bill Hickock succeeds "Bear River" Tom Smith as City Marshal for Abilene, Kansas and remains in that position until December 13. [ Patterson, Richard M. "Historical Atlas of the Outlaw West". Boulder: Johnson Publishing Company, 1985. ISBN 0-933472-89-7 ]
*April 28 - In what becomes known as the Camp Grant Massacre, over 100 Apache women and children are killed by a mob of Mexicans and Papagos led by several Tuscon businessman including D.A. Bennett and Sam Hughes. Bennett and several others are indicted in December, however all are acquitted.
*May - Professional gambler Phil Coe and gunfighter Ben Thompson open the "Bull's Head Tavern and Gambling Saloon" in Abilene, Kansas. The establishment becomes widely known for its large painting of a bull whose genitals are much larger then the rest of its body. Known as the "Shame of Abilene" by local townspeople, Marshal James Bultler "Wild Bill" Hickok is asked to intervene. When the owners refuse to take down the painting, Hickok takes it upon himself to repaint parts of the picture. This results in a personal dispute with Coe eventually leading to a shootout on October 5 in which Hickok shot both Coe and Deputy Mike Williams. Coe would die from his wounds in his death in four days later. [ Kohn, George C. "Dictionary of Culprits and Criminals". Metuchen, New Jersey: Scarecrow Press, 1986. ]
*June 14 - Thomas Carson, reportedly a nephew of mountain man Kit Carson, is appointed to the Abilene police force under City Marshal "Wild Bill" Hickok. After an incident with gunfighter John Wesley Hardin over Hardin's insistence of wearing his gun in public, he was briefly hired as Deputy in Newton, Kansas before returning to Abilene in November. Along with Deputy John W. "Brocky Jack" Norton, the two were fired from the police force on November 27 after assaulting a local bartender.
*June 30 - Shortly after robbing a nearby bank, Jesse James addresses a crowd at a political rally in Corydon, Iowa.

Arts and literature

Births

Deaths

*February 23 - John M. Bullard, frontiersman
*February 28 - John Ledford, outlaw
*March 16 - Barboncito (Hastin Daagii), Navajo chieftain
*October 5 - Mike Williams, Abilene deputy sheriff
*October 9 - Phil Coe, professional gambler

References