Billy Clanton (OK Corral)

Billy Clanton (1862 - October 26, 1881) was a cowboy and rancher of the Old West. He is best known for being a member of the Clanton faction that faced off against the Earp faction in the events that eventually led up to the Gunfight at the OK Corral, in which Billy Clanton and two others were killed. Although sometimes described as being a gunman, that is not correct. By all legitimate accounts, Billy Clanton was a rancher and cowboy, and his first gunfight was the Gunfight at the OK Corral.

Born William Harrison Clanton, in Hamilton County, Texas, he was the youngest of four brothers, the other three being John, Phin, and Ike Clanton. He also had two sisters, Mary and Ester. His father, Newton Haynes Clanton, moved his wife Mariah and their six children to California after the end of the Civil War, where they moved several times over the next decade. He then moved the entire extended family to Pima County, Arizona, then later to Charleston, Arizona, and started the "Clanton Ranch" in 1877, which would quickly become one of the most successful in the territory. That same year, silver was discovered near their ranch, and the boomtown of Tombstone, Arizona was born. This led to an immediate population boom, with saloons and gambling houses opening, along with many other businesses. This only added to the success of the Clanton's ranch.

By most accounts, the Clanton's were simply hard working cattlemen, with the exception of Ike Clanton. Billy Clanton was young, and although not what could be classified as an "outlaw", he was often in the company of men who were involved in outlaw activities, such as "Curly Bill" Brocius and Johnny Ringo. By 1879 he had befriended Frank and Tom McLaury, two cowboys who had started their own ranch, which also was seeing success.

Ike and Billy Clanton would often travel into Tombstone on weekends, and also Billy did business in Tombstone associated with the ranch, alongside the two McLaury brothers. By most accounts, Ike was not well liked in and around Tombstone due to his habit of bragging and talking loudly while intoxicated. Billy, on the other hand, was well liked, and looked upon as hard working and level headed.

On October 27, 1880, the first trouble with the Earp faction occurred when "Curly Bill" Brocius accidentally shot and killed Marshall Fred White. Although the film industry later exploited this into a murder, it was in fact, by White's own words prior to his death, an accident. Brocius regretted the incident greatly, and White had in fact been well liked by the Clanton faction. Brocius was arrested by Wyatt Earp, along with Tom and Frank McLaury, Pony Deal, Frank Patterson and Billy Clanton. When arrested, Brocius was "pistol whipped" by Earp, which caused the first real tension between the Earp's and the Clanton faction. Later that same year Wyatt Earp caught Billy Clanton on a stolen horse, but Clanton returned the horse and the issue was dropped altogether.

On March 15, 1881, a stagecoach of the "Kinnear & Co. Stage" was robbed, with driver Bud Philpot and passenger Peter Roerig being murdered. A posse quickly captured Luther King, who admitted his accomplices were Bill Leonard, Harry Head, and Jim Crane. Rumours indicated gunman and gambler Doc Holliday was involved also, but there is no evidence to support that. Ike Clanton later claimed Doc Holliday told him that he was involved in the robbery, but this is believed to have been false.

Holliday was later arrested for threatening in Tombstone, and also was being investigated for a shooting incident unrelated to the stagecoach robbery. By this time, Ike Clanton's talking about Holliday being involved in the robbery was causing tension between he and Holliday, along with the Earp's. On August 13, 1881, Newton Clanton was killed during a shootout in Mexico, most likely by rustlers. The Clanton sons continue operating the ranch, which by this time is seeing remarkable financial success. On October 25th, 1881, Ike, Billy, and the McLaury brothers head to Tombstone after working to gather scattered cattle, lost during an earlier Apache raid. The events that transpired over that night and the next day have various versions.

While gambling, in the early morning hours of October 26th, Ike and Doc Holliday have a disagreement, and Holliday threatens Ike Clanton, saying allegedly "The next time we see you Ike, you'd better be armed cause we're gonna kill you". Later that same morning, Virgil Earp and Ike Clanton play poker together. Ike Clanton is arrested later that morning by Morgan Earp and Virgil for carrying a weapon, paid a fine, and is released. Shortly after this Tom McLaury arrives to get Ike, and has a heated verbal dispute with Wyatt Earp, resulting in Earp hitting Tom over the head with his pistol, but no arrest being made. Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury ride into town after this. When Billy learns of the trouble, he makes attempts at calming his brother, to avoid more trouble.

The Gunfight at the OK Corral followed, which has numerous versions as to what actually happened and who fired first. Although history would eventually slant the facts in the favor of the Earp faction, in reality there were no indications that Billy Clanton ever instigated the fight that followed. In fact, by most factual accounts, he did try to avoid trouble, and tried to calm his brother into leaving town. It was later claimed by William McLaury, a judge, and the older brother to Frank and Tom McLaury, that his two brothers and Billy Clanton were preparing to come to Fort Worth, Texas to be with him for a visit after having sold their cattle.

What is known is that Ike Clanton had ran away in the opening moments, along with Billy Claiborne. Billy Clanton empties his gun during the fight, and is killed along with both McLaury's. Doc Holliday and Virgil and Morgan Earp were wounded. The town was divided, with many supporting the Clanton's, and others supporting the Earp's. The funeral that followed was the largest in Tombstone's history, with more than 2,000 people in attendance, and the three were buried in the Boot Hill cemetery. The town of Charleston, where the "Clanton Ranch" was located, is now a ghost town.

External links

* [http://www.clantongang.com/oldwest/billy_history.html Billy Clanton]
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=2266 Find a Grave, Billy Clanton]
* [http://www.legendsofamerica.com/WE-Deaths3.html Deaths of the Old West]
* [http://bignosekate.com/bnkokcorral.htm Gunfight at the OK Corral]
* [http://cp1237.com/frankandtom/cowboys.htm#billy Billy Clanton]