It was either soldiers or kids, difficult to know that kind of history. There was also another murder or two that pushed him "West."
what's so amazing about America is that people like Doc Holliday, Jesse James, and Billy the Kid (i had to include one New Yorker here) are so romanticized.
some people sure managed to get good press.
i just remembered (bringing the thread back to "brokeback" themes): i once saw an interview on tv with the actor cliff robertson, who had played cole younger in "the great northville raid" (i think it was called). Cliff claimed (and i'm honestly not making this up) that Jesse James was gay! i have never heard anyone else claim that. have you ever heard that particular claim?