Wyatt Earp at about age 21, photo about 1869
Posted on 10/26/2007 6:22:53 PM PDT by DogByte6RER
October 26, 1881
The Earps shoot it out at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona
After years of feuding and mounting tensions, on this day in 1881, the “law and order” Earps and the “cowboy” Clanton-McLaurys engage in their world-famous shoot-out near the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, leaving three men dead and three more wounded.
Both sides in the conflict were ostensibly looking for revenge for what they perceived as malicious attacks and insults, but on a larger level the conflict revolved around which side would control the fate of Tombstone and Cochise County. That hot Arizona day, the Earp brothers—Wyatt; Virgil, the town marshal; and Morgan—along with their friend Doc Holliday, spotted a group of cattle rustlers—Ike and Billy Clanton, Tom and Frank McLaury, and Billy Claiborne, at the other end of Fremont Street, standing in a vacant lot behind the OK Corral. Standing nearby was Cochise County Sheriff John Behan, who rushed up the street to tell the Earps that the Clantons and McLaurys were mostly unarmed and just wanted to leave town peacefully. But the Earps ignored the sheriff and moved ahead to confront their enemies. “You sons of bitches,” Wyatt Earp reportedly said, “you’re looking for a fight and now you can have it.”
The question of which side actually drew their guns first is still debated today, but it’s believed that Virgil Earp pulled out his revolver and shot Billy Clanton in the chest at point-blank range, while Doc Holliday killed Tom McLaury with a blast from his double-barreled shotgun. Wyatt Earp shot Frank McLaury in the stomach, and the wounded man staggered out into the street but managed to pull his gun and return fire. Meanwhile, Ike Clanton and Billy Claiborne ran for their lives. The wounded Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton both managed to get off several shots before collapsing, and Virgil, Morgan, and Doc were all hit. But when the 30-second gunfight was over, there was no doubt which side had triumphed: the Earps were bloodied but alive, while Billy Clanton and Tom and Frank McLaury were dead or dying. Sheriff Behan, who witnessed the entire shoot-out, charged the Earps and Holliday with murder. However, a month later the Tombstone justice of the peace found the men not guilty, ruling “the defendants were fully justified in committing these homicides.”
I wonder how history would have been written if the Clantons had won the gunfight?
There is a pretty good write-up of the shootout at Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunfight_at_the_O.K._Corral
Wyatt Earp at about age 21, photo about 1869
Not bad for a gunfight that lasted about 20 seconds or so.
Supposed photo of Holliday in Tombstone, AZ. 1882.
Walter Brennan would have had a better career. ;-)
A revisionist telling of the gunfight from kin of the Clantons...
http://www.clantongang.com/oldwest/gunfight.html
Billy Clanton, Frank McLaury and Tom McLaury are buried in Boot Hill Cemetery, Tombstone, Arizona.
lol
I remember that episode.
Kirk and crew were in the Clantons’ camp!
“Why Johnny Ringo...you look like someone’s just stepped over your grave”.
Yup, I’ll be your huckleberry.........
Gosh, in the movies it can last almost an hour.
i used to have a paintball field and one of my favorite games was the shootout at ok corral... each team of five would have unloaded markers and walk towards each other til they were 25 feet apart... a very noticeably short distance when you know the other guys will be firing at you soon...
re-creations are very close to the actual thing... all heck breaks loose and bodies and paint flew every which way...
before the shooting i would here, ‘we’re way too close’ and ‘let’s go already’ translated to ‘i’m your huckleberry’
hehehe
i miss those games.
teeman
They would have blamed Bush ;-)
The Hollywood movies are a little... off.
I got to meet Wyatt’s Great grand nephew a few years back & he recounted the gun fight from Wyatt’s journal. It was like two “gangs” spoiling for a fight. History has things all mixed up just like hollywierd!
Also Morgan Earp was run out of Yuma, Az. for cheating at cards. the sheriff is quoted as saying “There is a train headed east & a train heaeds west at sun set, you best had better be on one of them!”
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