gunfight at the o.k. corral participants

Looking back on the event, we can see several things that might have changed the outcome of the fight or prevented it altogether. Who actually fired first and who actually shot whom is still strongly debated to this day. Wounded were Morgan Earp (who sustained a glancing wound across his back), Virgil Earp (who was shot in the calf) and Doc Holliday (who received a glancing wound to the hip). Billy Clanton and Frank and Tom McLaury were killed. Historians say 30 shots were fired in 30 seconds. The lot was about 15 to 20 feet wide, and both groups of men were barely 6 feet apart when the shooting began. Corral actually occurred in a vacant lot, some six lots to the west of the back entrance to the OK Corral, next to the boarding house where Holliday resided. The Earps, led by Virgil and accompanied by Doc Holliday, went to make the arrest. Corral, which faced Allen Street, but ran all the way through to Fremont Street. After making numerous threats and being seen wearing firearms in violation of city ordinance, the cowboys and some friends got together at the O.K. By the morning of the next day, he was reinforced by his brother, Billy, and Tom and Frank McLaury. 25, 1881, Clanton got quite drunk and tried to pick a fight with the Earps. Killing the Earps-especially Wyatt-and Doc Holliday would cover up the whole nasty mess. He soon became afraid of what would happen to him if it became public knowledge he was a snitch. Unfortunately, Clanton drank too much for his own good and couldn't keep his mouth shut. Wyatt made no secret of the fact he wanted to run for county sheriff at the next election. Wyatt was very clear he would let Clanton have the reward and Earp would take the glory of making the arrest. When one such holdup occurred, Wyatt Earp approached cowboy Ike Clanton to see if he would turn informer and help get some of his stage-robbing buddies arrested. When Cochise County was formed, the new sheriff, Democrat John Behan, was aligned with the cowboys, who made their living by smuggling stolen cattle from Mexico into the country and pulling holdups of the bullion shipments Wells Fargo transported out of the area.

On the other hand, the cowboys and many other local folks were Democrats and dyed-in-the-wool Southerners. Wyatt quickly obtained an appointment as a deputy sheriff and was on the payroll of Wells Fargo to protect its interests in this rough area of the Arizona Territory.Ĭonflict arose quickly because the Earps and most of the other mining people were Republicans and Yankees. In addition, Virgil carried a commission as a deputy U.S.

The Earp brothers quickly set about locating mining, timber and water claims, as well as establishing themselves at the gambling concessions in the thriving boom town. 'Doc' Holliday joined them within a few months. James, Virgil and Wyatt rolled into town in late 1879. 26, 1881, at the OK Corral.Īt the time, Tombstone was a mining town, and the Earp brothers settled there to improve their income in a silver-rich environment. Of course, I'm talking about the gunfight that occurred on Oct. Besides being of great interest to Old West history buffs, modern defensive shooters can learn from this episode as well. It is one of the classic gunfights of the Old West, and it's one of the few actual cases where lawmen and outlaws stood facing each other and shot it out.

Wyatt Earp, one of the famous participants of the gunfight at the O.K.

Gunfight at the o.k. corral participants