Wyatt Earp & Vendetta Rides

Latin author Valerius Maximus once said, “The divine wrath is slow indeed in vengeance, but it makes up for its tardiness by the severity of the punishment” I’ve been waiting a long time…for not so much vengeance, but for my brother to be avenged. I suppose the two go hand in hand. He’s been sick for more than two years and I’ve prayed that he would go peacefully, but he’s still here. It breaks my heart everyday to know of his suffering. I guess it breaks the heart of the folks using the HCA Midwest Division computer system too. They spent a lot of time on my site last night reading the daily journal about him. Oh, how I want the bad people in this scenario to finally be exposed and get what they’ve been giving. I don’t know how Wyatt Earp hung in there so long. I’m fascinated with the year long vendetta ride he took. After the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in October, 1881, and Morgan Earp’s murder on March 18, 1882, in a Tombstone, Arizona pool hall, Wyatt and Warren Earp, along with Doc Holliday, “Turkey Creek” Jack Johnson and Sherman McMasters escorted the Earp family out of Tombstone to Tucson, Arizona on March 20th. There, Wyatt spied Frank Stillwell, who he suspected of having been involved in the killing of Morgan and heard, was now seeking revenge on Virgil. The next morning a very dead, bullet-ridden Frank Stillwell was found on the tracks next to the depot. This was the first death in what would become known as the Earp Vendetta Ride. The entire Earp party, including Mattie, (Wyatt’s live-in girlfriend) accompanied Morgan’s body. However, in Tucson, Wyatt, Warren and Doc Holliday hopped off the train in search of Frank Stillwell, who supposedly worked in the railroad yards. The train went on to California without them. Spotting Stillwell, Wyatt chased him down the track, filling him full of bullet holes. A Coroner’s Jury named Wyatt and Warren Earp, Doc Holliday, and two other men named “Texas Jack” Johnson and Sherman McMasters, as those men who had killed Stillwell and warrants were issued for their arrest. Earp sought vengeance on the men who shot Virgil and killed Morgan. Killing Stillwell was just his first step. Along with Doc Holliday, and others, Wyatt began what is known as the Earp Vendetta Ride. Wyatt heard that Pete Spence was at his wood camp in the Dragoons and on March 11, 1882, he and his men quickly headed out, finding not Pete Spence, but Florentino Cruz. The frightened Cruz named all the men who had murdered Morgan, himself included. Earp and his men filled Cruz with bullet holes. The Earp “posse” rode out once again and on March 24, 1882, they ran into Curly Bill Brocius and eight of his men near Iron Springs. A gunfight ensued where Curly Bill was killed and Johnny Barnes received a wound from which he eventually died. In just over a year, the Earp “posse” along with Doc Holliday eliminated “Old Man” Clanton, Billy Clanton, Frank McLaury, Tom McLaury, Frank Stilwell, Indian Charlie, Dixie Gray, Florentino Cruz, Johnny Barnes, Jim Crane, Harry Head, Bill Leonard, Joe Hill, Luther King, Charley Snow, Billy Lang, Zwing Hunt, Billy Grounds and Hank Swilling. Pete Spence turned himself in to the authorities where he could “hide” in the penitentiary. Things are a bit more civilized now of days, but righting a series of wrongs still takes a long time. No matter how saddle sore I get, I am not stopping this ride.