Where did the Johnson County war happen?
The Johnson County War, also known as the War on Powder River and the Wyoming Range War, was a range conflict that took place in Johnson County, Wyoming from 1889 to 1893.
What state was the Johnson County War in?
WyomingOn April 5, 1892, 52 armed men rode a private, secret train north from Cheyenne.
Who was fighting in the Johnson County War?
The Johnson County War was fought between cattle barons, and homesteaders and small ranchers. It demonstrates the continuation of rivalry between cattle barons and homesteaders and shows that, even in the 1890's, people were still taking the law into their own hands.
Who wrote the Johnson County War?
The Johnson County War: O'Neal, Bill: 9781571688767: Amazon.com: Books.
What is Johnson County famous for?
Johnson County is home to many types of attractions including historical sites, museums, theater, parks and music. There are also several nature based attractions such as Watauga Lake, Doe Mountain Recreation Area, and the Snake Motorcycle and Sports Car Route.
What is Johnson County TN known for?
The county is home to the two highest communities in the state: Trade, at 3,133 feet (955 m), and Shady Valley, at 2,785 feet (849 m). Mountain City is the highest incorporated city in Tennessee, at 2,418 feet (737 m).
What ended the Johnson County War?
July 20, 1889 – May 24, 1893Johnson County War / Period
Was the Johnson County War a true story?
This is a great western. It is based on the true story of Wyoming cattle barons trying take land from homesteaders. Tom Berenger is at the top of his game.
How many episodes of Johnson County War are there?
2 Episodes2 Episodes The three Hammett brothers are caught in a conflict that escalates rapidly and the old farmers facing against new farmers who have settled in the green grasslands.
Who was Johnson County named after?
the Reverend Thomas JohnsonJohnson County was created on August 25, 1855 by the Kansas Territorial Legislature. One of the first 33 counties in the state, it was named for the Reverend Thomas Johnson, founder of the Shawnee Methodist Mission.
What does rooster do in the Johnson County War?
April 1892: Rooster, having left his wife in Texas, is employed (along with traveling companion and former U.S. Marshal in the Indian Territory Thomas Carlton Smith) as a regulator by the Wyoming Stock Growers Association in the Johnson County War. The pay is $5 per day, plus $50 for each rustler killed.
Where can I watch Johnson County War?
Rich and powerful competitors try to destroy three Wyoming brothers as they struggle to survive in the cattle business. Get Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+.
Was the Johnson County War a true story?
This is a great western. It is based on the true story of Wyoming cattle barons trying take land from homesteaders. Tom Berenger is at the top of his game.
How many states have Johnson County?
So, I did a little checking and found that there are 10 states with counties named Johnson other than Johnson County, Tennessee. The other states that have counties named Johnson are Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas.
When was the Lincoln County War in New Mexico?
The Lincoln County War was an Old West conflict between rival factions which began in 1878 in New Mexico Territory, the predecessor of the state of New Mexico, and continued until 1881. The feud became famous because of the participation of William H. Bonney ("Billy the Kid").
What does rooster do in the Johnson County War?
April 1892: Rooster, having left his wife in Texas, is employed (along with traveling companion and former U.S. Marshal in the Indian Territory Thomas Carlton Smith) as a regulator by the Wyoming Stock Growers Association in the Johnson County War. The pay is $5 per day, plus $50 for each rustler killed.
What was the Johnson County War called?
The event came to be called the Johnson County War. Longtime Wyoming historian T.A. Larson ranked it “the most notorious event in the history of Wyoming.”. Numerous court records contain valuable information on the invasion, as do other government documents, especially land files.
What was the most vivid account of the Johnson County War?
One of the most vivid is Champion’s account of the November 1891 attack on him:
What did the cattle barons say about the Buffalo invasion?
They further declared that Buffalo was a rogue society in which rustlers controlled everything— politics, courts and juries. Those juries, the cattle barons said, refused to convict on cattle rustling charges no matter how strong the evidence.
Why did the cattlemen invade Johnson County?
Johnson County people, on the other hand, largely believed that the real reason for the invasion was the big cattlemen’s determination to drive competitors off the open range that the stockmen illegally monopolized -- to stop those who might legally take up public land under the Homestead and Desert Land acts.
When did Wyoming invade?
The year of the invasion, 1892, was a time when many towns in Wyoming had two newspapers and a big town like Cheyenne had several, including three dailies. Two of those influential Cheyenne papers, however, were owned by cattle interests—as all Cheyenne papers were just a short while before 1892. Still, the newspapers of the time were full ...
Who was the governor of Wyoming when the Go Devil invaded?
Courtesy Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum. The governor of Wyoming, Amos Barber, had summoned the soldiers. Barber, according to accounts written years later by the invaders and their sympathizers, was thoroughly knowledgeable about and supportive of the invasion. When he learned that his cattlemen friends were in deep trouble, he telegraphed President Benjamin Harrison in Washington, D. C.
Where did the train go in 1892?
On April 5, 1892, 52 armed men rode a private, secret train north from Cheyenne. Just outside Casper, Wyo., they switched to horseback and continued north toward Buffalo, Wyo., the Johnson County seat. Their mission was to shoot or hang 70 men named on a list carried by Frank Canton, one of the leaders of this invading force.
What was the Johnson County War?
The Johnson County War was fought between cattle barons, and homesteaders and small ranchers. It demonstrates the continuation of rivalry between cattle barons and homesteaders and shows that, even in the 1890’s, people were still taking the law into their own hands. In Wyoming, cattle barons were appointed to key positions in government.
Who were the ranch owners who killed cattle in Wyoming?
In 1889, the first killings took place. Small ranch owners, Jim Averill and Ella Watson, were living on land a cattle baron called Albert Bothwell wanted.
How many people did the WSGA kill?
The WSGA were furious and planned a full-scale invasion of Johnson County. They created a list of 70 people who they intended to kill. The WSGA also hired and paid gunmen. This was done in full knowledge of Wyoming’s governor. However, the WSGA’s plan failed.
Who was accused of rustling cows?
Averill wrote a letter to the local newspaper accusing Bothwell of being a land-grabber. Bothwell then accused Ella of rustling a small herd of cows. Bothwell’s men caught and hanged Averill and Watson, and took over their land and cattle. No one was prosecuted for these murders.
Who held up the WSAG?
However, the WSGA’s plan failed. Small rancher Nate Champion heroically held them up all day. By the time he had been killed, the alarm had been raised in a nearby town and the local people were ready to fight. The US Calvary arrived and fought off the WSAG. The war had ended.
What did the homestdeaers and small ranchers do in response to the WSGA?
In retaliation, the homestdeaers and small ranchers created their own association and decided to hold their own round-up of cattle before the WSGA’s. This meant they could claim all of the new-born cattle for themselves. The WSGA were furious and planned a full-scale invasion of Johnson County.
Who were the attackers in Wyoming?
They were men of means and education, predominantly eastern, who really should have known better; civili/ed men, at home in drawing rooms and familiar with Paris. Two were Harvard classmates of the year ’78, the one a Boston blue blood, the other a member of a Wall Street banking family. Hubert E. Tcschemachcr and Fred DeBillicr had come west after graduation to hunt elk, as so many gilded youths from both sides of the Atlantic were doing; had fallen in love with the country; and had remained as partners in a half-million-dollar ranching enterprise.
What happened in 1892?
On a blizzardy April morning in 1892, fil’ty armed men surrounded a cabin on Powder River in which two accused cattle rustlers had been spending the night. The first rustler was shot as he came down the path lor the morning bucket of water; he was dragged over the dOOrstep by his companion, to die inside. The second man held out until afternoon, when the besiegers fired the house. Driven out by the Hames, he went down with twenty-eight bullets in him. HE was left on the bloodstained snow with a card pinned to his shirt, reading: “Cattle thieves, beware!”
Who was the cowhand in the shotgun roundup?
Also announced in the press were the names of two foremen for what was now being called the “shotgun roundup.” One was a Texan, known as a skilled cowhand, who was lightning with a gun. His name was Nathan D. Champion.
Who led the TA ranch?
By morning they were besieged by an impromptu army of hornet-mad cowboys and ranchmen, led by Sheriff “Red” Angus of Johnson County. The army numbered over three hundred on the day of surrender.
When did the Texas gunfighters disappear?
The Texas gunfighters immediately disappeared after bail was made and they were released. Court proceedings began for the locals, and a trial was eventually set for January 1893. But as time dragged on, material witnesses disappeared, and finding impartial jurors proved to be next to impossible.
Where did the cattlemen surrender to the 6th Cavalry?
Wolcott’s Regulators surrendering at the TA Ranch in Wyoming. In the protective custody of the cavalry, Wolcott and his men were transferred to Cheyenne.
What happened to cows in the spring?
Each spring, a roundup was held, where the cows and calves belonging to each ranch were separated and the calves branded. However, sometimes, calves were taken and branded before they could be rounded up, causing the large ranch owners to punish cattle rustlers aggressively.
Where did cattle come from in the 1880s?
Johnson County War, Wyoming. Wyoming cattle by Arthur Rothstein. Into the vast open range of Wyoming, where thousands of buffalo once roamed, came great herds of cattle in the 1880s. At this time, most of the land was public domain and utilized primarily by large cattle ranchers, but as more and more small homesteaders moved into the region, ...
Who were the two women who were accused of cattle rustling?
Things really came to a head when homesteaders Ella Watson, aka Cattle Kate, and Jim Averell were accused of cattle rustling and hanged in July 1889.
Who was killed in the ranch cabin?
When the hired guns arrived, they found only four men at the ranch cabin. Two trappers passing through were captured, but Nate Champion and cowboy, Rueben “Nick” Ray, were shot and killed. Dale Champion adds, “At the time of Nate’s death, he had eight pack horses, all just paid for, and nearly 200 head of cattle of his own. He was getting ready to take a ranch and homestead it. He had a good reputation as an honest businessman.”
Was the Johnson County War over?
Though the Johnson County War was over, scattered violence continued for over a decade as rustlers continued to be hanged.
Storyline
This is a based on true events " The Johnson County War, also known as the War on Powder River and the Wyoming Range War, was a range conflict that took place in Johnson County, Wyoming from 1889 to 1893.
Did you know
Cast members Burt Reynolds and Rachel Ward previously co-starred in 'Sharky's Machine' (1981).
Where did the WSGA take refuge?
They would not just "get away" with this, though. Over 400 local stockmen, ranchers, and law enforcement officials gathered up to confront these hired guns, who numbered just about 50. The hired guns took refuge at the large TA Ranch, just outside of Buffalo.
Who was the governor of Wyoming when the invaders invaded?
The WSGA invaders fortified and held strong for two days before one managed to sneak through the lines and get in touch with the Governor of Wyoming. Governor Barber then telegraphed President Benjamin Harrison, asking for help. Sensing the serious risk for loss of life, Harrison sent the US Cavalry in to arrest the Invaders and quell the conflict. While the invaders were all booked in Fort D.A. Russel in Cheyenne, many were freed after posting bond and ran away to Texas, rather than face any potential charges.
When was Wyoming's cattle business booming?
In the late 1800s , Wyoming's cattle business was booming. Small time ranchers had quickly found that the grazing here was exactly what they needed to grow healthy herds.
Mission
Records
- Numerous court records contain valuable information on the invasion, as do other government documents, especially land files. Most significantly, after the invasion--sometimes as many as 40 years later--the cattlemen and their allies published writings containing admissions that suddenly shone a bright light on contested issues. From this voluminous data, clear facts emerge from w…
Legacy
- The invaders of Johnson County, in custody at Ft. D.A. Russell in Cheyenne, spring 1892. All charges against them were eventually dismissed. Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum.
Analysis
- Johnson County people, on the other hand, largely believed that the real reason for the invasion was the big cattlemens determination to drive competitors off the open range that the stockmen illegally monopolized -- to stop those who might legally take up public land under the Homestead and Desert Land acts. And Johnson County residents said that cattle rustling was greatly exagg…
Themes
- Contrary to the cattle barons portrayal, Buffalo was a town full of ambitious young people who worked hard to build up their community and make better lives for their families. Johnson County people were not saints, but they bore little resemblance to the picture of criminality later forwarded by big cattlemen.
Early history
- In the 1880s, the cattle barons in Johnson County and across Wyoming Territory ruled their customary ranges like private fiefdoms. Most had little concept of the true carrying capacity of those ranges, however, and overstocked them.
Causes
- Cattle prices peaked in 1882, drawing more money to the business and more cattle to the land. Soon there was a beef glut. Prices began to fall, yet no one could think of anything to do but bring in even more cattleweakening the ranges further and driving prices further down. Then bad drought in 1886 was followed by the terrible winter of 1886-1887.
Media
- Sensational newspapers articles appeared immediately after the lynchings portraying Watson as a prostitute who accepted cattle for her favors. These articles, however, were written by an employee of one of the Cheyenne dailies owned by cattle barons, and recent authoritative writings show that they were false, created out of whole cloth.
Aftermath
- That same year, 1889, Johnson County juries acquitted suspects in five cattle theft cases. Big cattlemen reacted in fury, stating publicly and in private correspondence that the acquittals proved it was impossible to present evidence to a Johnson County juryno matter how compellingthat would produce a conviction. Once the invaders were taken into custody, however…
Formation
- The first step was the formation of an assassination squad of employees of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. This small group of men included Frank Canton, a former Johnson County sheriff and a stock inspector of the association. Their first action was to hang a man from Newcastle, Wyo., Tom Waggoner, who traded horses. They followed this with an attack upon Na…
Assessment
- Champion was a small man with a reputation as a formidable fighter. He ran a herd of about 200 cattle on one of the forks of Powder River. Champions stock grazed on public land, exactly as did the animals of the big cattlemen. He insisted that his cattle had as much right to grass on the public range as did the herd of any cattle baron.
Investigation
- Private and public investigations followed, and one of the assassination squad members was forced to admit the names of all the members before two witnesses. Those two witnesses were Powder River ranchers John A. Tisdale and, perhaps, Orley Ranger Jones. Johnson County authorities filed attempted murder charges against Joe Elliott, the attacker identified by Nate Ch…
Trial
- The means to arrest and charge complicit cattlemen were at hand. If Johnson County could obtain a conviction against even one of the assassins, he would probably name his employers to avoid a long prison term. On Feb. 8, 1892, a preliminary hearing was held in the case of State v. Elliott for the attempted murder of Nate Champion. Champion gave dramatic testimony, and Jo…
Battle
- They surrounded Champion. For hours he fought the 50 men, wounding three. Finally, during the middle of the afternoon of April 9, 1892, the invaders torched the cabin, forcing him out and shooting him down. By then, however, the countryside had been alerted, and men all over the area rushed to confront the invaders. The invaders holed up south of Buffalo at the T. A. Ranch. Ther…
Prelude
- Over three days the posse slowly closed in on the invaders. On the morning of the third day, 14 posse members started moving toward the T. A. Ranch house, using a ponderous, movable fort called a go-devil or ark of safety made of logs on the running gears of two wagons. When the telegrams, for reasons that are unclear, failed to go through, Barber asked the two senators fro…
Premise
- The idea was that when the posse got close to the invaders fortifications, they would use dynamite to force the invaders out into the open. The running gears came from the captured supply wagons of the invaders, which contained dynamite intended for use against the people of Johnson County. But the posse never got the chance to use its new weapon. In the nick of time, …
Organizations
- The cattle barons were protected by a friendly judicial system, but that system could not protect these men from Wyoming voters. The Republican Party was closely associated with the cattlemen and their principal organization, the Wyoming Stock Growers Association. One of the states two U.S. senators, Republican Joseph Carey, had recently served as president of the association.
Controversy
- Many Wyoming people were offended by the spectacle of the senators late night personal visit to President Harrison to rescue wrongdoers. (The senators had rousted the president out of bed). The invaders and their supporters did everything they could in the months after the invasion to suppress Johnson County and its advocates, including mounting a fervent attempt to have marti…
Background
- The 1892 election was a landslide in favor of the Wyoming Democratic Party. A Democrat was elected governor and another was elected to the U.S. Congress. At the time, U.S. senators were still elected by state legislatures; enough Democrats were elected to the Wyoming state legislature that no Republican could be selected for the U.S. Senate. Senator Francis E. Warren l…
Results
- Despite mixed electoral results, there were permanent and positive changes in response to the Johnson County War. Wyoming people had made it abundantly clearby their votes and by strong resolutions to public officials reported in newspapers-- that they would not tolerate abuses like the invasion of Johnson County.