Clay Allison
Encyclopedia
Clay Allison was a Texas cattle rancher and gunfighter. He is one of the best known historic figures of the American Old West
.
His father, a Presbyterian
minister, also raised cattle and sheep to support his family. Clay Allison reportedly was restless from birth; as a young man became known for wild mood swings and his quick temper.
, until American Civil War
began when he was 21. On October 15, 1861, he enlisted the Confederate States Army
in Captain W. H. Jackson's Artillery Battery. Three months later, however, he was medically discharged because an old head injury: "Incapable of performing the duties of a soldier because of a blow received many years ago. Emotional or physical excitement produces paroxymals of a mixed character, partly epileptic and partly maniacal."
On September 22, 1862, Allison enlisted in the 9th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, where he served under the Confederate "wizard of the saddle", General Nathan Bedford Forrest
. At the war's end, he surrendered with Forrest's men on May 4, 1865, at Gainesville
, Alabama. After briefly being held prisoner of war
, Allison and the others were paroled on May 10 and allowed to return home.
. A popular - but probably untrue - story claims that when a corporal from the 3rd Illinois Cavalry Regiment arrived at the Allison family's farm with intention of seizing it, After a rude confrontation and the breaking of his mother's vase (an anniversary present from his father) Clay Allison took a rifle from the house and killed him. Whatever the reason, Clay Allison, along with his brothers Monroe and John, and sister Mary and her husband Lewis Coleman, soon moved to Texas to settle.
In the towns of Cimarron
and Elizabethtown
, New Mexico
, Allison began to develop a reputation as a dangerous man.
In the fall of 1870, a man named Charles Kennedy was being held in the local jail in Elizabethtown, accused of going mad and murdering several strangers and his own daughter. A mob led by Clay Allison broke into the jail, took Kennedy from his cell, and hanged him. Allegedly, Allison then cut off the man's head and carried it in a sack 29 miles (47 km) to Cimarron, where he placed it on display on a pole in front of the Lambert's saloon. (Though Charles Kennedy died at the hands of Clay; his head could not have been taken to Lambert's saloon as it did not exist at this point in time.
Allison was involved in numerous encounters during this period, often in man-to-man knife fights. He believed himself fast with a gun, but this changed when he was outdrawn in a friendly competition with Mason Bowman. Bowman and Allison became friends, and Mace Bowman is said to have helped Allison to improve his fast draw skills.
. After they had raced their horses, they entered the Clifton House, an inn located in Colfax County, New Mexico
, where they sat down together for dinner. Colbert had already killed seven men and had quarreled with Allison years earlier. (Allison had beaten Colbert's uncle, Zachary Colbert, when he tried to overcharge Allison for the ferry across the Brazos River.) During their meal, Colbert suddenly tried to draw his pistol to shoot Allison; however, the barrel struck the table. Allison then drew his own revolver and fired one shot, striking Colbert in the head. Asked why he had accepted a dinner invitation from a man likely to try to kill him, Allison replied, "Because I didn't want to send a man to hell on an empty stomach". Allison's reputation as a gunman grew, as did his notoriety.
On October 30, 1875, Allison is alleged to have led a lynch-mob to kill Cruz Vega, who was suspected of murdering a Methodist
circuit-rider. The mob hanged the man from a telegraph pole near Cimarron. On November 1, Vega's family members, led by Vega's uncle Francisco Griego, began making threats of revenge. They went to the Lambert Inn (now the St. James Hotel), where they confronted Allison and accused him of taking part in the lynching. Griego reached for his revolver. Allison was faster and shot Griego twice, killing him. On November 10, Allison was charged with the murder of Francisco Griego, but after an inquiry the charge was dropped and the shooting was ruled self-defense.
In December 1876, Allison and his brother John rode into Las Animas, Colorado
, where they stopped at a local saloon
. Constable Charles Faber of Bent County
told the Allisons they should surrender their pistols, as an ordinance made it illegal to carry weapons inside the town limits. When the Allisons refused, Sheriff Faber left. He deputized two men and returned with them to the saloon. When the posse stepped inside, someone yelled, "Look out!" The sheriff and his men promptly opened fire. John Allison was hit three times - in the chest, arm, and leg. Clay Allison turned and fired four shots, killing Sheriff Faber. The deputized men fled. Allison chased after them, but they escaped. Both Allison brothers would be arrested and charged with manslaughter
, but the charge was dismissed as the sheriff had begun the fight. This gunfight more than any raised Clay Allison to legendary status.
, Missouri
, the birthplace of his wife and sister-in-law. Clay next moved to Hays City
, Kansas
, where he established himself as a cattle broker. By the time Allison arrived in Dodge City, Kansas
, his reputation had preceded him. Nevertheless, several cowboys working for him apparently were mistreated by the local marshal's office. Dodge City was a "cattle town", and laws were upheld by force. The deputy marshal at the time was a man later to gain fame himself: Wyatt Earp
.
Earp's biographer and Earp himself claimed that Wyatt Earp and his friend Bat Masterson
confronted Allison and his men in a saloon, and that Allison backed down before them. In reality, Masterson was not in town at the time and there is no evidence the encounter ever took place.
According to contemporary accounts, a cattleman named Dick McNulty and Chalk Beeson
, owner of the Long Branch Saloon
, convinced Allison and his cowboys to surrender their guns. Wyatt Earp did not make his claim until after Allison's death, just as Earp's false claim to have arrested gunman Ben Thompson
was made after Thompson's death. Charlie Siringo
, a cowboy at the time but later a well known Pinkerton Detective
, had witnessed the incident and left a written account. Siringo agreed that it was McNulty and Beeson who ended the incident, and said Earp had not even approached the feared Clay Allison.
, at the junction of the Washita River
and Gageby Creek, in what was then Wheeler County, Texas (now Hemphill County, Texas ). A verified story tells how a totally drunk Clay Allison rode through Mobeetie stark naked one day, wearing only his holster and revolver. On February 15, 1881, Allison married America Medora McCulloch in Mobeetie and became a family man.
By 1883, Allison had sold his ranch and moved to Pope's Wells, purchasing another ranch near the Pecos River
crossing of the Texas-New Mexico line (this was a landmark on the Goodnight-Loving Trail), 50 miles northwest of Pecos, Texas
.
Clay and his wife "Dora" had two children: Patti Dora Allison (married name Byars), was born on August 9, 1885, in Peña Flora district of Colfax County; she died on August 21, 1971, in Fort Worth, Texas. Clay Pearl Allison (married name Parker), was born on February 10, 1888 (seven months after her father’s death), Pecos, Texas; she died on November 21, 1962.
Robert Clay Allison was buried the next day in Pecos Cemetery, in Pecos, Texas
. It is said that hundreds attended his funeral, either to pay their respects or simply out of curiosity. His tombstone reads "He never killed a man that did not need killing".
Dora McCullough Allison married to Jesse Lee Johnson, in Pecos, Texas, on October 23, 1890. She moved with him to Fort Worth in 1897. Allison's widow died on January 18, 1926 in Baltimore, Maryland and was interred in Oakwood Cemetery in Fort Worth.
His grave marker reads:
!align="center" style="background:#ivory"|ROBERT C ALLISON
CSA
CO F
9th TENN CAV
SEP 2 1840
JUL 3 1887
GENTLEMAN
GUN FIGHTER
|-
|}
A second marker was later placed at the foot of the grave: "He never killed a man that did not need killing".
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
.
Early life
Born Robert Andrew Clay Allison, he was the fourth of the nine children of Jeremiah Scotland Allison and his wife Mariah R. Brown.His father, a Presbyterian
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
minister, also raised cattle and sheep to support his family. Clay Allison reportedly was restless from birth; as a young man became known for wild mood swings and his quick temper.
American Civil War
Allison helped on the family farm near Waynesboro, TennesseeWaynesboro, Tennessee
Waynesboro is a city in and the county seat of Wayne County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,449 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Waynesboro is located at ....
, until American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
began when he was 21. On October 15, 1861, he enlisted the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
in Captain W. H. Jackson's Artillery Battery. Three months later, however, he was medically discharged because an old head injury: "Incapable of performing the duties of a soldier because of a blow received many years ago. Emotional or physical excitement produces paroxymals of a mixed character, partly epileptic and partly maniacal."
On September 22, 1862, Allison enlisted in the 9th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, where he served under the Confederate "wizard of the saddle", General Nathan Bedford Forrest
Nathan Bedford Forrest
Nathan Bedford Forrest was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He is remembered both as a self-educated, innovative cavalry leader during the war and as a leading southern advocate in the postwar years...
. At the war's end, he surrendered with Forrest's men on May 4, 1865, at Gainesville
Gainesville, Alabama
Gainesville is a town in Sumter County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 220.-Geography:Gainesville is located at .According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
, Alabama. After briefly being held prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
, Allison and the others were paroled on May 10 and allowed to return home.
After the war
Once back home, Allison was involved in several violent confrontations before he left for TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. A popular - but probably untrue - story claims that when a corporal from the 3rd Illinois Cavalry Regiment arrived at the Allison family's farm with intention of seizing it, After a rude confrontation and the breaking of his mother's vase (an anniversary present from his father) Clay Allison took a rifle from the house and killed him. Whatever the reason, Clay Allison, along with his brothers Monroe and John, and sister Mary and her husband Lewis Coleman, soon moved to Texas to settle.
In the towns of Cimarron
Cimarron, New Mexico
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 917 people, 382 households, and 255 families residing in the village. The population density was 479.5 people per square mile . There were 449 housing units at an average density of 234.8 per square mile...
and Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown, New Mexico
Elizabethtown is a small unincorporated community in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States. It is located just off New Mexico State Road 38, between the communities of Eagle Nest and Red River. It is just east of the Carson National Forest...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, Allison began to develop a reputation as a dangerous man.
In the fall of 1870, a man named Charles Kennedy was being held in the local jail in Elizabethtown, accused of going mad and murdering several strangers and his own daughter. A mob led by Clay Allison broke into the jail, took Kennedy from his cell, and hanged him. Allegedly, Allison then cut off the man's head and carried it in a sack 29 miles (47 km) to Cimarron, where he placed it on display on a pole in front of the Lambert's saloon. (Though Charles Kennedy died at the hands of Clay; his head could not have been taken to Lambert's saloon as it did not exist at this point in time.
Allison was involved in numerous encounters during this period, often in man-to-man knife fights. He believed himself fast with a gun, but this changed when he was outdrawn in a friendly competition with Mason Bowman. Bowman and Allison became friends, and Mace Bowman is said to have helped Allison to improve his fast draw skills.
Notoriety as a gunfighter
On January 7, 1874, Allison killed a gunman named Chunk ColbertChunk Colbert
Chunk Colbert was an Old West gunman, known for having been killed by noted gunfighter Clay Allison.From West Texas, Colbert had earned a reputation as a "gunfighter". He is said to have killed seven men in Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado...
. After they had raced their horses, they entered the Clifton House, an inn located in Colfax County, New Mexico
Colfax County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*83.8% White*0.5% Black*1.5% Native American*0.4% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.6% Two or more races*10.1% Other races*47.2% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, where they sat down together for dinner. Colbert had already killed seven men and had quarreled with Allison years earlier. (Allison had beaten Colbert's uncle, Zachary Colbert, when he tried to overcharge Allison for the ferry across the Brazos River.) During their meal, Colbert suddenly tried to draw his pistol to shoot Allison; however, the barrel struck the table. Allison then drew his own revolver and fired one shot, striking Colbert in the head. Asked why he had accepted a dinner invitation from a man likely to try to kill him, Allison replied, "Because I didn't want to send a man to hell on an empty stomach". Allison's reputation as a gunman grew, as did his notoriety.
On October 30, 1875, Allison is alleged to have led a lynch-mob to kill Cruz Vega, who was suspected of murdering a Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
circuit-rider. The mob hanged the man from a telegraph pole near Cimarron. On November 1, Vega's family members, led by Vega's uncle Francisco Griego, began making threats of revenge. They went to the Lambert Inn (now the St. James Hotel), where they confronted Allison and accused him of taking part in the lynching. Griego reached for his revolver. Allison was faster and shot Griego twice, killing him. On November 10, Allison was charged with the murder of Francisco Griego, but after an inquiry the charge was dropped and the shooting was ruled self-defense.
In December 1876, Allison and his brother John rode into Las Animas, Colorado
Las Animas, Colorado
200px|right|thumb|St. Mary's [[Catholic]] Church in Las AnimasThe city of Las Animas is a Statutory City that is the county seat of, and the only incorporated municipality in, Bent County, Colorado, United States. The population was 2,410 at the 2010 census. Las Animas, located in southeast...
, where they stopped at a local saloon
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
. Constable Charles Faber of Bent County
Bent County, Colorado
Bent County is one of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county is named in honor of frontier trader William Bent. The county population was 5,998 at U.S. Census 2000...
told the Allisons they should surrender their pistols, as an ordinance made it illegal to carry weapons inside the town limits. When the Allisons refused, Sheriff Faber left. He deputized two men and returned with them to the saloon. When the posse stepped inside, someone yelled, "Look out!" The sheriff and his men promptly opened fire. John Allison was hit three times - in the chest, arm, and leg. Clay Allison turned and fired four shots, killing Sheriff Faber. The deputized men fled. Allison chased after them, but they escaped. Both Allison brothers would be arrested and charged with manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
, but the charge was dismissed as the sheriff had begun the fight. This gunfight more than any raised Clay Allison to legendary status.
Alleged confrontation with Wyatt Earp
In March 1877, Allison sold his ranch to his brother, John. He relocated to SedaliaSedalia, Missouri
Sedalia is a city located about south of the Missouri River in Pettis County, Missouri. U.S. Highway 50 and U.S. Highway 65 intersect in the city. As of 2006, the city had a total population of 20,669. It is the county seat of Pettis County. The Sedalia Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, the birthplace of his wife and sister-in-law. Clay next moved to Hays City
Hays, Kansas
Hays is a city in and the county seat of Ellis County, Kansas, United States. The largest city in northwestern Kansas, it is the economic and cultural center of the region. It is also a college town, home to Fort Hays State University...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, where he established himself as a cattle broker. By the time Allison arrived in Dodge City, Kansas
Dodge City, Kansas
Dodge City is a city in, and the county seat of, Ford County, Kansas, United States. Named after nearby Fort Dodge, the city is famous in American culture for its history as a wild frontier town of the Old West. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,340.-History:The first settlement of...
, his reputation had preceded him. Nevertheless, several cowboys working for him apparently were mistreated by the local marshal's office. Dodge City was a "cattle town", and laws were upheld by force. The deputy marshal at the time was a man later to gain fame himself: Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known...
.
Earp's biographer and Earp himself claimed that Wyatt Earp and his friend Bat Masterson
Bat Masterson
William Barclay "Bat" Masterson was a figure of the American Old West known as a buffalo hunter, U.S. Marshal and Army scout, avid fisherman, gambler, frontier lawman, and sports editor and columnist for the New York Morning Telegraph...
confronted Allison and his men in a saloon, and that Allison backed down before them. In reality, Masterson was not in town at the time and there is no evidence the encounter ever took place.
According to contemporary accounts, a cattleman named Dick McNulty and Chalk Beeson
Chalkley Beeson
Chalkley McArtor "Chalk" Beeson was a well known businessman, lawman, cattleman, saloon owner, manager and keeper of the Old West, best known as being one of the many owners of the famous Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City, Kansas.-Biography:Originally from Salem, Ohio, Beeson was the seventh born...
, owner of the Long Branch Saloon
Long Branch Saloon
The Long Branch Saloon is a famous saloon that existed during the Old West days of Dodge City, Kansas. It had numerous owners, most notably Chalk Beeson and gunfighter Luke Short...
, convinced Allison and his cowboys to surrender their guns. Wyatt Earp did not make his claim until after Allison's death, just as Earp's false claim to have arrested gunman Ben Thompson
Ben Thompson
Ben Thompson was a gunman, gambler, and sometime lawman of the Old West. He was a contemporary of Wyatt Earp, Buffalo Bill Cody, Doc Holliday, John Wesley Hardin and James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickock, some of whom considered him a trusted friend, others an enemy.Ben Thompson had a colorful career,...
was made after Thompson's death. Charlie Siringo
Charlie Siringo
Charles Angelo Siringo , was an American lawman, detective, and agent for the Pinkerton National Detective Agency during the late 19th century and early 20th century.-Early life:...
, a cowboy at the time but later a well known Pinkerton Detective
Pinkerton National Detective Agency
The Pinkerton National Detective Agency, usually shortened to the Pinkertons, is a private U.S. security guard and detective agency established by Allan Pinkerton in 1850. Pinkerton became famous when he claimed to have foiled a plot to assassinate president-elect Abraham Lincoln, who later hired...
, had witnessed the incident and left a written account. Siringo agreed that it was McNulty and Beeson who ended the incident, and said Earp had not even approached the feared Clay Allison.
1880s
Allison ranched from 1880 to 1883 with his brothers, John William Allison and Jeremiah Monroe Allison. Their ranch was 12 miles northeast of MobeetieMobeetie, Texas
Mobeetie is a city in northwestern Wheeler County, Texas, United States, just across the Sweetwater Creek from Texas Route 152. The population was 107 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, at the junction of the Washita River
Washita River
The Washita River is a river in Texas and Oklahoma, United States. The river is long and terminates into Lake Texoma in Johnston County , Oklahoma and the Red River.-Geography:...
and Gageby Creek, in what was then Wheeler County, Texas (now Hemphill County, Texas ). A verified story tells how a totally drunk Clay Allison rode through Mobeetie stark naked one day, wearing only his holster and revolver. On February 15, 1881, Allison married America Medora McCulloch in Mobeetie and became a family man.
By 1883, Allison had sold his ranch and moved to Pope's Wells, purchasing another ranch near the Pecos River
Pecos River
The headwaters of the Pecos River are located north of Pecos, New Mexico, United States, at an elevation of over 12,000 feet on the western slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County. The river flows for through the eastern portion of that state and neighboring Texas before it...
crossing of the Texas-New Mexico line (this was a landmark on the Goodnight-Loving Trail), 50 miles northwest of Pecos, Texas
Pecos, Texas
Pecos is the largest city in and the county seat of Reeves County, Texas, United States. It is situated in the river valley on the west bank of the Pecos River at the eastern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert and the Trans-Pecos region of west Texas and near the southern border of New Mexico...
.
Clay and his wife "Dora" had two children: Patti Dora Allison (married name Byars), was born on August 9, 1885, in Peña Flora district of Colfax County; she died on August 21, 1971, in Fort Worth, Texas. Clay Pearl Allison (married name Parker), was born on February 10, 1888 (seven months after her father’s death), Pecos, Texas; she died on November 21, 1962.
Death
Despite his fame as a gunfighter, Clay Allison died an accidental death while working on his ranch. On July 3, 1887, Allison was hauling a wagon load of supplies when the load shifted. A sack of grain fell from the wagon, and Allison fell from the wagon as he tried to catch it. A wagon wheel rolled over him, breaking his neck. His death was almost instantaneous; he was 47 years old.Robert Clay Allison was buried the next day in Pecos Cemetery, in Pecos, Texas
Pecos, Texas
Pecos is the largest city in and the county seat of Reeves County, Texas, United States. It is situated in the river valley on the west bank of the Pecos River at the eastern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert and the Trans-Pecos region of west Texas and near the southern border of New Mexico...
. It is said that hundreds attended his funeral, either to pay their respects or simply out of curiosity. His tombstone reads "He never killed a man that did not need killing".
Dora McCullough Allison married to Jesse Lee Johnson, in Pecos, Texas, on October 23, 1890. She moved with him to Fort Worth in 1897. Allison's widow died on January 18, 1926 in Baltimore, Maryland and was interred in Oakwood Cemetery in Fort Worth.
Tributes
In a special ceremony held on August 28, 1975, Clay Allison's remains were re-interred at Pecos Park, just west of the Pecos Museum.His grave marker reads:
-
-
- {| class="wikitable"|-
-
!align="center" style="background:#ivory"|ROBERT C ALLISON
CSA
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
CO F
9th TENN CAV
SEP 2 1840
JUL 3 1887
GENTLEMAN
GUN FIGHTER
|-
|}
A second marker was later placed at the foot of the grave: "He never killed a man that did not need killing".