🔗 Share this article

A prominent western historian, a notable historian of the Wild West, has released a recent volume titled Partners in the West, which delves into the careers of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. Gardner states frustration with the well-known phrase from a classic western: “When the tale becomes truth, print the myth.”

“Every historian cites it, they just repeat it endlessly,” he remarks cheerfully. “And it’s truly not correct. I wrote a narrative. I hope people to be absorbed in the time, but I just get so weary of that line. The myth is folklore. It doesn't become fact. People can recount the folklore but it doesn't make it reality.”

That Famous Shootout at the Corral

In the town of Tombstone, on October 26, 1881, Earp and Holliday were involved in a shootout that became famous as the Tombstone gunfight. Alongside the Earp brothers, the duo faced the rustlers, individuals sought for robbery and cattle theft. In a brief moment, three gang members were dead and Holliday was wounded, as were the Earp brothers.

Even though being one of many frontier clashes between lawmen and criminals, it entered legend, largely thanks to famous movies including the John Ford film and the Sturges movie.

Uncertainty and Disagreement in Eyewitness Records

“A great deal of what we understand about it is confirmable,” the historian noted of the true battle and its aftermath. “But I consistently go back to one of the most telling statements, and it’s a very simple comment. A dressmaker, who witnessed the shootout, remarked: ‘I don’t know. Everything was chaotic.’”

Including the people on the scene had conflicting stories. Statements from the legal proceeding is likewise murky. Observers who were allies of the gang were lying, and each version is a bit different. It’s infrequent when a person aligns on any detail.

“It was all a blur.” – an eyewitness

“Including the individuals involved were confused,” Gardner adds. “So it’s truly difficult to determine it, and it occurred in 30 seconds.”

Storytelling and Hollywood Portrayals

Wyatt Earp survived into the movie era, dying in the late 1920s at the years of 80. Originally shown on a silent film film in the 1920s, he later became the focus of significant 20th-century movies. In more modern decades, he has been portrayed by an actor in Tombstone and Kevin Costner in Wyatt Earp.

The historian drills through such myth-making to uncover the men below. His works span the span of the American frontier, from a legendary figure and Pat Garrett to the notorious bandit.

Complex Lives of Wyatt Earp and Holliday

Originating in Monmouth, Illinois in 1848, Earp was too young to fight in the the war, though he tried to do so. When he was twenty, he became a law officer in Lamar, Missouri. Mistakes were made. Earp experienced a tragedy with the death of his wife, Urilla Sutherland, from illness in 1870. Afterward, as constable, he held onto revenue he obtained.

“We don't know why he retained it,” Gardner states. “He escapes, and finds himself in Indian Territory. He’s apprehended for swiping a animal, and then he’s in Illinois, and he’s managing a brothel. Finally he heads back west, and he ends up in Kansas.”

Despite his complex past, Earp excelled as a police officer. Newspapers applauded him frequently. In one case, he apprehended a drunk man who had money on him. He held the money for the individual and gave it back when he released him from jail.

Divergent Personalities of the Pair

Gardner highlights the stark contrast between the pair. Earp was driven, aiming to better himself and achieve offices like sheriff. Holliday, hailing in the South in 1851, was a professional turned risk-taker. Different from Wyatt, Holliday didn't display evidence of establishing roots.

“Holliday just journeys from one saloon to the next one,” he observes. “He never really change. And part of that’s his dependence to betting. Some of that is consumption, managing that and self-medicating, whether it’s with drink or later laudanum.”

Influence and Academic Relevance

The new book shows a intriguing facet of the old west: the tension between law and crime, and the endeavors of authorities to establish control over newly forming societies. The extent of bureaucracy that resulted from a gunfight – inquiries, testimonies, directives for payment – might surprise those familiar with romanticized portrayals of the era.

Moreover, Earp and Doc were involved in partisan factional conflicts. Earp was a member of the GOP, while Tombstone sheriff a Democrat was a opponent, creating a competition for control and office.

Ultimately, the historian refuses to romanticize these figures. Wyatt and Holliday lived periods on either end