🔗 Share this article

A prominent western historian, a notable expert of the old west, has released a latest book titled Brothers of the Gun, which explores the careers of the famed lawman and the notorious gambler. He states displeasure with the oft-quoted line from a classic movie: “When the myth becomes truth, print the tale.”

“All researcher cites it, they just overuse it,” he comments lightheartedly. “And it’s actually not true. I wrote a account. I want people to be engaged in the period, but I just get so tired of that line. The folklore is myth. It never become fact. People can retell the legend but it won't make it fact.”

That Notorious Shootout at the Corral

In Tombstone, Arizona, on October 26, 1881, Wyatt Earp and Holliday were involved in a gunfight that is remembered as the O.K. Corral shootout. With the Earp brothers, the pair met the Cowboys, individuals hunted for theft and rustling. In a brief moment, three gang members were killed and Holliday was injured, as were the Earp brothers.

Despite being one of countless frontier clashes between officers and bandits, it entered myth, partly thanks to iconic movies including a classic western and Gunfight at the OK Corral.

Mystery and Contradiction in Historical Accounts

“A large part of what we learn about it is provable,” Gardner remarked of the actual fight and its aftermath. “But I always go back to one of the most insightful quotes, and it’s a very simple comment. A dressmaker, who saw the confrontation, remarked: ‘I don’t know. All was confusion.’”

Including the witnesses present had different accounts. Evidence from the legal proceeding is also murky. Witnesses who were associates of the outlaws were untruthful, and every account is a bit distinct. It’s rare when a person aligns on anything.

“All was confusion.” – Addie Borland

“Among the people involved were confused,” he continues. “So it’s genuinely challenging to uncover it, and it happened in a brief moment.”

Storytelling and Film Portrayals

He survived into the movie age, succumbing in the late 1920s at the years of 80. Originally portrayed on a silent film screen in 1923, he later became the character of major classic westerns. In more modern decades, he has been portrayed by a star in a modern western and another actor in the 1994 movie.

He digs through such legend-building to reveal the people beneath. His works explore the span of the Wild West, from a legendary figure and his pursuer to Jesse James.

Layered Lives of Wyatt Earp and Holliday

Hailing in Illinois in 1848, Earp was too young to participate in the the war, though he sought to do so. When he was twenty, he started as a law officer in Missouri. Errors were made. Earp experienced a tragedy with the demise of his wife, Urilla, from disease in 1870. Subsequently, as an officer, he held onto revenue he gathered.

“We do not know why he kept it,” Gardner states. “He runs, and finds himself in Indian Territory. He’s apprehended for stealing a animal, and then he’s in the state, and he’s managing a brothel. Finally he goes back west, and he settles in Wichita, Kansas.”

Despite his complex history, Earp performed well as a peace officer. Local papers applauded him frequently. In one case, he apprehended a drunk man who had $500 on him. He safeguarded the cash for the drunk and handed it back when he let go him from custody.

Different Characters of the Duo

The historian highlights the stark contrast between the pair. Wyatt was aspiring, seeking to better himself and reach positions like county sheriff. Doc, originating in the South in the mid-19th century, was a dentist turned risk-taker. Unlike Wyatt, Holliday didn't display signs of establishing roots.

“Holliday just journeys from one gambling place to the next,” he says. “He doesn't actually evolve. And part of that’s his addiction to wagering. Part of that is consumption, managing that and self-medicating, whether it’s with whiskey or later opium.”

Impact and Historical Relevance

The new book illustrates a fascinating element of the old west: the conflict between order and chaos, and the attempts of authorities to establish rule over developing towns. The extent of paperwork that followed a shootout – hearings, testimonies, directives for restitution – might startle those familiar with Hollywood versions of the era.

Moreover, Earp and Doc were embroiled in hard political struggles. Earp was a a conservative, while Tombstone lawman a Democrat was a adversary, creating a rivalry for influence and authority.

Finally, Gardner declines to idealize these men. Wyatt and Holliday spent periods on each end