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John Chisum was born on hisgrandfather’s plantation in HardemanCounty, Tennessee in 1824. He moved withhis family to Paris, Texas in 1837. In 1854,he first went into the cattle business inDenton County, adopting the Half Circle Pbrand. By 1860 Chisum was running 5,000head of cattle and was considered a majorcattleman in North Texas.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Chisumwas exempted from service and placed incharge of several herds in his district. Early
in 1862 hetook a herdacrossArkansas totheConfederateforces atVicksburg,but thereafterexhibited littleinterest in theSoutherncause. In thefall of 1863,
suffering from Indian raids and drought,Chisum and other cattlemen in the Dentonarea moved their cattle west. Riding a mule,as was his preference, Chisum rode ahead of
the herd on their way to Coleman County.There they camped on the Concho River nearits junction with the Colorado. Soon Chisumand his partners had 18,000 head grazingalong the Colorado.
Wisdom from Jake …………… 4 Find Delta Raider ……………….. 4 Long Juan Here ………………….. 3 Match Photos …………………….. 9 President’s Word ……………….. 2 Sponsor Ads ………………………. 13 Photo from Jake …..……………. 4
Agarita Ranch Lockhart, Texas
A Chronicle of the Plum Creek Shooting Society
April 2016
John Chisumand the Lincoln County War
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President - Dragon Hill DaveDavid DonaldsonAustin, TX [email protected]
Vice President - Joe DarterTom MorrisSeguin, TX [email protected]
Secretary & Editor, Agarita Gazette -Long JuanJohn SouleAustin, TX [email protected]
Treasurer - True Blue CachooNancy ForageAustin, TX 512-775-0699
Territorial Governor - JakePaladinJ.P. ForageAustin, TX [email protected]
Range Marshal - Delta RaiderChuck LeshikarLockhart, TX [email protected]
Range Deputy - Lefty LeoSafety Marshal - ArtimanJay DavisLockhart, TX [email protected]
Stage Marshal - PhantomScoring Marshal - GeneralBurlesonWeb Marshal - Bolo BobFlag Marshal - Artiman
www.pccss.org
Plum Creek PresidentDragon Hill Dave
By the time you are readythis, about three weeks willremain before Battle of PlumCreek 2016. Regular shootersplease remember that BPCtakes the place of our monthlymatch in May. We areexpecting more than 100shooters to participate.Workers have been busygetting the range ready anddoing all the other things necessary to ensure agreat match. All the help that has been and will beprovided by all of you who have volunteered is muchappreciated. We still need help. Watch the PCCSSYahoo Group, look for emails from Long Juan andlook for updated information on our website.www.pccss.org Bolo Bob has been doing a great jobkeeping it up to date with the latest information.
The event will kick off on Friday, May 6th. Check-in will open in the Pavilion about 10 a.m. and will beopen most of the day. Earlier, RO classes will havebegun in the Lucky Lady Saloon. Taught by TexasJack Daniels (thanks TJD), the RO1 class will runfrom 9 a.m. to noon, leaving plenty of time to eatand then participate in afternoon shooting activities.RO2 class will follow the RO1 class and should endby about 3 p.m. It’s not too late if you would like toattend either RO class. There’s plenty of room.There will be small fee payable at the beginning ofclass and each participant is requested to downloadthe SASS Shooters Manual and appropriate ROHandbook from the SASS website, print it and bringit with you to class. See details on our website. Ifyou want to attend and have not signed up, pleasesend Long Juan an email. From 11:00 to noon,anyone who wants to sight in for Long Range may doso on Stage 1 (Fort Agarita). Lunch is on your ownFriday.
At 1:00 p.m. on Friday there will be a safetymeeting for all participating in afternoon shootingactivities in front of the Shamrock Hotel/Lucky LadySaloon. The 4-stage Wild Bunch match will begin at1:30, shooting Stages 3-6. The Plainsman matchwill begin at the same time on Stages 7-10. Yes,
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because of expressed interest from anumber of shooters, we decided to reverseour decision not to offer a Plainsman sidematch. If you did not sign up when youregistered and would like to shootPlainsman, please send Long Juan an emailas soon as possible. The Big-Bore SideMatch will also begin at 1:30 on Friday onStage 1. We have been taking reservationsfor slots to shoot Long Range on Friday.There are still openings on the schedule. Ifyou would like to shoot Big-Bore LongRange Friday afternoon, please send LongJuan an email so he can let Circuit Judgeand the Green Mountain Regulators, whosponsoring Stage 1 and are running the Big-Bore Long Range match, (thanks CJ andGMR), know you want to shoot. The rangewill go cold at 5:30 and there will be amandatory Main Match Posse Marshal walk-through starting on Stage 1. At 6:30 therewill be a pot-luck dinner in the Pavilion.That means everyone should bringsomething to share to eat. The Plum CreekShooting Society will provide plasticware,plates and something to drink. Anythingstronger than soft is BYOB. Yours truly willbe cooking up some venison – most likelychili – to share.
On Saturday, 5/7, the Main Match starts.Check-in will open at 7:30 a.m. in thePavilion. Opening ceremonies and shootersafety meeting will be at 8:30 in front of thesaloon and hotel. We hope to be hammersdown on the first six stages of the MainMatch by 9:00 a.m. There should be foodavailable for purchase at the range duringthe day. There also will be a number of
vendors plying their wares. Look for a listfrom Long Juan and on the website soon.After all posses have finished the MainMatch stages on Saturday, side matches willbegin in earnest. Big-Bore Long Range willcontinue on Stage 1. Quigley and Pistol-Caliber Long Range will be on Stage 2.Other side matches will include FastestRifle, Pistol, Shotgun, Pocket Pistol andDerringer on Stages 3 and 4. On Stage 5,we will have a new side match – “Call YourTime.” Shooters will estimate the time it willtake them to shoot the stage. Closest topicking the correct time will be the winner.You will have a chance to practice the stageat least once before shooting for “score.”There will also be a costume content onSaturday – details soon. The range will gocold at 5:30 and there will be a banquet inthe Pavilion beginning at 6:30. Side Matchand Costume Contest Awards will behanded out during the banquet.
Sunday morning, 5/8, we will be hammersdown on the last four stages of the MainMatch by 8:30 a.m. Lunch will be served inthe Pavilion at noon, followed by the awardsceremony. See ya at the Agarita!
I see there is much Dragon Hill Dave wants you to let me know. Bring it on!Do you want to shoot Plainsman? Do you want to attend an RO class? Areyou planning to shoot and have not yet registered? Now is the time to do all.We are putting together the posses and ordering awards. If we do not know
you will be at the match or what you are planning to shoot or with whom you want toshoot, it is getting close to being too late. Please send me an email. [email protected]
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Guess is was a little harder last month (or not many ofyou looked for Delta Raider in the March issue of theGazette. He was hiding in Phantom’s left bicep on thefirst page. See left, circled in yellow. Mentioned in theDispatches for finding Delta Raider last month are ElSabre, Preacher Man Lee, Sheriff Robert Love andHairtrigger Hayes. Also mentioned in the dispatches foridentifying Lucky Nickel's hat isSheriff Robert Love. I’ve madeit easy this month. Hope more ofyou will look and report that youhave found Delta Raider in thismonth’s issue.
From the film, Chisum: “Chisum Wisdom” (John Wayneversion)James Pepper (Chisum’s foreman): There's an old saying.There's no law west of Dodge and no God west of the Pecos.Right, Mr. Chisum?Chisum: Wrong, Mr. Pepper. Because no matter wherepeople go, sooner or later there's the law. And sooner orlater they find God's already been there.
Thanks toBig JohnMesquite forthis photo.
Judging by the saddle style, thiscowboy was working in the late1870s or early 80s. In hisholster is a Colt Model 1873single action revolver. He leftarm is looped around aWinchester Model 1873 carbinein a saddle scabbard.
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After the war, Chisum formed apartnership with cattlemen CharlesGoodnight and Oliver Loving to drive herdsof cattle to the Army in Fort Sumner andSanta Fe. One of the first to send his herdsto New Mexico, Chisum established aseries of ranches along the Pecos Riverfor 150 miles. In 1867, Chisum’sranch was headquartered at BosqueGrande, mid-way between Roswell andFort Sumner. When Loving succumbed toa Comanche arrow in 1868, Chisumcontinued his partnership with Goodnight,prospering over the next five years. Duringthis period he adopted the Long Rail brandand his ear-lopping technique, thejinglebob, for his herds.
In the summer of 1874 Chisum wona contract to provide beef to severalApache reservations in New Mexico. In1875 he moved his ranching
headquarters to the South SpringRiver, four miles southeast of Roswell.Employing a hundred cowboys tohandle 80,000 head, Chisum was the"Pecos Valley Cattle King." His empiregrew, but Chisum was much hated bythe smaller ranchers in New Mexicobecause his massive herds used all the
public domain land for grazing. Spreadthin over a large territory, his cattleattracted rustlers and maraudingIndians. His losses were significant.
Chisum joined forces with two otherNew Mexico cattle kings to do battlewith the small cattlemen andmerchants they believed were behindhis losses, which led inpart to the 1878Lincoln County War.
The Lincoln County War was aconflict between rival factions inLincoln County, New Mexico, whichwas still a territory at the time. Thefeud is famous because many of itsparticipants were noteworthy figures of
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the Old West: Billy the Kid, SheriffsWilliam Brady and Pat Garrett, cattlerancher John Chisum, lawyer andbusinessman Alexander McSween andLawrence Murphy.
Lawrence Murphy and James Dolanowned the only store in Lincoln
County, the Murphy & DolanMercantile & Banking, aka “TheHouse.” The House was an incrediblefinancial success mainly because therewas no competition. Murphy andDolan charged local farmers andranchers high prices for their goods,making them hated among much of thelocal population. In 1876 rancherJohn Tunstall and former Murphy-
Dolan employee Alexander McSweenbuilt a huge competing store rightacross the street from The House. Atstake was nothing less than theeconomic and political control ofLincoln County, at the time the largestcounty in the United States.
At first therewere insults andaccusations, thenthreats andprovocations.Dolan tried to goadTunstall into agunfight, but theEnglishmanrefused to take thebait. Tunstall did, however, hire ayoung hand later known as Billy theKid. The long-simmering conflicterupted into gunfire on the evening ofFebruary 18, 1878, when a gangcomprised of Dolan partisansmurdered Tunstall on the road toLincoln. His murder was the spark thatignited the Lincoln County War.
The Tunstall-McSween faction led byBilly the Kid and supported by JohnChisum was called the Regulators. TheRegulators exacted revenge forTunstall’s murder. They killed SheriffBrady and several others of theMurphy-Dolan faction. The killingscontinued unabated for severalmonths, climaxing in July 1878 inwhat became known as the Battle of
James Dolan & Lawrence Murphy
John Tunstall
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Lincoln,1 a five-day gunfight and siegethat resulted in the death of McSweenand scattering of the Regulators.
In an effort to put a stop to the
Lincoln County violence, PresidentRutherford B. Hayes stepped in, oustingNew Mexico’s corrupt territorial governorand replacing him with Lew Wallace, aformer Civil War general. Wallace’s initialefforts to restore order failed. In early 1879he ordered the arrest of those responsiblefor local killings. One of the outlaws wasBilly the Kid.
After agreeing to pardon Billy for hisprevious crimes, Wallace arranged his arrestand detention in a local jail to ensure hissafety. The local district attorney, however,refused to free Billy. The Kid escaped andspent the next year and a half as an outlaw.The Kid's gang rustled cattle and committedother crimes. They became a seriousproblem in Lincoln County. Chisum, PecosValley rancher Joseph Lea and James Dolan(yes, the same James Dolan) soughtsomeone capable of hunting down the Kidand either arresting or killing him. In 1880,
they persuaded Pat Garrett, a former buffalohunter, reformed part-time rustler, smallrancher and the Kid’s one-time friend, torun for the office of Lincoln County Sheriff.His specific task was to rid the county ofthe cattle thieves.
In December 1880, Billy was caught andjailed, but again he escaped, this time inone of the most spectacular jailbreaksever in the Old West. On April 28,1881, about dinnertime, the Kidmanaged to get hold of a pistol. After
killing one of his two guards with thepistol, he grabbed a shotgun anddispatched the other guard. Afterkilling his two guards, Billy hungaround Lincoln for an hour or morechatting with various friends and well-wishers before riding out. Less thanthree months later, on July 14th,Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrettcaught Billy by surprise in FortSumner and got off a single shot thathit the Kid just above the heart. At theage of 21, Billy the Kid was dead.
In the summer of 1884, Chisum, alifetime heavy pipe smoker, developed apainful abscess on the right side of his neck.
1 In 1885, four years after Billy the Kid was killed, Lincoln had reverted to a quietNew Mexico cattle town, but the blood of 40 men killed in its streets would alwayshaunt the town’s history.
Billy the Kid
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On his way to New York for treatment, hestopped in Kansas City, Missouri, wheredoctors refused to let him continue. Theylanced and drained the growth. The woundseemed to heal and Chisum believed he wascured. On the way back to New Mexico, theabscess returned, prompting Chisum to stopover in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, where hehoped the mineral baths would cure hisillness for good. It didn't work as planned.Chisum, age 60, died of cancer in EurekaSprings on December 22, 1884. After hisdeath, his cattle empire collapsed and wascompletely gone by 1891.
John Chisum was a successful cattlemanfor nearly thirty years, eighteen of which(1854–72) were in Texas. Locating immenseherds on the open range near running waterand controlling surrounding pastures byright of occupancy, he built a cattle empirein New Mexico that was second to none. Hiscattle grazed more than one million acresand numbered in the tens of thousands.Chisum never claimed to be a trail driver,nor did he spend much time at the ranch oron the range. Personable and shrewd, hewas a cattle dealer who traveled in search ofmarkets. His colorful and eccentric lifeepitomized the adventurous world of open-range cattle operations in the Old West.
Films:Chisum and his story have been portrayedseveral times on film. Some of theprominent performers to play him includeJohn Wayne in Chisum (1970) and JamesCoburn in Young Guns II (1990).
Books:Three Ranches West: A true story of John S.
Chisum, the cowman who opened thewest for cattle trade by Clarence S.Adams
The Cattle Kings by Lewis AthertonJohn Simpson Chisum: Jinglebob king of the
Pecos by Mary Whatley ClarkeJohn Simpson Chisum: The Cattle King of the
Pecos Revisited by Clifford R. Caldwell
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Thanks to Lefty Leo for all of our photos this month.More photos available for viewing at www.pccss.org.
Nueces Slim (top left), Texas Reb & Delta Raider (top right),Little Bullseye (lower left) and wildflowers at the AgaritaRanch (lower right). And, NO, the photo above does notcount if you are trying to find in this issue ofthe Gazette.
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It’s not Armadillo World Headquarters, but it’s fun!Lucky Lady Saloon & Shamrock Hotel
Austin Light Artillery - PatienceWho knows where this Stage is?
The Elroy Rogers Wheel Wright Shop - We miss Elroy!
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Texas Cutie is - cute that is!
Rusty Shackleford with Big Iron Patnode timing
The crowd gathers before the start of the match
Farr Ranger timing Six WireScooter shooting; Kettleman timing;
Texas Sawbones spotting
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Stil Smokin’ is smokin’!
Speedy Diamond Kate
Hopalong Herbert with the Mad Dog,McCoy that is, timing
Smilin’ Joe Darter
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other shooting needs!
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We offer a full line of cowboy gun building, customizing and gunsmithing.Contact us for more information:
Please visit our website at rhcustomguns.com and look us up on Facebook!Battle of Plum Creek Vendor - See you there!
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Supplier of cowboy & vintage brass to meet all your
reloading needs.
www.starlinebrass.com
John Chisum and his ranch
Page 16
Longhorn Bullets
Pricing, effective 9/1/13*
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Caliber Weight Config. Price/500 Price/1000
.38 100 RNFP 32 64105 FP 33 66125 RNFP 35 70125 FP 35 70130 RNFP 36 72158 RNFP 39 77158 FP 39 77158 SWC 39 77
.380 100 RNFP 33 65.38-55 245 RNFP 59 117
.41 215 SWC 49 98
.44 180 RNFP 41 81240 SWC 52 104
.44-40 200 RNFP 45 90.45 COLT 160 RNFP 46 92
180 RNFP 41 81200 RNFP 45 90250 RNFP 53 106
9MM 124 RN 35 70125 CN 35 70
40 S&W 180 FP 41 81.45ACP 200 SWC 45 90
200 RN 45 90230 RN 51 101
45-70 405 FPT 111 222
*Price increase because of higher cost of lead. Sorry for any inconvenience.
