Johnson County War

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As Johnson County War , which is also under the names War on Powder River and Wyoming Range War went down in history, is called a confrontation with armed force between cattle breeders and small farmers, who in April 1892 in the in northern Wyoming situated Johnson County took place and took a completely unexpected turn for the attackers. Historian TA Larson calls the argument "the most notorious event in Wyoming history."

backgrounds

The prisoners, May 1892

Until the 1880s into the large cattle barons dominated the US state of Wyoming about the company that they Wyoming Stock Growers Association (dt. Ranchers Association of Wyoming ), short WSGA, almost the entire meat market and certain prices. The spreading in northern Wyoming's small farmers, who refused to submit to the dictate of them terms and merged in a competitive Association ( Northern Wyoming Farmers and Stock Growers Association , dt. Farmer- and ranchers association of Northern Wyoming ), they were therefore a thorn in the eye. Because cattle theft continued to occur, which decimated the herds of the large ranchers, they blamed the unloved small farmers and accused them of being the perpetrators of the thefts. To justify an attack on their territory, they leaked through the newspapers they controlled that they were the victims of cattle theft on a large scale and that local Johnson County authorities were doing nothing to protect their herds. They also spread rumors that the county capital, Buffalo , was controlled by cattle thieves and their allies. Therefore, according to their justification, which was not yet published for reasons of secrecy, it was necessary to restore order in the “lawless” city. To this end, they formed a force to take over the place and murder their supposedly lawless leaders. There were more than 70 names on the so-called “death list”; including the entire Buffalo security forces, Sheriff William "Red" Angus and his deputies. In addition to some ranchers and their top staff, the mission involved more than 20 gunslingers , which the pasture detective and former US Marshal Tom Smith had put together for this mission on behalf of the large ranchers .

The attack on Buffalo

The mission began on April 5, 1892, when just over 50 men (including at least 21 gunslingers) set out on a private train from their stronghold of Cheyenne , the capital of Wyoming, and drove to Casper , from where they made the journey north continue with horse and cart. But that was when the problems and unforeseen events began. Because no sooner had they set out with the heavy horse-drawn carts than they got stuck several times in the muddy ground, which had become soft due to previous snowfalls. As if that weren't enough, there was also a snowstorm that extremely hindered their onward journey. Not far from their destination, they met one of their spies, who revealed to them that a certain Nate Champion, who was supposed to testify in an explosive court case against the ranchers, was hiding with several other men at the nearby KC ranch. So they changed their original plan to attack the city directly and first made their way to the KC Ranch to take down a witness. Although the 50-man strong troop managed to kill Champions three cronies in an urgent procedure, Champion barricaded himself in a log cabin and successfully defended himself for many hours until he was shot.

TA Ranch, 1904

Unfortunately for the attackers it was, however, that two small farmers passing near the shooting noticed the situation and rode quickly to Buffalo, where a troop was assembled in no time to meet the attackers. With the news of the threat from the cattle barons and their troops spreading like wildfire across the county, the defense unit quickly grew to more than 400 men. In view of the unexpected superiority of the opposing side, the attackers saw no other option than to retreat to the nearby TA Ranch, allied with them. There they awaited the attack of those who actually wanted to attack. The siege of the TA Ranch began in the early morning of April 11th and was tightening around the ranch. The vigilantes who had come from Cheyenne managed to smuggle a messenger through the siege lines, who sent a telegram to Amos W. Barber , the governor of Wyoming, asking for assistance. With the permission of the then US president , Benjamin Harrison , an army unit from Fort McKinney was ordered to TA Ranch. She arrived just in time to get the big ranchers and gunslingers out of their predicament. At this point the besiegers had advanced very close to the main area of ​​the ranch and were just about to begin throwing dynamite at the vigilantes.

The fact that the President had only given the marching orders at night and the troops from Fort McKinney, which was further away, had reached the TA Ranch a few hours later, in the morning hours of April 13, prompted a newspaper reporter to put it: “The military history knows no other case in which such prompt action and such a rapid troop movement was carried out as here. "

Major Frank Wolcott , who had led the vigilantes, later paid tribute to the farmers' quick organization and determination: “That they found so much support puzzled and overwhelmed me. The whole country went out to beat us and they almost succeeded. "

After Sheriff Angus clarified the true facts of the siege to the army commander, the ranchers and their men were arrested and taken to Fort McKinney. However, at the behest of Governor Amos Barber, the prisoners were soon transferred to Fort Russell near Cheyenne, where they were held for two months. During this time, the ranchers and the gunslingers they hired largely avoided each other and separated as best they could. Actually, the case should have been heard in the Buffalo court, where the ranchers didn't have a large lobby. But Wyoming's governor managed to move jurisdiction to Cheyenne, where the ranchers were in a much better position and the threatened charges were eventually dropped.

aftermath

After 1893 a certain peace settled over Wyoming. But it was not until 1909 before the senseless murder of sheep and shepherds finally came to an end through the conviction of those responsible for the Spring Creek attack . The conflict formed the subject of the film Heaven's Gate (1980) .

literature

  • Paul Trachtman: The Gunslingers . Time Life 1977, pp. 206ff

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