Shoot-Out at Cottonwood Springs?
Wyatt Earp vs. Curly Bill Brocius.
By: Bob Boze Bell 05/01/2009
March 24, 1882
Wyatt Earp and his men take breakfast north of Contention, Arizona, on the San Pedro, then ride south toward the Babocomari River to scout out possible hiding places of various criminals.
Leaving his brother Warren on the trail to meet a courier, Wyatt, Doc Holliday, Sherm McMasters, Texas Jack Vermillion and Turkey Creek Jack Johnson ride up a rocky canyon into the Whetstones. Seeing no sign of recent riders, Earp loosens the gunbelt around his waist. Horses and men are weary and hot.
The trail they are on is about 100 yards from the waterhole, and it cuts across a deep, sandy shelf. They can only see the tops of the cottonwood trees, as the 15-foot-high bank hides the springs from their view. Across this sandy stretch, Wyatt rides, coat unbuttoned, six-guns sagging low, Winchester in the saddle boot, Wells Fargo shotgun and ammunition belt looped to the saddle horn.
At the scent of water, Wyatt’s horse quickens and Wyatt lets him make his gait. Fifty feet from the spring, intuition brings Wyatt up short. He swings out of the saddle, loops the reins in his left hand with his shotgun in his right hand and walks forward. Texas Jack and Sherm ride behind Wyatt, with Doc and Turkey Creek Jack much farther to the rear. Another step gives Wyatt a full view of the hollow. Two cow-boys jump to their feet, one yanking a sawed-off shotgun to his shoulder, while the other breaks for the cottonwoods.
“Curly Bill!” Sherm yells in astonishment, before wheeling his horse and retreating.
Wyatt later remembers shooting at nine cow-boys who each “had a rifle at his shoulder, and every rifle blazed.” Aiming at the outlaw chieftain Curly Bill Brocius, Wyatt fires both barrels of his shotgun, fatally striking Curly Bill in the chest, almost cutting him in half.
In spite of his rapid retreat, Sherm is hit in the side and his binoculars are shot from his neck. Texas Jack’s horse is killed in the volley of cow-boy fire.
Wyatt tries to remount, but his loosened gunbelt has slipped down around his thighs. Bullets tear into his hat, coat and bootheel, and his saddle horn is shot off. He finally succeeds in forking his horse and rides back to a rocky outcropping to rejoin his men. The brief, dramatic fight is over.
Comments (4)
We did just as Bob suggested and Bob was there!! In Oct 2009 we investigated the Cottonwood Springs site and found two - not one - line shacks that were mentioned in Wyatt's notes. Great trip.
Since seeing Kevin Costner's "Wyatt Earp" and "Tombstone" with Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer and Sam Elliot I've been to both Dodge City (which is a joke of a place to visit) and Tombstone ( which unfortunately I had almost no time to really enjoy) I have wanted to go to many of the sites mentioned in the various books I've read on the subjects of The Earps, Doc Holiday, etc. Are there any tours set up in Tombstone that do exactly that?
I would love to take a week and just go everywhere where something is reputed to have happened including the site of Ringo's killing by Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday!
I agree that a metal detector might reveal an artifact or two that could confirm that Cottonwood Springs is the correct site of the shootout.
I was thinking, did anyone bring a metal detector? I agree, cottonwood springs. nevada nuf
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