Johnson County War, Wyoming
The vast expanse of Wyoming’s open range in the 1880s, once teeming with buffalo, witnessed the arrival of enormous cattle herds. This era saw the land largely designated as public domain, primarily utilized by expansive cattle ranches. However, the burgeoning influx of smaller homesteaders into the region ignited a simmering tension with the established cattle barons. This conflict, rooted in land use, economic disparities, and accusations of cattle rustling, would eventually erupt into the violent confrontation known as the Johnson County War, Wyoming.
By 1884, the Wyoming range was effectively controlled by a mere twenty or so large ranching operations. These powerful entities allowed their cattle to graze freely across the open range. Each spring, a meticulously organized roundup took place, during which cows and calves were separated according to ownership and the calves were branded with their respective ranch’s mark. This system, however, was vulnerable. Some individuals would seize calves and apply their own brands before the official roundup, an act perceived as a grave offense by the large ranch owners who responded with aggressive measures against suspected cattle rustlers. These cattle barons typically adopted a "hands-off" management style, entrusting cowboys and foremen with the day-to-day operations of their ranches. To minimize temptation, they generally prohibited their own employees from owning cattle, thereby reducing the potential for the appropriation of stray or orphaned calves. Initially, property and water rights were typically respected among ranches, both large and small, based on priority of settlement and the size of their herds. But, as more homesteaders poured into the region, the larger ranches began consolidating their power, monopolizing vast swaths of the open range in an attempt to prevent further settlement by newcomers. This was the powder keg that would soon ignite into the Johnson County War, Wyoming.
Adding to the escalating tension was the growing problem of missing cattle, particularly unbranded calves, often referred to as "mavericks." While most of the small ranchers were hardworking and honest individuals, some viewed these unbranded calves as an opportunity to build their own herds, unscrupulously claiming them before the large ranch roundups. Before long, the cattle barons began to collectively accuse the homesteaders of widespread cattle rustling. The cattle barons were further incensed by the increasing presence of large sheep herds grazing on what they considered their domain – a veritable blasphemy to a cattleman. This combination of factors contributed to the brewing conflict that would become the Johnson County War, Wyoming.
The already strained relationship between the cattle barons and the smaller ranch owners deteriorated further following a summer of intense drought, followed by the devastating blizzards of the winter of 1886-1887. The extreme cold claimed the lives of thousands of cattle, while others fell prey to wolves and, indeed, cattle rustlers. Simultaneously, cattle prices plummeted, causing a dramatic decrease in the profits of the cattle barons and even forcing some into bankruptcy. This economic hardship intensified the existing resentment and distrust, paving the way for the Johnson County War, Wyoming.
By this point, the large ranches were significantly outnumbered by homesteaders, who felt little sympathy for the cattle barons’ plight. Time and again, accused cattle thieves were brought before the courts, but convictions proved nearly impossible to secure, as juries often sided with the smaller ranchers. Frustrated by the perceived failure of the legal system, the cattle barons decided to take matters into their own hands. They increased the number of range detectives employed by the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, tasking them with curbing cattle rustling. The Association also implemented new regulations that made it exceedingly difficult for anyone to register a new brand, and employed stock inspectors at shipping points to confiscate cattle bearing unregistered brands. These actions further fueled the animosity that ultimately led to the Johnson County War, Wyoming.
The large ranchers also began to aggressively seize control of land that held strategic importance, particularly areas controlling vital water supplies. They excluded smaller ranchers from participating in the annual roundup, further marginalizing them. Simultaneously, the detectives employed by the Association became increasingly implicated in the deaths of several small ranchers and suspected cattle thieves, fueling suspicions of a conspiracy to eliminate competition. This escalated the already volatile situation, setting the stage for the Johnson County War, Wyoming.
The situation reached a boiling point when homesteaders Ella Watson, also known as Cattle Kate, and Jim Averell were accused of cattle rustling and subsequently hanged in July 1889. The execution, carried out without due process, enraged the smaller ranchers in the area, but the atmosphere of intimidation effectively silenced any immediate organized response.
Finally, in the spring of 1892, the disgruntled small ranchers decided to form their own organization, known as the Northern Wyoming Farmers and Stock Growers Association. This act of defiance was a direct challenge to the authority of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, and a clear indication that the simmering conflict was about to explode into the Johnson County War, Wyoming.
The Wyoming Stock Growers Association responded to this challenge by hiring approximately fifty men, including several notorious Texas killers, with the express purpose of eliminating the alleged rustlers in Johnson County. On April 5, 1892, a large group of cattlemen, accompanied by five stock detectives, including Frank M. Canton, and twenty-three hired gunfighters, under the command of Major Frank Wolcott, departed from Cheyenne en route to Buffalo, Wyoming. This armed posse, soon to be known as the "Regulators," began cutting the telegraph lines along their route to prevent any alarm from being raised.
The Regulators’ first target was Nate Champion of the KC Ranch, who had been an active promoter of the rival Northern Wyoming Farmers and Stock Growers Association, and had also advocated for a competing roundup. However, according to Dale Champion, Nate’s Great Great Great Nephew, his research indicates that Nate was not actively promoting the association, nor a competing roundup. He stated that the Association had appointed Nate as their leader during a meeting he wasn’t even at. When Nate found out, he declined the nomination, but word had gotten out about the meeting by then. Dale Champion says, "By them choosing Nate, they signed his death warrant."
Upon arriving at the KC Ranch, the hired guns found only four men present. Two trappers passing through were captured, while Nate Champion and cowboy Rueben "Nick" Ray were shot and killed in a brutal confrontation. Dale Champion adds, "At the time of Nate’s death, he had eight pack horses, all just paid for, and nearly 200 head of cattle of his own. He was getting ready to take a ranch and homestead it. He had a good reputation as an honest businessman."
Jack Flagg, a suspected rustler, and his stepson Alonzo Taylor inadvertently crossed the firing zone during the siege. Although the gunfighters pursued them, the pair managed to escape, reaching Buffalo and alerting the townspeople to the presence of the armed group. The following day, Buffalo Sheriff Red Angus led a posse of 200 men in search of the gunfighters. The Regulators, holed up at the TA Ranch on Crazy Woman Creek, found themselves under siege by the sheriff’s posse.
A tense standoff ensued until one of the Regulators managed to escape and contact the Wyoming Governor. Swiftly, the Sixth Cavalry from Fort McKinney was dispatched to the TA Ranch to rescue the Association members from the sheriff’s posse. On the morning of April 13th, the standoff concluded when the cattlemen surrendered to the 6th Cavalry.
Under the protective custody of the cavalry, Wolcott and his men were transported to Cheyenne. The Texas gunfighters promptly disappeared after bail was posted and they were released. Court proceedings began for the locals, and a trial was eventually scheduled for January 1893. However, as time passed, material witnesses vanished, and finding impartial jurors proved to be an insurmountable challenge. Ultimately, the exorbitant cost of the trial led the court to dismiss the entire case, leaving the underlying issues unresolved and the legacy of the Johnson County War, Wyoming a complex and controversial chapter in the history of the American West.