New Mexico Bad Boy – Clay Allison
Robert Andrew "Clay" Allison, a name synonymous with the rugged and often lawless frontier of the American West, remains an enigmatic figure shrouded in both fact and legend. Born into a seemingly ordinary life, Allison’s path diverged sharply, leading him to become a notorious "shootist" in the burgeoning territories of Texas and New Mexico. Separating truth from embellishment in the numerous accounts of his life proves a daunting task, yet even a fraction of the stories paints a picture of a man both feared and respected, a product of a turbulent era. This is the story of Clay Allison, the New Mexico bad boy.
Born on September 2, 1840, in Waynesboro, Tennessee, Robert Clay Allison entered the world with a physical challenge: a clubfoot. His parents, Jeremiah, a Presbyterian minister and cattleman, and Mariah Brown Allison, provided a stable upbringing, which was shattered by Jeremiah’s early death when Clay was only five. From an early age, Clay was described as restless, a trait that would only intensify as he matured, eventually manifesting as unpredictable mood swings and a volatile temper. The future "shootist" was learning the way of life in Tennessee.
As the drums of the Civil War began to beat, Allison, at the age of 21, eagerly enlisted in the Confederate Army, joining the Tennessee Light Artillery on October 15, 1861. His clubfoot, surprisingly, did not hinder his eagerness to engage in active duty. Accounts suggest a fervent desire to confront Union troops, even to the point of threatening superiors whom he felt were not aggressive enough in pursuing the enemy. However, his military service was short-lived. On January 15, 1862, just a few months after enlisting, Allison received a medical discharge. The discharge papers cited a peculiar condition: "Emotional or physical excitement produces paroxysmal of a mixed character, partly epileptic and partly maniacal." Furthermore, the documents alluded to a possible cause: "a blow received many years ago, producing a depression of the skull." This head injury has often been cited as a potential explanation for Allison’s later violent behavior, particularly when intoxicated.
Despite the medical discharge, Clay Allison reenlisted on September 22, 1862, this time with the 9th Tennessee Cavalry, where he served until the war’s conclusion. He seemed to experience no further medical issues and became a valuable scout and spy for the renowned Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Inspired by Forrest’s flamboyant style, Allison adopted the distinctive Vandyke beard that he would wear for the remainder of his life. His service culminated on May 4, 1865, when he surrendered with his company in Gainesville, Alabama. He was briefly held as a prisoner of war, convicted of spying, and sentenced to be shot, but according to accounts, he killed his guard the night before his execution and escaped.
Following the war, Allison became involved with the Ku Klux Klan in Tennessee, a group fiercely opposed to the Freedmen’s Bureau in Wayne County. Several confrontations marked his time with the Klan before he ultimately decided to relocate to Texas. One particularly grim story alleges that when a Union corporal arrived at the Allison family farm to seize property, Clay calmly retrieved a gun and killed the soldier.
In Texas, Allison, along with his brothers Monroe and John, his sister Mary, and her husband, Lewis Coleman, settled in the Brazos River Country. A dispute with a ferryman named Zachary Colbert over crossing fees led to an altercation where Colbert was left unconscious. This incident may have fueled a later, more deadly encounter between Allison and Colbert’s nephew, Chunk Colbert, a notorious gunslinger.
For a time, Allison embraced the life of a rancher, honing his skills as a cowhand. He worked alongside legendary figures such as Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving on their famous Goodnight-Loving Trail, driving cattle through Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. He also worked as a trail boss for M.L. Dalton and later for his brother-in-law, Lewis Coleman, and Irwin W. Lacy, both prominent cattle ranchers.
Another tale from his time in Texas recounts a dispute with a neighbor, Johnson, over water rights. The two men supposedly resolved the matter in a macabre duel: digging a grave and engaging in a knife fight. The loser would be buried in the pit, and the winner would claim the waterhole. Allison, known for his skill with a bowie knife, prevailed, though whether he actually killed Johnson remains unconfirmed.
In 1870, Coleman and Lacy moved their operations to Colfax County, New Mexico, and the Allison brothers accompanied them. As compensation for their work driving the herd, they received 300 head of cattle. Clay used his share to establish a homestead at the junction of the Vermejo and Canadian Rivers, just north of present-day Springer. The abundant water supply allowed Allison to build a profitable ranch. This location would become central to the legend of Clay Allison.
The Allison brothers quickly integrated into the social life of Cimarron and Elizabethtown. Clay earned the respect of cowboys and ranchers, who considered him a friend. However, the absence of formal law enforcement in these early settlements meant that Saturday night visits to town often devolved into drunken revelry, with cowboys firing their guns, racing through the streets, and terrorizing newcomers. Saloons and gambling halls became frequent targets of their drunken antics.
In the fall of 1870, Allison demonstrated the full extent of his volatile temper in Elizabethtown. Charles Kennedy, suspected of murdering and robbing guests at his isolated cabin, was being held in the town jail. Allison, along with a group of men, broke into the jail, dragged Kennedy outside, and lynched him, dragging his body through the streets behind a horse. In a gruesome act, Allison then decapitated Kennedy and carried his head twenty-nine miles to Cimarron, demanding that it be displayed on a fence in front of Lambert’s Inn (later the St. James Hotel).
In 1871, Allison was involved in several incidents of cattle rustling, including stealing government mules from Fort Union. During one such attempt, he accidentally shot himself in the foot while escaping pursuing military personnel. The injury left him with a permanent limp.
Following his recovery, Allison embarked on a drinking spree that led to a series of violent encounters. He took offense to a remark made by the County Clerk, John Lee, and threw a knife at him, pinning his sleeve to a door. He then repeated the act with a young lawyer, Melvin W. Mills. Both men fled to Dr. Longwell’s office for safety. While the doctor tried to dissuade Mills from retaliating, Allison rode to the office, only to be met by the doctor. He admitted to having no ill will towards Mills or Lee, but wanted to find Wilson, who he had initially taken offense to. Mills harbored a grudge against Allison that would later manifest during the Colfax County War.
Despite his fearsome reputation, Allison was reportedly shy around women. This changed when he met Dora McCullough, who was significantly younger than him. He and his brother, John, both fell for Dora and her sister. In 1873, Clay and Dora eloped, later seeking the forgiveness of Dora’s guardians, Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Young, who initially disapproved of Allison due to his reputation. Over time, they came to accept him, recognizing that he never sought trouble but never backed down from it either.
After his marriage, Allison encountered Mace Bowman, who proved to be the only man faster on the draw. During a discussion at Lambert’s Inn, Allison boasted about his speed, prompting Bowman to wager a gallon of whiskey that he could outdraw him. Bowman won the bet, and later taught Allison his lightning-fast technique.
On January 7, 1874, Clay Allison killed Chunk Colbert, the gunslinger who sought revenge for the ferryman incident. After spending the day drinking and gambling with Colbert, Allison accepted an invitation to dinner at the Clifton House. Sensing potential danger, Allison was cautious. During the meal, Colbert reached for his gun, but Allison reacted swiftly, shooting him in the head. When asked why he had accepted the invitation, Allison famously replied, "Because I didn’t want to send a man to hell on an empty stomach." Colbert was buried in an unmarked grave behind the Clifton House.
Charles Cooper, a friend of Colbert, witnessed the shooting and was seen riding with Allison less than two weeks later. Cooper subsequently disappeared, fueling suspicions that Allison had killed him, although no evidence was ever found to support these claims.
The following years saw Allison’s reputation grow alongside the burgeoning town of Cimarron. The new owners of the Maxwell Land Grant were aggressively exploiting the region’s resources and attempting to evict settlers and ranchers living on the land. The power behind the grant was the "Santa Fe Ring," a group of influential politicians and financiers. Melvin W. Mills and Dr. Longwell joined the "Ring," further exacerbating tensions.
As the settlement of Cimarron struggled to adapt to the influx of prospectors, gamblers, and political intrigue, it found itself embroiled in a conflict between the land grant company and the settlers. The settlers formed their own organization, the Colfax County Ring, which some believed was led by Clay Allison.
During this turbulent period, Reverend Franklin J. Tolby, a Methodist circuit rider, arrived in Cimarron and sided with the settlers against the land grant owners. On September 14, 1875, Tolby was found murdered, shot in the back. Rumors implicated the new Cimarron Constable, Cruz Vega, in the murder.
Despite a reward for the killer, no progress was made, prompting Reverend Oscar Patrick McMains, a friend of Tolby, to enlist Allison’s help. On October 30, 1875, a masked mob, allegedly led by Allison and McMains, confronted Vega, who denied involvement in the murder, blaming it on Manuel Cardenas. The mob hanged Vega from a telegraph pole.
The next day, Francisco "Pancho" Griego, Vega’s uncle, claimed the body. Allison and his men prevented Griego from burying Vega in the same cemetery as Tolby, eventually forcing him to bury the remains outside the city limits. Later that day, Griego confronted Allison at the St. James Hotel, accusing him of involvement in Vega’s death. Allison shot and killed Griego instantly.
After the shooting, Allison and his men terrorized Cimarron, spreading chaos. Allison faced charges for Griego’s death, but the charges were dropped after the court ruled it a justifiable homicide. Cimarron was spiraling into the Colfax County War, which claimed approximately 200 lives.
The unrest led to Governor Samuel Beech Axtell, a Santa Fe Ring tool, issuing a warrant for Allison’s arrest for the alleged murder of Charles Cooper, Colbert’s friend. In 1876, Allison confronted Axtell, demanding a fair trial. He surrendered himself, was represented by Charles Springer, and was acquitted due to the lack of a body.
On December 21, 1876, in Las Animas, Colorado, Clay and John Allison clashed with Deputy Sheriff Charles Faber, resulting in Faber’s death and John’s injury. Both Allison brothers were arrested, but the charges were later dismissed on grounds of self-defense.
In 1877, Allison sold his ranch and moved to Hays City, Kansas, working as a cattle broker. He eventually arrived in Dodge City, Kansas, in 1878. He was described as a striking figure, tall, dark-complexioned, and gentlemanly. A showdown between Allison and Wyatt Earp was rumored, but the most likely version suggests that it was averted through the intervention of local businessmen.
By 1880, Allison had moved to a ranch in Hemphill County, Texas. He was known for his unusual antics, including riding nude through the streets of Mobeetie. In 1883, he sold his ranch and returned to the Seven Rivers region in New Mexico. His first daughter, Pattie Dora, was born in Cimarron in 1885.
In the summer of 1886, after a trail drive to Cheyenne, Wyoming, Allison visited a dentist who mistakenly worked on the wrong tooth. Enraged, Allison forced the dentist into the chair and extracted one of his molars.
The family then moved to Pecos, Texas. On July 1, 1887, while hauling supplies, Allison fell from his wagon and was crushed by the wheels, breaking his neck. He died at the age of 47. Clay Allison was buried in the Pecos Cemetery, where hundreds attended his funeral.
His second daughter, Pearl Clay, was born seven months after his death. His brothers, Monroe and John, also died relatively young.
Clay Allison’s life was a complex tapestry of adventure, violence, and ranching success. He remains a controversial figure, with opinions divided on whether he was a gentleman or a villain. His remains were re-interred in Pecos Park in 1975. The legend of Clay Allison persists as a symbol of the untamed spirit of the Old West.