Sutton–Taylor feud

The Sutton–Taylor feud began as a county law enforcement issue between relatives of Texas state law agent, Creed Taylor, and a local law enforcement officer, William Sutton, in DeWitt County, Texas. The feud—called the bloodiest feud in Texas—cost at least 35 lives, and eventually included the outlaw John Wesley Hardin as one of its participants. It started in March 1868, not reaching its conclusion until the Texas Rangers put a stop to the fighting in December 1876.

Background

The Sutton–Taylor feud arose from a growing animosity between the Texas Taylor family—headed by Pitkin Taylor, the brother of Creed Taylor (a Texas Ranger)—and local lawman, William E. Sutton—a former Confederate soldier, who had moved with his family to DeWitt County intending to raise cattle. Sutton had been elected deputy sheriff in Clinton, Texas prior to the feud's inception.[1] The feud lasted almost a decade and took 35+ lives. It has been called the "longest and bloodiest in Texas history."[2]

Events

In 1866 according to the Handbook of Texas online "Buck" Taylor shot a black Sgt who came to a dance and Hays Taylor killed a black soldier in an Indianola saloon[3][4]

April 23, 1866 Two Union soldiers of Co H 18th New York Cavalry-Sgt John O'Brien Co H 18th New York Cavalry-"..killed by Jayhawkers, April 23, 1866, near Kelly's Station, Texas."[5][6] and Sgt Josiah Ripley Co H 18th New York Cavalry-"..murdered by Jayhawkers, while enroute from San Antonio to Yorktown, Texas, veteran"[7] It was thought that both soldiers were killed by a gang headed by "Buck" Taylor [6] of the Sutton–Taylor feud

In November 1867 according to the Handbook of Texas online Hays and Doby Taylor killed two yankee soldiers in Mason, Texas[3] This is confirmed-On Nov 14, 1867 Major John A Thomson and Sgt John McDougall were killed in Mason.[8]

On March 25, 1868, Deputy Sutton shot and killed a Taylor kinsman, Charley Taylor, whom he was trying to arrest for horse theft.[1]

The following Christmas Eve, Deputy Sutton killed "Buck" Taylor and his associate, Dick Chisholm, in a Clinton saloon, following an argument regarding the legality of the sale of some horses.[9]

June 1869 Jack Helm assisted Captain C.S. Bell in trying to arrest members of the Taylors; Spencer wounded at Creed Taylor ranch {possibly same Spence involved in killing of Thompsn and McDogall{?}; Helm is also involved as a Deputy Sheriff in assisting the capture of those who had resisted the Texas Government in which Jim Bell was captured and Goliad County Sheriff Andrew Jackson Jacobs [10] was killed June 5, 1869[11] by the Peaces brothers who were arrested but escaped; Stapp was killed attempting to escape as well; the Peaces escaped to Jim Choates; at Jim Bell's house near Yorktown Choates and others resisted Helm had one man killed and two wounded while Crockett and Jim Choate were killed and two were wounded[12]

On August 23, 1869, the Sutton faction allegedly shot Jack Hays Taylor to death after Taylor had caused repeated disruption in town.

The following year, in July 1870, Sutton was appointed to the Texas State Police Force serving under Captain Jack Helm (sometimes "Helms"). The police force was tasked with enforcing the "Reconstruction” policies of the federal government. This force operated with a bit of a free-hand—returning, more often than not, with "wanted" suspects dead.[9]

On August 26, 1870, the Suttons were allegedly sent to arrest Henry and his brother William Kelly (both related by marriage to Creed Taylor's brother, Pitkin Taylor), on a trivial charge. During the attempted arrests, the Kellys were killed.[9] Following his handling of the task, Helm was dismissed from the State Police Force, although he was legally cleared of any wrongdoing.

John Wesley Hardin joins the feud

John Wesley Hardin joined the Sutton-Taylor Feud at the behest of his cousin, Emanuel "Mannen" Clements.

In early 1872, on-the-run outlaw, John Wesley Hardin, joined his cousin, Mannen Clements, in neighboring Gonzales County, Texas. There, Clements and his brothers were active in the cattle herding (or, by most accounts, cattle rustling) business working in close alliance with the Taylor family.[13]

On May 15, 1873, Sutton family allies, Jim Cox and Jake Christman, were gunned down by the Taylor faction at Tomlinson Creek. There were reports that Hardin had led the fight in which these two men were killed, but he would never either confirm or deny his involvement.[14]

Deaths of lawmen

Hardin's main notoriety in the Sutton–Taylor feud occurred two days later, in a May 17, 1873, gunfight in Cuero, Texas. Hardin killed a Dewitt County deputy sheriff, J.B. Morgan.[2] Hardin played a part in the death later that same day of Morgan's superior, DeWitt County Sheriff Helm in Albuquerque, Texas.[1][15] Reportedly, Hardin, Helm and Sam McCracken, Jr. were talking in front of a blacksmith shop. Helm was unarmed (having left his revolvers in his room at a boarding house). James Taylor snuck up on Helm from behind and attempted to shoot him, but his revolver misfired. As a startled Helm turned, Taylor managed to get off a shot, striking Helm in the chest. Helm rushed Taylor with the intent to grapple with him, but Hardin shattered Helm's arm with a shotgun blast. Helm attempted to flee into the blacksmith shop. Hardin held townspeople at gunpoint while Taylor chased down Helm and unloaded the remaining five bullets into him.[16] As Hardin and Taylor mounted their horses and prepared to ride away, they boasted that they had accomplished what they had come to do.[1]

The next night, Hardin and other Taylor supporters surrounded the ranch house of a Sutton family supporter, Joe Tumlinson. Eventually, a shouted truce was arranged. Both sides signed a peace treaty shortly afterward in Clinton, Texas. The peace, however, lasted less than a year.[17]

The feuding continues

The Sutton–Taylor feud reached its apex when cousins Jim and Bill Taylor gunned down Billy Sutton and a companion, Gabriel Slaughter, while they waited on a steamboat platform in Indianola, Texas on March 11, 1874. Having grown tired of the feud, Billy Sutton was planning to leave the area for good.[1] In retaliation, the Sutton faction caught and lynched three of the Taylor group, on June 22, 1874.[18] {Those lynched were Rufus P. "Scrap" Taylor; John ALfred Tuggle and James White}.
On June 1, 1874 Hardin's Cousin Alexander Henry Barekman {Who had been involved with the Taylors and Hardin in the Killing of Sutton} and another cousin of Hardin, Alexander "Ham" Anderson were killed by a Texas Ranger Company in retaltion of Hardin Killing Deputy Sherriff Charles Webb May 26, 1874}
On July 8, 1874 George Culver Tennille {who was a friend of John Wesley Hardin and related to the Clemments} was killed by a Sherriff's Posse [19]

After this, the fighting continued, although with much less frequency. Jim Taylor was killed January 1, 1875. On November 17, 1875, Reuben H. Brown, the new leader of the Suttons and ex-marshal of Cuero, Texas, was shot down in the Exchange Saloon by Hardin, his last known action in the feud.[1] Hardin, who by then had re-settled his family in Florida under the assumed name of "Swain," admitted in his biography that he and his brother, Joseph, had been involved—along with both Taylors—in Sutton's killing.[2][13]

ON Sept 16, 1876 Dr Phillip H brassell and his son George were killed apparently by the Suttons[20]

William "Bill" Taylor-who had been involved in the killings of Wm Sutton; Gabriel Salugther and Reuben Brown is reported to have died about 1890 in Sonora Texas[21]

Conclusion of hostilities

Following another outbreak of violence in October 1876, Texas Ranger, Captain Jesse Lee Hall, led a force into Cuero, Texas to break up the feud for good. By January 1877, he and his supporting troop had put an end to the conflict once and for all.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 The Texas Vendetta, or, the Sutton-Taylor Feud. J.J. Little & Co. 1880. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Parsons, Chuck (2009). The Sutton-Taylor Feud: the deadliest blood feud in Texas. University of North Texas Press. ISBN 978-1-57441-257-4.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1
  4. ↑ These may have been discharged soldiers{?}
  5. ↑ [Annual Report of the Adjutant—General for the State of New York for the year 1895 .p. 1270]
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1
  7. ↑ [Annual Report of the Adjutant—General for the State of New York for the year 1895 .p. 1295 (Note:These two deaths are also reported in link "Freeman's Bureau online" regarding Texas and Dewitt County on article "Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands" Reference only—copyrighted).}
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 The Sutton-Taylor Feud of DeWitt County; Legends of America; accessed October 15, 2013
  10. ↑ The Texas Vendetta .p.16
  11. ↑ ODMP memorial Andrew Jackson Jacobs
  12. ↑ The Texas Vendetta pp.18-19
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Hardin, John W. (1896). The Life of John Wesley Hardin: As Written By Himself. Smith & Moore, Seguin, Texas. ISBN 978-0-8061-1051-6. Retrieved October 2013.
  14. ↑ Hardin, John W. (1896). The Life of John Wesley Hardin: As Written By Himself. Smith & Moore, Seguin, Texas. ISBN 978-0-8061-1051-6. Retrieved October 2013. "...but as I have never pleaded to that case, I will at this time have little to say." ~J.W. Hardin
  15. ↑ Deputy Helms; article; Handbook of Texas online; accessed October 11, 2013.
  16. ↑ Wise, Ken (March 2012). Hunter, Michelle, ed. "The Trial of John Wesley Hardin". Texas Bar Journal (Austin, TX: State Bar of Texas) 75 (9): 202. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  17. ↑ Hardin, John Wesley; article; Leon C. Metz; Handbook of Texas Online; published by the Texas State Historical Association; accessed October 16, 2013.
  18. ↑ Sutton–Taylor Feud; Handbook of Texas Online; published by the Texas State Historical Association; accessed October 16, 2013.
  19. ↑
  20. ↑
  21. ↑