Charles Smith (cowboy) facts for kids

Origen Charles "Charlie" Smith (born May 4, 1844 – died November 28, 1907) was a brave lawman, miner, and cowboy in the Arizona Territory. He was known for riding with the famous Earp brothers during a time of conflict in the Old West.

Early Life of Charlie Smith

Origen Charles Smith was born in Litchfield, Connecticut. His parents were Charles and Susan Smith. He had a younger brother named Walter Edwin. Sadly, his mother Susan passed away shortly after Walter was born.

Charlie was born with a cleft palate. This is a condition where the roof of the mouth isn't fully closed. Because of this, he was later nicknamed "Hairlip Charlie." His first name, Origen, came from an early Catholic priest. There are some different ideas about his exact birth date and where he was born. Some records suggest he was born in the 1840s in Illinois. As a boy, Charlie was a very fast runner. This skill helped him escape from trouble later in life.

Life as a Cowboy and Lawman

Charlie Smith became a frontiersman, someone who lived and worked in new, wild areas. He moved to Texas, where he worked as a lawman. He also played games for money in saloons. He even co-owned a saloon called the Cattle Exchange. While in Texas, he learned to speak Spanish very well. He often got into arguments, but he was not known for having deadly aim with a gun.

In March 1879, Charlie moved to Arizona Territory. This was a two-month journey. He moved because of changes happening in Texas. A few months later, the Earp brothers, whom he had met in Fort Worth, also moved to Arizona. When Charlie arrived in Tombstone, he lived with his friend Bob Winders.

Joining the Earps

When Wyatt Earp came to Tombstone, he helped Charlie with his mining claims. Charlie also often helped the Earps and their friends. He supported them with money and by joining them in their efforts. Because of this, outlaws sometimes targeted him.

In January 1882, Charlie Smith joined the Earps and another lawman, Fred J. Dodge, to chase stagecoach robbers. He was made a deputy to help protect the Earp family. He then joined them on the famous Earp Vendetta Ride. This was a journey where the Earps and their friends hunted down outlaws. News reports said Charlie was the seventh person to ride out of Tombstone. However, people who saw them said he rode ahead to set up camp and carry supplies. He also helped escort Morgan Earp's body back to California after Morgan was killed.

After the Vendetta Ride, Charlie first went to Colorado with the Earps. But he soon returned to Arizona. He helped the Earps by bringing them money from their properties in the state. Sometimes, he was ambushed and arrested while doing this. Even though he had disagreements with the Tombstone Sheriff, Charlie kept his deputy badge. He continued to serve as a deputy under several sheriffs.

Later Law Enforcement Work

Charlie Smith was the only Vendetta rider to return to Tombstone. He was also the only original rider to join Wyatt Earp on a later ride where outlaw Johnny Ringo was killed. For many years, he continued to hunt outlaws with Fred J. Dodge. In December 1883, while looking for those responsible for the Bisbee Massacre, Charlie became ill. This was due to an old chest injury he got when he was shot in Texas. He could not finish the search for the criminals.

In the 1880s, Charlie also arrested a man for murder by himself. He was a very important member of Dodge's team that solved train robberies in Pantano, Arizona in 1887. People said that Charlie always rode with Dodge when there was urgent work to be done. When Dodge could no longer ride due to arthritis, he chose Charlie to take over his job as the nightwatchman and special officer.

Injury and Later Life

Charlie Smith had a friend named Charley Cunningham, but they often argued. On November 25, 1885, Charlie tried to stop a fight at a saloon. He did not have a gun, so he took one from a US Marshal to defend himself. This happened when Cunningham became very angry. The charges against Charlie were later dropped.

However, on September 22, 1888, Cunningham tried to get revenge. After an argument, Cunningham chased Charlie. They had a physical fight. Cunningham then took a pistol and shot Charlie in the leg, near his hip. This injury badly damaged his leg, and he became crippled. Many believed he would die from this wound, but he survived.

As Tombstone became less busy in the late 1880s, Charlie moved to work in mines in Ramsey Canyon. He became a Republican councilman for the Ramsey and Miller canyons. A few years later, he moved to Tempe. There, he continued his law enforcement work as a deputy. He also worked in politics as a Justice of the Peace. Charlie was a Pinal County deputy in Maricopa when he passed away.

Personal Life

In Tombstone, Charlie Smith lived with his friend Bob Winders. They also started mining businesses together. In 1890, Charlie married Bob Winders' widow, Margaret. Court records show he became the stepfather of Thomas Winders. He also likely became the stepfather to Bob's other son. In 1892, Charlie and Margaret had a daughter named Oneida. However, their marriage ended quickly. Charlie moved to Tempe, and Margaret and Oneida stayed in Tombstone. Margaret and Oneida later went back to using the Winders name.

People described Charlie Smith as a "man of sterling quality." This means he was a very good person. He was loyal to his friends and dedicated to his duties.

Why Charlie Smith Isn't Famous

Even though Charles Smith was very close to the Earp family, he doesn't often appear in movies or stories about their lives. Some people think this is because his name, "Charles Smith," is very common. Also, his nickname "Hairlip Charlie" might not have sounded like a typical Wild West cowboy name. Another reason might be that there are no known photographs of him. Charlie is one of the Vendetta riders who were forgotten until people became interested in the real cowboys. He was "rediscovered" in 1997.

The Smith Letters Story

1899 article that published the letters

In 2000, a man named Clifton V. Brewer claimed he found some old papers belonging to Charlie Smith. He said they were in a trunk from his great-great-grandfather, who was supposedly a friend of Smith's. This discovery was talked about a lot, but later, an investigation showed it was not true.

The main documents were some letters. Because these letters were proven to be fake, it made people doubt other related papers. For example, there was a newspaper article that supposedly described Charlie Smith's eyewitness accounts of the last days of Doc Holliday in Glenwood Springs. The letters seemed to say that Charlie was writing his memories in Tombstone in 1887. He supposedly gave them to a friend for help. This friend then had the pages about Doc Holliday published in Sulphur, Oklahoma, in 1899. The only copies of these records were with this supposed friend and his family. The letters gave a common story of Holliday's illness and death, but with more made-up details about the events and people's feelings.

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  1899 article that published the letters