John Horton Slaughter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Horton Slaughter
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Birth name | John Horton Slaughter |
| Nickname(s) | Texas John Slaughter |
| Born | October 02, 1841 Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States |
| Died | February 16, 1922 (aged 80) Douglas, Arizona |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War American Indian Wars |
| Spouse(s) | Eliza Adeline Harris Slaughter (married 1871–1877, her death) Cora Viola Howell Slaughter (married 1879–1921, his death) |
| Relations | From first marriage: Addie Slaughter |
| Other work | Texas Ranger, rancher, sheriff, United States Marshal |
John Horton Slaughter (born October 2, 1841 – died February 16, 1922), also known as Texas John Slaughter, was a famous American lawman, cowboy, and rancher. He lived in the Southwestern United States during the late 1800s and early 1900s. After fighting in the American Civil War, Slaughter became known for dealing with outlaws and some Native American groups in the Arizona and New Mexico areas. Later in his life, he lived at the San Bernardino Ranch, which is now a special historic site in Cochise County, Arizona. In 1964, he was honored in the Hall of Great Westerners at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Adventures
John Slaughter was born in 1841 on a large farm in Sabine Parish, Louisiana. His parents were Benjamin and Minerva Slaughter. He went to school in Texas, in Sabine County and Caldwell County. He learned how to herd cattle and speak Spanish from Mexican vaqueros, who were skilled cowboys.
In the early 1860s, Slaughter helped protect settlers from Comanche people as a Texas Ranger. During the American Civil War, he joined the Confederate States Army. He fought against Union soldiers in Burnet County, Texas.
Starting a Career in Cattle
In 1874, John and his brother started a cattle-driving business in Atascosa County, Texas. Their company, the San Antonio Ranch Company, moved cattle to Kansas using the famous Chisholm Trail. His cousin, Lewis Warren Neatherlin, was one of his cattle drive bosses.
In the late 1870s, Slaughter moved from Texas to New Mexico. He traded cattle and planned to start a ranch there. However, he decided to set up his ranch in the Arizona Territory instead. He first settled in Charleston, Arizona. In 1884, he bought the San Bernardino Ranch, which was located right on the U.S.–Mexico border near Douglas.
Becoming a Lawman
In 1886, John Slaughter was elected sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona. This was five years after the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. He was so good at his job that he was re-elected for a second term. As sheriff, he helped track down Geronimo, a famous Apache chief who was later found on the San Bernardino Ranch.
Slaughter was known for keeping law and order. He used his six-shooter (a type of pistol), a repeating shotgun, and a Henry rifle to do his job. He arrested dangerous desperados, like the Jack Taylor Gang, and made sure they faced justice.
He was also a very good poker player and often played all night long. People said he was good at bluffing. He sometimes played with the wealthy cattle owner John Chisum. Once, in San Antonio, Texas, he was cheated by a cattle rustler named Bryan Gallagher. Slaughter tracked down Gallagher and made sure he faced consequences for his actions.
Family Life
John Slaughter married Eliza Adeline Harris on August 4, 1871. They had four children, but only two, Addie and Willie, lived to be adults. Eliza sadly died in 1877 from smallpox in Tucson.
On April 16, 1879, when he was 37, Slaughter married 18-year-old Cora Viola Howell in Tularosa, New Mexico. John and Viola did not have their own children. However, they adopted several children, including a girl named Apache May. Slaughter met Apache May in 1896 while he was tracking the Apache Kid in Mexico.
Later in life, when John became ill, he and Viola moved to an apartment in Douglas, Arizona.
A cowboy named John Swain worked for Slaughter in Texas in 1879. Swain later moved to Tombstone and lived there for many years. It was once thought that Swain was a former slave of Slaughter's, but this is not true. John Horton Slaughter never owned a slave; Swain was an employee.
Death
John Horton Slaughter passed away on February 16, 1922. He was found in his apartment in Douglas, Arizona, having died during the night. He was buried at the Calvary Cemetery in Douglas.
In Popular Culture
John Slaughter's life story inspired the ABC television miniseries Texas John Slaughter. The show, starring Tom Tryon, began as part of the Wonderful World of Disney in 1958.
His life is also featured in books, including the "Texas John Slaughter" series by William W. Johnstone. Another book, Gun Justice: The unforgettable story of Texas John Slaughter, one of the greatest gunfighters of the old west by Jason Manning, tells his story from his early days as a ranch hand to his time on the Arizona frontier.
Robert Taylor played John Slaughter in a 1968 episode of the TV show Death Valley Days, called "A Short Cut through Tombstone".
