Nate Champion facts for kids

Courtesy of Time-Life books (The Gun Fighters)

Nathan D. Champion (born September 29, 1857 – died April 9, 1892), known as Nate Champion, was an important person in the Johnson County War in April 1892. Rich cattle owners in Wyoming wrongly said he was a rustler, which means someone who steals cattle. Because of this, Champion was the first person attacked by a group of armed men hired by these cattle owners.

Nate Champion was actually a small rancher. He stood up against the big cattle companies. These companies tried to claim all young, unbranded cattle on the open land. Champion is remembered for bravely defending himself in his cabin. He also wrote a powerful letter during the attack, describing what was happening.

Biography

Early life

Nate Champion was born on September 29, 1857, in Leander, Texas. His parents were John and Naomi Champion. He was one of eighteen children. Nate grew up near Round Rock. His father was once the sheriff of Williamson County. His aunt, Hattie Cluck, even drove her own cattle to market in Abilene, Kansas in 1871. With the money, she and her husband bought land that later became Cedar Park. Like many cowboys, Nate traveled north to Wyoming. He worked on several ranches before starting his own.

The Johnson County Conflict

The dramatic events of 1892 were part of a bigger fight over land. This conflict lasted from 1889 to 1909. Historians sometimes call it a "Western Civil War."

In early Wyoming, much of the land was public. Anyone could use it for raising cattle on the open range or for homesteading. Large ranches, often funded by investors, let many cattle roam freely. In the spring, a roundup would gather the cows and their calves. Each ranch would separate its animals and brand the calves. Sometimes, before the roundup, calves (especially lost or orphaned ones) were secretly branded by others. This was seen as stealing. Big ranches worried about this. They did not allow their workers to own cattle. They also strongly protected against rustling.

Things got worse after a very cold winter in 1886. The large cattle companies began taking over land and controlling water sources. They said this was okay because small ranchers were "rustling." They also tried to stop smaller ranchers from joining the yearly roundup. It seems that people working for the big ranches killed several people they accused of rustling. Some people accused of rustling were also killed by angry mobs in 1889.

The big ranches formed a group called the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA). They often met at the Cheyenne Club in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In April 1892, the WSGA hired armed men from Texas. They organized a group of 50 men. This group traveled by train from Cheyenne to Casper, Wyoming. Then they headed towards Johnson County. Their goal was to get rid of people they called rustlers. They also seemed to want to take over the local government in Johnson County. Major Frank Wolcott led this group into Johnson County. To stop anyone from warning others, they cut the telegraph lines leading out of Buffalo. Two newspaper reporters went with the group. Their exciting stories later appeared in newspapers back east.

Attack on Champion

The first target of the WSGA was Nate Champion at the "KC Ranch." Champion was a small rancher. He was helping other small ranchers organize their own cattle roundup. Three other men were at the KC Ranch with Champion. Two of them were trappers who had stayed the night. They were captured when they left the cabin early that morning to get water. The third man, Nick Ray, was shot inside the cabin doorway. He died a few hours later. Nate Champion was left alone and surrounded.

Two people passing by saw the trouble. They rode to Buffalo. There, Johnson County Sheriff William "Red" Angus gathered a group of 200 men. This group, called a posse, set out for the "KC Ranch."

Champion fought back for several hours. He killed at least four of the attackers and wounded others. During the fight, Champion wrote notes in his journal. He wrote to friends while hiding inside the cabin.

When the house caught fire, Nate Champion signed his journal entry. He put the journal in his pocket. Then he ran out the back door. He had a Colt revolver in his left hand and a Winchester rifle in his right. Four men shot him at the same time. He was hit by 28 bullets. The attackers then pinned a note on Champion's chest. It said, "Cattle Thieves Beware." They also carefully removed parts of his diary that named some of the attackers.

Aftermath of death

The next day, the sheriff's posse surrounded the attacking group. This happened at the "TA Ranch" on Crazy Woman Creek. After two days, one of the attackers escaped. He was able to contact the acting Governor of Wyoming, Amos W. Barber. People worked quickly to save the surrounded attackers. Telegraph messages to Washington led to the President of the United States, Benjamin Harrison, getting involved. The Sixth Cavalry from Fort McKinney was ordered to go to the "TA Ranch." They were told to take the attackers into custody and save them from the posse. As part of their surrender, the attackers gave all their weapons and gear to the Army. Major Wolcott, who was the unofficial leader of the group, made a list of these items for the government.

In the end, the attackers were set free. This was because their lawyers used clever legal strategies. Many of the attackers' leaders, like W. C. Irvine, were from the Democratic Party. Their opponents were mostly Democrats too. The rescue of the attackers by President Harrison's order caused a scandal. The fact that the courts did not punish them also caused anger. Because of this scandal, Wyoming voted for the Democratic Party in the 1894 elections.

Dramatic representations

• Henry Brandon (1912–1990) played Champion in a 1955 episode of Jim Davis's syndicated western television series, Stories of the Century.
• Christopher Walken played a very different version of Champion in Michael Cimino's 1980 film Heaven's Gate.
• Tom Berenger plays Cain Hammett in Johnson County War. Cain's character is completely based on Nate Champion's life, actions, and appearance.