|
|
Post by curlybillgraham on Sept 28, 2009 11:22:36 GMT -5
Fredrick Nolan's book, The Lincoln County War, a documentary History REVISED, page 564 and 381 clarifies Caleb Hall, alias Sam Collins as the prowler. Page 318 and 345 Nolan names John Collins joining John Selman gang and singing hungry.
Caleb Hall and John Collins have been fused as one and the same man fighting in the Lincoln County War far too long.
Three Cheers for Nolan!!!
John Collins son Henry was interviewed by Lou Blachly. In the interview Blachly asks Henry which side of the Lincoln County War did his father fight on. Henry said his father fought in and all during the Lincoln County War on the Chisum side, the McSween side. He said his father knew them all on both sides and states that his father was living in the area 5 years before the Lincoln County War.
John Collins is the same man that said he help dig the grave of the man Garrett shot and killed and that man was not Billy the Kid. John Collins was pals with William H. Bonney.
|
|
|
|
Post by Wayne Land on Sept 28, 2009 14:56:37 GMT -5
Thank you so much CurlyBill for sharing that. I received some email today from Carolyn Buckley about this same topic. Her Grandmother was a first cousin to John Collins/Graham. She mentioned her son's interest in all this. Could that be you by any chance? I am so excited to hear from you both I can't begin to tell you. There was a story printed in the Silver City paper something close to two weeks after the alleged killing of Billy The Kid that said the body had a tan and a beard. It is widely believed that Billy could not have grown a beard by that time Ashenfelter, who wrote the article was not likely in Fort Sumner on July 14th, so he had to have gotten that story about the beard and tan from someone who was there or someone who spoke to someone who was there. I've always been curious whether that someone might have been John Collins. Do you know whether there is a connection? Thanks again for sharing.
|
|
|
|
Post by Wayne Land on Sept 28, 2009 22:56:14 GMT -5
Here's a photo of Shotgun Collins. I'm just now learning more about him and am very excited to be in contact with descendants of him and his cousins. For those who don't yet know, this is the gunfighter who stated he had helped dig the grave for the man Garrett shot in Fort Sumner on July 14, 1881 and insisted the body was not that of Billy The Kid. Attachments:
|
|
|
|
Post by curlybillgraham on Sept 29, 2009 14:43:15 GMT -5
Six-Guns and Single-Jacks by Bob Alexander is a History of Silver City and Southwestern New Mexico. I highy recomend this book. Page 94 Alexander quotes a newspaper article from the Grant County Herald concerning John Collins 1875. Yeah...Billy the Kid's in the book...it's one book you'll want to read and hate to put down.
It was written in the Grant County Herald that the year 1875 was ushered out with a bang. On December 27, John Collins "undertook to make a cold moist body" out of James "Jim" Smith. Collins shot Smith in the head. It was also stated that the wicked powder-burning gunshot was not lethal, but it was a face scorcher. "Thankfully Smith was not sent home on a shutter." Later, Sheriff Whithall arrested Collins and fearing that the 'dogs might bite him" locked him up. The next morning, illustrious of rough frontier justice, Collins was fined $60 for carrying and mishandling a deadly weapon and sent his way-a mild punishment," so declared a newsman working for the Grant County Herald."
|
|
|
|
Post by curlybillgraham on Sept 29, 2009 15:28:30 GMT -5
The newpaper article about the body being tan and having a beard didn't come from John Collins. Didn't that get first get started by Pat Garrett telling a buckboard driver from Las Vegas New Mexico that apparently Billy must have grown a beard and use some type of root to color his skin trying to "Mexi-can' his self. Seems like the buckboard driver sometimes double as new reporter... collecting tid-bits of news through the territory he traveled. A newpaper printed the story and other news agents reported it. Poe said Garrett shot the wrong man.
Thanks for sharing the photo of Shotgun Collins.
No, I'm not Buckley's son but I can understand his interest just the same can't you?
Billy the Kid history is the most famous history in the old west. Well I gotta get.
|
|
|
|
Post by timmerberg on Jun 5, 2011 23:55:32 GMT -5
where did you get this story of a buckboard driver getting that story from Pat Garrett?
|
|
