Tombstone's Cowboys: Real-Life Outlaws vs. Hollywood's Version

The classic Western film Tombstone is known for its action-packed story of the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday, but even though the story seems pretty straightforward, did you know that the main antagonists in this film are based on real-world history?

The Cowboys Gang: A Real Story

While Tombstone dramatizes the events that took place with the Earps, many of the key players are taken straight from history books. But, even in that retelling, the main bad guys, the Cowboys, aren't exactly just some fictional gang!

The gang that shows up in the movie had some history based in Mexico, New Mexico, and Cochise County, Arizona, around the 1870s. They went by a few different names and their true origin shows they're way more than a simple gang!

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Origins of the Cowboys

Val Kilmer and Kurt Russell in Tombstone in Front of Old Photographs Image

You've got a few key moments that really tell a great deal of this gang.

They started as a bunch of outlaws who robbed cattle. They took off into Mexico.
Then came the sale of stolen goods.
After that they were known for hiding in Skeleton Canyon to rob people!
This resulted in events like "the Skeleton Canyon Massacres."

Although the word "Cowboy" is usually considered a positive term today. Back in the 1880s it had a totally different meaning.

It was a derogatory name used for these criminals!

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Comparing the Movie Cowboys and the Real Cowboys

Members of the Cowboys about to shoot up the Mexican wedding in Tombstone Image

While Tombstone got some things right about the Cowboys it left out some interesting things about these villains that really made them so powerful. That includes their number.

The film only seems to show about 30 Cowboys
Historians seem to think the total was more than 300!

The film was accurate about some other key facts about these men. Everyone really hated these guys. People at the time were looking for anyone to bring this criminal group down, and you can see a demand that authorities deal with this problem shortly before one of the major shootouts that shows up in the film.

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The Cowboys in Real Life

Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot, and Bill Paxton as the Earps in Tombstone. Image

Many think the cowboys just disappeared in Tombstone. but if you consider what really occurred then you'd understand things look very different! It came in the aftermath of the shootout, which the Earps sought to end the Cowboys reign of terror!

But this did not solve everything!

After the Earps got revenge for the murder and shooting of their own, things didn't completely go away. These survivors kept doing horrible deeds!
The story does seem to differ. In the movie, it appears everything stopped when the Earp Vendetta started and all of them are caught. However, these outlaws only stopped some years later!
A powerful commander in the American Civil War, William Tecumseh Sherman
along with the governor, Frederick Tritle managed to finally convinced President Chester Arthur that they had to put these criminals away.
Their crimes came to an end, as the cowboys finally dispersed in 1882

Tombstone changed details but did a great job highlighting that these Cowboys had to be taken down!

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Tombstone and Its Lasting Legacy

This film helped make these moments so incredibly unique. Even after these years Tombstone is still compelling.

If you've had the chance to catch this action-packed movie! If not you'll definitely be compelled to watch Tombstone for those big fight moments! While this was created a long time ago there is still lots of amazing discussion around this western classic, especially among western fans and true crime fans! For a fun dive, this might give viewers a renewed appreciation! And gives these characters a real view from that era. This certainly helps to highlight the impact and significance of these gangs of outlaws! What made this series so cool was the real events that transpired, and gave us one of those truly memorable films!