Four Neglected Wild West Figures

You've heard of Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, and Wild Bill Hickok, but there were plenty of other colorful figures who left their mark on the Wild West. This list tells us about four that you may never had heard of, like Texas Ben Thompson.

Texas Ben served in the Confederate States Army, then after the Civil War he headed south and served in Emperor Maximillian’s army in Mexico. When Maximillian fell Ben crossed back over the border into Texas, and spent the remainder of his life hiring his gun out to anyone who would pay, regardless of which side of the law it placed him on. Texas Ben even pinned on a badge as a legitimate lawman at times and supposedly put in time as a Texas Ranger at one point in his career. Thompson was even involved in the infamous Railroad War between the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe RR and the Denver & Rio Grande RR. In 1884 Texas Ben shot and killed San Antonio saloon and bawdy house owner Jack Harris. Later that year, passing back through San Antonio with fellow neglected gunfighter John “King” Fisher, he and his traveling companion foolishly entered Harris’ former establishment and were riddled with bullets by several of the dead man’s friends. Texas Ben’s trademark tall silk hat was placed on his coffin.

Also learn about Luke Short, Pearl Hart, and Long-haired Jim Courtright in this post at Balladeer's Blog. Link

Add Dave Rudabaugh to the list. He rode with every well known character of the old west at one point or another, including the Earp brothers, Doc Holiday and Billy the Kid. I've read a few old west history books and he's always there, lurking in the background. He was portrayed by Christian Slater in Young Guns II, but that portrayal wasn't entirely accurate. If you read almost any legend of the old west, you'll find Rudabaugh hanging out somewhere around the central characters in one way or another, whether with them or against them. He was eventually shot and beheaded in Mexico. Here's a cool link to his story. But it's got a picture of his decapitated head and it's pretty gruesome, so don't click it if you don't want to see it.
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-daverudabaugh.html?cf03800515=856E3CA3!NTAxNzc1NjgzOmNvcnByYWRpdXNzc286zeXWw222Yq52QjEo1NtOvA==

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