John Wesley Hardin

John Wesley Hardin, was one of the least attractive figures to emerge from the Old West. He was a notorious braggart who despite exaggerating his own exploits was undoubtedly responsible for a great many deaths. He was comfortable with the things he did, he had no compunction about killing, and never showed any remorse for having done so.

He was born in the town of Bonham in Fannin County, Texas, on 26 May, 1853. His father, James Hardin, was a Methodist preacher who named his son after the founder of the movement. John, however, never showed any inclination to follow in his father’s footsteps. He had been greatly affected by the sight of returning Confederate soldiers following their defeat in the Civil War, and he was to grow into adulthood in a State under Union occupation. He deeply regretted not being able to fight in the war and developed a visceral life-long hatred of the freed slaves whom he blamed for having brought his State, his Country, to its knees, and it was a case of woe-betide any black man who crossed his path.

His hatred was such that when aged only 15 he challenged a freed slave named Mage, to a wrestling match. For John this was much more than sport and he used uncalled for levels of violence. Severely scratching Mage’s face he refused to end the contest and the two of them had to be physically pulled apart. Furious at his treatment by Hardin, Mage looked for revenge and armed with a club ambushed Hardin the following day. John, declining to fight, simply drew his pistol and shot him dead. He could conceivably have claimed self-defence but instead decided to flee, later saying that, ” to be tried at that time for killing a negro meant certain death at the hands of a Court backed by Northern bayonets. Thus, unwillingly, I became a fugitive not from justice, be it known, but from the injustice and misrule of the people who had subjugated the South.”

After spending some considerable time in hiding, Hardin was discovered and three Union soldiers were dispatched to arrest him. Hardin, however, had been forewarned of their approach by his brother Joe. He set an ambush and taking them by surprise managed to kill all three, emerging from the firefight unscathed. Again forced to flee he re-emerged some four weeks later in the town of Towash, Texas. Though it was certainly not in his nature to do so he now tried to maintain a low profile. This he was unable to do. Whilst playing poker with a man named Jim Bradley, a row broke out over Hardin winning all the hands. Bradley branded Hardin a cheat and threatened to cut him open. Hardin refused to rise to the bait made his excuses and left. But Bradley was not willing to let it lie and fuelled by alcohol followed Hardin into the street. Bradley opened fire but missed. Hardin immediately drew both of his pistols and shot Bradley once in the head and once in the chest. Even at the tender age of 17 Hardin was already an accomplished gunman. Eyewitnesses to the incident described how Hardin had his holsters sewn into his waistcoat with the handles of his pistols pointing inwards, and how he crossed his arms to draw. Hardin later claimed that he found this the fastest way to draw and that he practised it every day.