To some, notorious Old West gunfighter John Wesley Hardin was a psychopathic murderer and racist. To others, Hardin was a genuine American hero. Whether Hardin was a terrorist or a freedom fighter was a question that dogged him throughout his lifetime. Now, 150 years after his birth, historians continue to debate the issue. Was he a murderer and a racist, or a genuine American hero? Even if Hardin wasn’t a “good guy,” the good guys and gals can always learn something about gunfight survival from a man who was involved in so many shootouts. Few would debate that Wes “I never killed anyone who didn’t need killing” Hardin filled more graves than any of his contemporaries. Estimates of his body count range from 27 to almost 50, but figures cited by most researchers are either 40 or 41.
Practice! Hardin constantly practiced live-fire when he could, and dry-fire when he couldn’t. Compete and hone your skills! Hardin biographer Lewis Nordyke implies that Hardin did so at every opportunity, though on an informal basis. Finally, If you need to carry one gun, you’re better off to carry two. Hardin lived this rule for most of his life and, according to Nordyke, regretted it when he didn’t. Let’s examine his experiences in that regard.
When the First Gun Fails
In John Wesley Hardin: Texas Gunman, Nordyke tells of a fight between Hardin and a Mexican trail boss on the Newton Prairie in Kansas. “For the sake of comfort, Wes was carrying only one pistol,” says Nordyke, when his adversary rode at him armed and waving a revolver. “Wes spurred his horse into zigzagging movement. The Mexican fired and missed. Wes swept out his pistol. The firing mechanism failed and he realized he had no weapon. By some strange coincidence, the Mexican’s gun also failed. The two men fell off their horses and charged together like two infuriated bulls.”
During the subsequent fistfight, Hardin was shot at twice by his opponent’s men and was unable to defend himself until his own party rode up and took the others at gunpoint. When the fisticuffs ended in a draw, and the parties separated without bloodshed, Nordyke writes that immediately thereafter “Wes buckled on his two-gun trappings and filled his holsters with smooth-working .44-caliber pistols.” He would never be found without a second gun again, at least not for reasons of mere comfort.
