THE JOHNSON COUNTY WAR

Author: Bill O’Neal
Publisher: Eakin Press, 2004
Features: 290 pp, endnotes, bibliography, index, photos, illustrations, stiff wraps,

By: The Man Behind the Mask

In some parts of Wyoming, the subject of the Invasion is still taboo.

Back in 1892, several of the big cattle barons put together a small army of gunmen, many from Texas, with the aim of killing off or driving out smaller ranchers, alleged rustlers, accused squatters, and anybody else who stood in their way. The invaders killed cowboys Nick Rae and Nate Champion, and they were headed for the town of Buffalo when a mob of townspeople and “nesters” trapped them on a Johnson County ranch. Only the intervention of the army prevented what might have been one of the bloodiest incidents in Old West history.

In the 112 years since the War, a number of books have been written about the situation. Most have taken sides, for the stockmen or for the small ranchers. So it’s been tough to get a fair and balanced look at the invasion.

Until now.

Noted researcher and writer Bill O’Neal has taken on the challenge, and as usual he has done so in remarkable fashion. For one thing, he’s got no dog in this fight. His roots are in Texas, not Wyoming, and that gives him a dispassionate approach that is most welcome.

He also presents a great deal of information about Lone Star State fighters, rounded up by the legendary Frank Canton, who went north to make some money and ended up in a quagmire not of their making.

As with all of O’Neal’s work, the research is outstanding. The writing is easy on the eye and mind. And the book has a gentle and smooth flow that belies the violent and tense content.

The author has also placed a number of sidebar stories throughout the book, none of which really fits the story focus but adds to the general knowledge about the Johnson County War. And the photos taken by his better half, Karon O’Neal, wonderfully illustrate the locations mentioned in the book—many of the original buildings are still standing, in stark testimony to the social unrest of the 1890s.

Meanwhile, in Wyoming, descendants of both sides in the Johnson County War still live in the area. And some of the feelings that led to and resulted from the violence remain yet today. If you’re an outsider, you ask about the War only at your own risk. But I suspect that some of the locals secretly bought this book, wanting to get a different perspective on the invasion.

You should do the same. This is an important book by one of the best in the business. Enough said.