The Johnson County War took place in Wyoming in April of 1892. In essence, a group of powerful Wyoming cattlemen created a "Death List" of small ranchers, cowboys and others they considered a hindrance to large scale ranching interests. These cattlemen belonged to the "Cheyenne Club" and included the political, social and economic elite of Wyoming. They included the governor, United States senators, judges, powerful business men, newspaper owners, etc. This was not a group any small rancher or cowboy would want to buck heads against. In early April 1892 these cattlemen staged an invasion of Johnson County and started to look for men on the Death List. They hired Texas gunmen, travelled on a special train, and outfitted in Cheyenne and Casper. Then they moved north into Johnson County. They managed to surround and kill Nick Ray and Nate Champion at the KC Ranch. They then headed toward Buffalo, where many other men on the Death List were known to reside. The men in the county were alerted by this time, however, and the invaders were themselves besieged at the TA Ranch, near Buffalo. They were pinned down for two days until the invaders friends got President Benjamin Harrison to declare a state of insurrection in Johnson County and have the Army put a stop to the fighting. As part of the surrender, the invaders turned in all their arms and equipment to the Army. Major Wolcott, as unofficial leader of the group made a list of these arms and provided it to the government.

Arms used by the "rustlers" and the Johnson County Sheriff's posse are a bit vague. It is known that at least one Sharps rifle, caliber .45 2 7/8 inch (noted as an 18 pound Sharps) was used by "Old Dan Boone" (real name was Herman Fraker) to fire at the invaders besieged in the TA Ranch. Also, Sheriff Red Angus' Colt SAA is in the collection of the Wyoming State Museum. Few other guns with provenance to the "rustlers" are known. On the other hand, the arms used by the invaders are very well documented for us modern-day historians and collectors thanks to Major Walcott's List. Major Walcott was the self-appointed leader of the invaders. He was a former Union Army officer from Kentucky. When the invaders surrendered to the U.S. Army, Major Walcott presented a list of all firearms belonging to each man. The list shows make, caliber and serial number of each man's arms as well as cartridges, and cartridge belts. The serial number or make is missing from some entries. This is probably the most complete list of firearms that can be documented as used in western gun fights. In some cases, there are questions to which model of Colt revolver some of the men carried, as the serial numbers could be for the Single Action Army (SAA or Peacemaker), the Model 1877 Lightning (.38 Long Colt) or Thunderer (.41 Long Colt), or the Model 1878 Double Action Frontier. The Models of 1877 and 1878 are both double action revolvers. Some of the serial numbers for these revolvers duplicates that of the Single Action Army of the same period, as each type was numbered as a separate series. In other words, there may be an SAA, an 1877 and an 1878 with serial number 11697. If the actual revolver model is not listed (in Major Wolcott's list this serial number is just shown as a Colt in .45 caliber) than it could be an SAA or a Model 1878. Further research by obtaining factory letters would benefit historians.

Major Wolcott's list was originally published in an article called "The Arms of Wyoming's Cattle War" by Robert A. Murray in the July 1967 issue of Shooting Times magazine. Murray discovered the list in the U.S. Army records located in the National Archves. The list had each man's name, his arms and extra equipment such as cartridge belts. This makes sense, but is somewhat difficult for a collector interested in Winchester Model 1873 rifles. I have listed the guns with each man's name, by type, and then in serial number order. This is to assist collectors and historians to easily see all the Winchester Model 1873 rifles, or Colt revolvers, etc. I have also identified the role of each of the invaders and provided any other information I have found. As you will see from the list, the predominant handguns were Colt's and the predominant rifles were Winchester's. This should be no surprise to collectors and historians of the old west period. Note that no Marlin rifles are in evidence. Also, most of the rifles used by cattlemen were "big bore" types such as the Winchester models 1876 and 1886. Conversely, most of the Texans, who were hired as professional gunfighters favored the Winchester Model 1873 rifles, many of which were in caliber .38 WCF (today known as .38-40). Even more surprising, only a few of these men considered it a requirement to have the six shooter and rifle in the same caliber. Young D.E. Booke, known as "The Texas Kid" was the invader reputed to have fired the first shot that hit Nick Ray after he emerged from the cabin at the KC Ranch. The Kid was using a Winchester Model 1873 in .38 WCF. Note also that four cattlemen used the Martini single shot rifle. Two men used the "Old Reliable" Sharps single shot rifle in .40 caliber. Serial numbers are inconsistent for these two Sharps and may be incorrect. Seventeen of the long guns are the veritable Winchester Model 1886 rifle, already very popular only five years after it's market debut. The most popular chambering among the invaders in the 1886 is the .45-90.

The detectives in the expedition were all veterans of numerous skirmishes, both inside and outside the law. The Winchester Model 1886 was used by five of them, with a sixth opting for the old standby Sharps single shot, and the seventh (W.H. Tabor) probably used an 1876. The other Sharps was carried by Elias Whitcomb, who was the oldest member of the invaders. W.C. Irvine's rifle may be an 1876. The caliber information in the list is partially illegible. It just shows .45. He did not carry a handgun. Some .45-75 shell casings were found in the TA Ranch barn.

I highly recommend The War on Powder River by Helena Huntington Smith, 1966, McGraw-Hill Book Company for a full account of the invasion.