The OTHER Davy Crockett

King of the Wild Saloon

On March 24, 1876, the Tennessee-born Crockett and his two pals, Gus Heffron and Henry Goodman, were getting their load on in a saloon in Cimarron, New Mexico.

From left to right: Henry C. Goodman, Gus Heffron, and Davy Crockett

When a drunken Davy attempted to leave, his exit was blocked by a black soldier from nearby Fort Union.

This was a complete accident. The soldier was merely trying to enter the establishment at the same time Crockett was leaving. Nevertheless, Davy shucked iron and shot the trooper dead.

There were three additional buffalo soldiers seated inside the saloon, so Crockett whirled around and shot them as well, killing two.

Crockett was arrested but ultimately acquitted. He claimed that he wasn’t responsible for his actions on account of being under the influence of alcohol. His only punishment was a $50 fine for illegally carrying a pistol within city limits.

This lack of consequences appears to have only emboldened Crockett and his buddies. Over the next few months, they pretty much did as they pleased in Cimarron. They’d ride their horses into saloons, shoot their guns into the air, vandalize property, and even force residents to buy ‘em drinks.

At one point, they even held the Sheriff, Isaiah Rinehart, at gunpoint and forced him to guzzle whiskey until he blacked out.

The locals soon had their fill and pressured Sheriff Rinehart to do something.

He and two deputies armed themselves with shotguns and confronted Davy and Heffron on the night of September 30, 1876. When one of the deputies, Joseph Holbrook, told them to surrender, Davy laughed and dared him to squeeze the trigger.

Hollbrook did as suggested. So did Sheriff Rinehart and Deputy John McCullough.

Crockett was dead before he hit the ground and was buried just feet away from the soldiers he killed back in March.

Dramatic portrayal of Davy Crockett’s last moments at the Alamo

But was the wild Davy Crockett of Cimarron related to the famous Davy Crockett who perished at the Alamo?

Legend states that he was, but I’m not sure if this has yet been verified. However, if you’ve got additional information, I’m all ears.

UPDATE

Did you know I have a podcast? Yep, it’s true. The Wild West Extravaganza is a weekly history podcast that examines the real-life people and events of the Old West.

We recently covered a lesser-known lawman named Mart Duggan, who acted as the lone vestige of law and order in Leadville, Colorado, during the turbulent 1870s. We also discussed another boomtown marshal you may have heard of, Seth Bullock, of Deadwood. Stay tuned, as this coming Wednesday, June 4th, we’ll be diving into the life and times of a murderous railroad detective known as Whisperin’ Jim Smith.

Till then,

Adios.