John Wesley Hardin (May 26, 1853—August 19, 1895) was an outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West. He was born in Bonham, Fannin County, Texas. When Hardin went to prison in 1878, he claimed to have killed 42 men,[2] but considerably fewer killings have been documented as actually attributable to him.[3] Hardin's criminal career resulted not only in the deaths of his victims but also in the deaths of his brother Joe and two cousins who were hanged by a lynch mob seeking revenge for a Hardin killing.
Hardin was born in Bonham, Texas in 1853 to James "Gip" Hardin (a Methodist preacher and circuit rider) and Mary Elizabeth Dixson[1] who was, as described by him, "blond, highly cultured" and "charity predominated in her disposition."[4] He was a direct descendant of Col. Joseph Hardin, a legislator from North Carolina; (the lost State of Franklin and the Southwest Territory) and Revolutionary War hero.[5][6] John Wesley Hardin was the second surviving son of 10 children, his brother, Joseph Gibson Hardin, being three years his senior. Hardin's father traveled over much of central Texas on his preaching circuit, until, in 1869, he and his family settled in Sumpter, Trinity County, Texas. There Joseph Hardin taught school, and established a learning institution that John Wesley and his siblings attended. Hardin was named after John Wesley the founder of the Methodist faith.[7]
At the school, another student, Charles Sloter, taunted Hardin as being the author of some graffiti on the schoolhouse wall which was insulting to a girl in his class. Hardin denied writing the poetry, accusing the other boy of being the author. Sloter attacked Hardin with a knife, but before he could strike, Hardin drew his gun and shot Charles twice (in the chest), almost killing him. Hardin was nearly expelled over the incident even though it was at his own father's institution.[5]
At the age of 15, Hardin challenged an ex-slave of his uncle's, named Mage, to a wrestling match and won while badly scratching Mage's face.[2] According to Hardin, the following day a vengeful Mage hid by a path and attacked him with a large stick as he rode past. Hardin drew his revolver and told Mage to back off while Mage grabbed the reins of Hardin's horse and threatened to kill him. Hardin fired his revolver into Mage five times before he finally dropped the reins. Hardin then rode to get help for the wounded ex-slave who ended up dying three days later. The shooting could be claimed as a case of self-defense according to the laws of the day. However, Rev. Hardin saw little chance of a fair hearing for his son.[2] Texas was going through Reconstruction. As a "Johnny Reb" accused of killing a former slave in the Union-occupied state of Texas —where more than a third of the State Police were ex-slaves —the elder Hardin believed that his son had little hope of a fair trial. He told John Wesley to go into hiding.[2] The authorities eventually heard of Hardin's location, and sent three Union soldiers to arrest him. Despite being warned by his older brother, Hardin chose to stay and fight.[8][9] In his own words,
I waylaid them, as I had no mercy on men whom I knew only wanted to get my body to torture and kill. It was war to the knife for me, and I brought it on by opening the fight with a double-barreled shotgun and ended it with a cap and ball six-shooter. Thus it was by the fall of 1868 I had killed four men and was myself wounded in the arm.[4]
El Paso is full of old west history spanning six decades and it includes some of the most exciting and interesting characters and events in the old West. From the Magoffin Salt War in 1854, thru the last known gun ...
