All The Black Cowboys?

[Burt Blade]

History is revisionist BS?   

Say it isn't so!   


I shudder to think what will be said about _us_ 100 years from now.

[Shotgun Franklin]

It's bad enough what's being said about us now.
At least they could have waited 'til we were in the ground to tell us every problem in the world is our fault.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

It's bad enough what's being said about us now.
At least they could have waited 'til we were in the ground to tell us every problem in the world is our fault.

Ain't THAT the truf!

[Tuolumne Lawman]

As a History teacher, I tell my students that Wikipedia is NOT a reliable source for scholarly research.  It is often edited by individuals with an agenda, and short on primary sources.  It is usually based on 3rd or 4th hand sources.  It may be OK for a glance at a subject, and maybe a springboard to other sources, but NOT to garner facts from.

[Shotgun Franklin]

Here's what I believe but only have my own common sense to back it up.
In East Texas there was a large Black population, as working cattle was a low level blue collar type job it is LIKELY that many men working cows were Black. Farther West and North the Black population was much smaller and the number of Blacks employed to work cattle should, or might, have been lower.
I also am sure that it will take a lot of research to come to any real figure as to the break down by race of the common laborers we now call Cowboys. Until I see real source material quoted quoted it's just BS.

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Another good quote:

"History is written by the winners.." unk. author

[Trailrider]

"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend!" 

We do know there were four regiments of black soldiers! The 9th  & 10th Cavalry and 24th & 25th Infantry. No brag...just fact! The former are known as the "Buffalo Soldiers", and they were sharp troops.

[WaddWatsonEllis]

TrailRider,

Two of my favorite movies have relevance here ....

First, black soldiers were placed in any forts that had a high mortality rate .... hence, John Wayne would have been leading 'Buffalo Soldiers' in 'She Wore a Yellow Ribbon'... and it is kind of sad that they were so 'white-washed' (pun intended) in the movie ....

My second most favorite western, 'The Wonderful Country', is the exact opposite. Part of the film centers around a black U.S. Cavalry unit stationed on the border of the U.S. ... and to baseball fans, the top black soldier is Satchel Paige (who retired from baseball and did a few pictures ...).




http://www.julielondon.org/J/The_Wonderful_Country.html

[Justician]

I know that was my problem for some reason I was thinking he was a Texas Ranger but turned out he was a US Marshal as I posted named Bass Reeves. However with that aside it seems there was a pretty good percentage of cowboys that where of African decent. I do know that the Seminole indians also had a lot of African ex-slaves come to Florida with them when they fled the Texas area.

Actually it was the other way around. Many "Black Seminoles" were removed to Oklahoma from Florida during the Second Seminole War.  General Jessup (known for capturing Seminole leaders during white flag peace conferences) lied to them about being freedmen in Oklahoma and many fled to Mexico to escape possible enslavement. A lot of them served in the Mexican Army. In the 1870's the Army invited them to return to the US where a number became "Seminole Scouts" in the Texas-Indian wars. From what I have read, they rendered excellent service both in Mexico and in Texas.

[Thomas (Tom) Horn aka James Hicks]

One of the posts reads..."When the legend becomes fact, print the legend!"... In the "early" 1900s there was one known black cowboy in the Brown's Hole area of Wyoming. The black cowboy's name was Isam Dart. Dart was born in Texas in 1855 and his parents were slaves. Isam Dart on 26 September 1900 was named in a written complaint stating that Dart was a horse thief, the complaint was signed by Tom Horn.  On the morning of 4 October 1900, Dart died of a single gunshot wound as he and others filed out of a cabin toward a corral. The others barricaded themselves in the cabin until nightfall. The next day two 30-30 caliber shell casings were found at the base of a tree that had hidden the assassin.  Tom Horn packed a 30-30 Winchester. ¹
I have not done the research on "black cowboys" so I do not know how many there were in Wyoming during the late 1800s and early 1900. But from what research I have done in researching my "Alias" there were few to none in the area that witnessed the Johnson County War. Isam Dart was the only one I have read about, and he did not last very long after arriving there.

Footnote ¹ : Found in book Blood on the Moon by Chip Carlson pa. 120-121

[RobMancebo]

Growing up, I was always told that Ted was the only black cowboy in the Black Hills.  His family was well respected in the Hills and he was my Uncle Ed's best friend.  Yet when they went into a saloon on Saturday night, Uncle Ed went in the front door and Ted would go around and come in the back.  They would meet at the bar inside. That always scandalized my mother who was a child and didn't understand why he couldn't just walk in the front.  My uncle, who spent a lot of time working with Ted, said that Ted was very good natured, but could only be pushed so far.  He said that Ted never got into any fights-- they were never a 'fight'.  If someone crossed the line and Ted hit him, the man went down.  He worked hard for a living and was physically very powerful. 

Ted was the idol of all the kids on the ranch.  As the hired man at Aunt Myrtle's ranch (The 'Lap circle')  He taught my uncles to ride and be cowboys.  Everyone in the family who knew him spoke of Ted with admiration.  He was obviously a man who impressed people.  When Seth Bullock died, his son came out to the ranch and gave Ted his father's pearl handled, Colt 1878 .45.  That was the gun my Grandfather wore on the range and the one my mother remembers Ted wearing to Deadwood  on Saturday nights.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=81847387   

[Blair]

Rob,

Great story!

My mothers family were raised, for the most part in KA. and OK. as ranchers, cowboys and farmers.
I remember nothing but found memories the Black People they had working for them in these areas.

Both sides of her family came originally from two very different parts of Maryland where slavery, or ownership of People, were considered quite differently.
First will be the Auld family, they were from Eastern Maryland. Most Eastern Marylanders were known for their part in being Pro-slavery. These family members owned a young slave boy named Fred Bailey, who, became known as "Frederic Douglas". (after he became a "Free" in 1837)

The other side of the family (Jacques) were from Western Maryland. These folks were for the most part Pro-North. Although they did own Slaves at one point, but, beyond 1819 I can find any Slavery.
My best,
Blair

[El Tio Loco]

In the book written by George W. Saunders  "Trail Drivers of Texas" he mentions that one third of the drovers were black or mexican.  George Sanders was the President of the Old Time Trail Drovers Association and was an old time drover.

Ken

[GunClick Rick]

I found this interesting although native americans.