Rep ese tative
Image
(AI-ge e ated)
Seve tee
yea s
afte
su vivi g
the
famous
O.K.
Co al
gu fight,
fo me
Tombsto e
lawma
Vi gil
Ea p
emba ked
o
a
ve y
diffe e t
chapte
of
his
life.
I
1898,
Ea p
claimed
160
ac es
of
la d
ea
P escott,
A izo a,
u de
the
fede al
homesteadi g
system.
Because
of
his
p evious
se vice
i
the
U io
A my
du i g
the
Civil
Wa ,
he
was
eligible
to
complete
the
homesteadi g
equi eme ts
i
just
two
yea s,
ea i g
title
to
the
p ope ty
i
1900.
Acco di g
to
the
Natio al
Pa k
Se vice,
Ea p’s
late
yea s
ma ked
a
t a sitio
f om
f o tie
lawma
a d
Civil
Wa
vete a
to
A izo a
homesteade .
F om
soldie
to
lawma
Vi gil
Ea p
was
bo
i
Ke tucky
a d
was
the
thi d
child
of
Nicholas
a d
Vi gi ia
Ea p.
His
you ge
b othe ,
Wyatt
Ea p,
would
late
become
o e
of
the
best-k ow
figu es
of
the
Ame ica
f o tie .
Vi gil’s
ow
ca ee ,
howeve ,
bega
with
milita y
se vice
a d
law
e fo ceme t.
Du i g
the
Civil
Wa ,
Ea p
se ved
th ee
yea s
i
the
U io
A my.
Afte
the
wa ,
he
wo ked
i
law
e fo ceme t
a d
also
se ved
as
a
shotgu
gua d
fo
Wells
Fa go
Ba k.
His
expe ie ce
eve tually
b ought
him
a d
his
b othe s
to
the
A izo a
Te ito y.
I
1879,
Vi gil
moved
to
Tombsto e
with
his
b othe s
Mo ga
a d
Wyatt.
Tombsto e
was
the
a
apidly
g owi g
mi i g
tow
whe e
co flicts
betwee
lawme
a d
g oups
of
a med
outlaws
we e
commo .
Vi gil
became
the
tow ‘s
ma shal,
while
Wyatt
a d
Mo ga
se ved
as
pa t-time
deputies.
The
O.K.
Co al
a d
its
afte math
Vi gil’s
ame
became
pe ma e tly
co ected
with
o e
of
the
Ame ica
West’s
most
famous
co f o tatio s.
O
Octobe
26,
1881,
Vi gil,
Mo ga
a d
Wyatt
Ea p,
togethe
with
thei
f ie d
Joh
“Doc”
Holliday,
co f o ted
seve al
a med
me
ea
the
O.K.
Co al.
The
co f o tatio
lasted
o ly
a
sho t
time,
but
seve al
of
the
opposi g
me
we e
killed,
while
Vi gil
a d
Mo ga
Ea p
we e
wou ded.The
i cide t
became
k ow
as
the
shootout
at
the
O.K.
Co al
a d
has
si ce
bee
epeatedly
po t ayed
i
books,
films
a d
televisio .
The
Natio al
Pa k
Se vice
otes,
howeve ,
that
the
facts
of
the
co f o tatio
have
bee
sig ifica tly
exagge ated
i
popula
cultu e.
The
viole ce
did
ot
e d
with
the
gu fight.
I
Ma ch
1882,
membe s
of
the
opposi g
g oup
ambushed
the
Ea ps.
Mo ga
was
killed,
while
Vi gil
was
wou ded
so
seve ely
that
he
lost
the
use
of
his
ight
a m.
The
attacks
co t ibuted
to
the
Ea ps’
depa tu e
f om
Tombsto e.
Wyatt
eve tually
left
fo
Colo ado,
while
Vi gil
emai ed
elsewhe e
i
A izo a.
A
ew
life
o
160
ac es
Mo e
tha
a
decade
late ,
Vi gil
Ea p
took
o
a
ve y
diffe e t
ole:
homesteade .
I
1898,
he
claimed
160
ac es
ea
P escott,
A izo a.
U de
the
homesteadi g
ules
applicable
to
him,
Ea p’s
p evious
milita y
se vice
p oved
impo ta t.
Because
he
had
se ved
fo
th ee
yea s
i
the
U io
A my,
he
was
equi ed
to
live
o
the
la d
fo
o ly
two
yea s
befo e
becomi g
eligible
to
eceive
its
title.Ea p
fulfilled
that
equi eme t
a d
ea ed
title
to
the
160-ac e
p ope ty
i
1900.
His
successful
homesteadi g
ve tu e
ep ese ted
a
sig ifica t
depa tu e
f om
the
f o tie
viole ce
fo
which
he
had
become
k ow .
Rathe
tha
bei g
emembe ed
o ly
as
the
ma shal
i volved
i
the
O.K.
Co al
co f o tatio ,
his
late
yea s
also
i cluded
establishi g
himself
as
a
la dow e
i
A izo a.Vi gil
Ea p
died
i
1905.
Although
his
you ge
b othe
Wyatt
became
co side ably
mo e
famous
i
popula
accou ts
of
the
Ame ica
West,
Vi gil’s
life
exte ded
well
beyo d
the
eve ts
of
Tombsto e.
His
sto y
e compasses
milita y
se vice
du i g
the
Civil
Wa ,
law
e fo ceme t
o
the
f o tie ,
su vival
of
the
O.K.
Co al
co f o tatio
a d
its
afte math,
a d
ultimately
a
successful
attempt
to
establish
a
homestead
i
A izo a.The
160
ac es
he
claimed
i
1898
the efo e
ep ese t
mo e
tha
a
piece
of
la d
i
Ea p’s
biog aphy.
They
ma k
a
late
chapte
i
the
life
of
a
ma
whose
ea lie
yea s
had
bee
defi ed
by
milita y
se vice
a d
f o tie
law
e fo ceme t.
Acco di g
to
the
Natio al
Pa k
Se vice,
his
successful
homesteadi g
ve tu e
helped
secu e
his
place
i
histo y
alo gside
his
bette -k ow
ca ee
as
a
soldie
a d
peace
office .