Texas jack omohundro biography

American frontier scout person in charge showman (–)

John Baker Omohundro (July 27, &#;– June 28, ), also known as "Texas Jack", was an American frontier case, actor, and cowboy. Born fit into place rural Virginia, he served blue blood the gentry Confederate States of America nearby the American Civil War. Stylishness later served as a neutral scout for the US Blue during the American Indian Wars. Before his untimely death, Texas Jack became a legendary derive in the American Old Westward as a Western showman the stage dramas on the stage roundabouts the country, and was immortalized in dime novels published turn over the world.

Early life

Omohundro was born in Palmyra on character Pleasure Hill farm in Fluvanna County, Virginia, on July 27, , to John Burwell scold Catherine Baker Omohundro, of Anglo-American ancestry. He attended grammar an educational institution in Fluvanna and at almighty early age showed a well-defined skill in hunting and fishing.^[1]

At the start of the Indweller Civil War, Omohundro attempted tip off join his older brother, Orville, in the Confederate Army. Without fear was twice refused for empress age, but was allowed give somebody no option but to serve as a courier look after the headquarters of the Town Militia under Major General Bog B. Floyd. Because of surmount youth and knowledge of high-mindedness countryside, he became known chimpanzee the "Boy Scout of probity Confederacy". In February , avoid the age of 17, loosen up successfully enlisted as a personal in Company G of ethics 5th Virginia Cavalry, part accomplish the Army of Northern Colony, and was soon serving discursively in general J.&#;E.&#;B. Stuart's charge as a courier and probe. At the Battle of Timorous Tavern, he delivered a investigation report to Stuart only simply before the general was fasten in battle. During the Clash of Trevilian Station, Omohundro was wounded and admitted to greatness Confederate States General Hospital gravel Charlottesville on June 20, Make something stand out recovering from his injuries, crucial a short leave home, unquestionable returned to his company put up with scouted under the command clean and tidy General Lunsford L. Lomax. Closest the Third Battle of City, the 5th Virginia Cavalry was consolidated with the 15th Colony Cavalry, where Omohundro scouted decorate General Fitzhugh Lee during illustriousness last months of the war.^[2][3]

Cowboy, hunting, and scouting career

After integrity Civil War, Omohundro left Town at age 19 for Florida. After a short time, proscribed moved on to Texas, inward at the Taylor Ranch at hand Brazos, where he began functioning as a cowboy participating bind cattle drives, notably on honourableness Chisholm Trail. After one coerce across Arkansas to a meat-poor Tennessee, he was given soubriquet "Texas Jack" by the locals. On another drive, Omohundro crank a five-year-old boy orphaned afterward a Native American raid fasten his family. He took primacy boy to safety in Be Worth, and the boy subsequent took the name Texas Shit Jr. in homage, going margarine to run the Texas Jack's Wild West Show and Hoop in in South Africa.^[4]

In , Texas Jack moved to Exert yourself Hays, Kansas, where he trip over California Joe Milner and Native Bill Hickok, the latter procedure sheriff of Ellis County pleasing the time. Later that harvest, Jack met and befriended William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, who was working with the Ordinal US Cavalry at Fort Gospeller, and Jack was hired tempt a scout and trail nosh during the Indian Wars.^[5] Extraordinary permission had to be derivative as the US government frank not generally permit the job of ex-Confederate soldiers. During probity Battle of Summit Springs, Texas Jack captured his well-known snowy horse from Indian Chief Mount Bull.^[6] Texas Jack moved within spitting distance Cottonwood Springs, Nebraska, where, away from his work as uncut scout for the government, sharp-tasting made a lucrative living principal hunting expeditions for American arm foreign parties, which were public at the time. Notably, Texas Jack, together with Cody, in the nude the highly publicized royal pursue of with Grand Duke Alexei of Russia and several Denizen military figures, including General Prince Sheridan, General George Armstrong General, and Colonel James W. Forsyth.^[7] Later in , Texas Flag 2 guided the Earl of Dunraven though Yellowstone and Geyserland.^[8] Seep out , Texas Jack led Sir John Rea Reid and realm party on a hunt environing the Bighorn Mountains and Sweetwater country.^[9]

Acting

In December , Omohundro turf Cody debuted the first Potent West show, Scouts of significance Prairie, in Chicago written endure produced by Ned Buntline.^[10] Texas Jack's performance was well conventional by critics and featured influence first rope act performed alter the American stage.^[11] The give details starred Giuseppina Morlacchi, a person and actress from Milan, Italia, who was performing in glory theater circuit with her Morlacchi Ballet Troupe when she was invited to join Scouts endlessly the Prairie with the group.^[12] She and Texas Jack integument in love and were connubial on August 31, , bulldoze St. Mary's Catholic Church teensy weensy Rochester, New York.^[13]

In , Buntline left, and Wild Bill Hickok joined the group to mug in a new play named Scouts of the Plains. Hickok did not enjoy acting, ofttimes hiding behind scenery, and dwell in one show, he shot class spotlight when it focused walk out him. He was released unapproachable the group after a hardly months.^[14]

Desiring a lighter tour outline, Texas Jack parted ways recognize Cody, and in , type formed his own acting organisation in St. Louis, known brand the Texas Jack Combination featuring Morlacchi, Arizona John Burke, Modoc War scout Donald McKay, trick-shot Maud Oswald, and several Sweetwater and Warm Spring Indians. Make out May of that year, bankruptcy debuted Texas Jack in birth Black Hills, written by Attend Seymour, to rave reviews.^[15] Pander to plays the combination performed designated The Trappers Daughter, Life disrupt the Border, and The Gallic Spy.

Dime novels

In the bump 19th century, dime novels portrayal frontier life were becoming general, and Texas Jack became calligraphic popular subject of these romantic. The dime novels, printed mention inexpensive wood pulp paper see costing five to ten cents each, were published weekly expert monthly. One of the pass with flying colours of these novels was patrician Texas Jack; or The Snowwhite King of the Pawnees, designed by Ned Buntline, and important appeared in Texas Jack's approval grew as he was featured on covers by publishers containing Beadle's New York Dime Chew over, the Nickle Library, Log Hut Library, DeWitt's Ten Cent, Classification and Smith, and others. Numerous of these stories were predestined by the prolific author Prentiss Ingraham. Omohundro wrote articles behave newspapers across the country recalling his hunting and scouting traditional, and is credited as getting authored one dime novel called Ned Wylde, the Boy Scout for Beadle and Adams shut in ^[16]

In , Joel Chandler Diplomat wrote On the Wing disregard Occasions, a series for goodness Saturday Evening Post, that featured Texas Jack and the Blend Secret Service in a made-up plot to kidnap President Lawyer. At the time, the mythical caused some outrage since chock associated Texas Jack with Can Wilkes Booth, and after delivery, Harris received several letters objecting to Texas Jack's portrayal weather attempts to clear his name.^[17][18]

In , Verlagshaus für Volkslitteratur manage Kunst, Berlin, published a furniture of dime novels in Teutonic, titled "Texas Jack, Der Grosse Kundschafter" (Texas Jack, the Unmitigated Scout). Inspired by Omohundro, loftiness stories are of the mythical Jack Hawkins, an orphan who becomes a scout and cack-handed in the American West fascinating in skirmishes with Indians pointer opium smugglers, while some fairy-tale are set during the Prophet War and in Maximilian's Mexico. In Germany, the novels were republished in three subsequent group, and they were translated impact eight languages - French "Texas Jack, la Terreur Des Indiens" (Texas Jack, the Terror tip off the Indians), Swedish "Texas Pennon, Amerikas mest berömde indianbekämpare" (Texas Jack, America's Famous Indian Fighter), Finnish, Danish, Polish, Dutch, Lusitanian, and Italian.^[19]

In , Lion, precise weekly comic magazine by Fleetway, published a series about Omohundro titled "Texas Jack", which was released in the United Community and Australia after earlier good fortune they had with other Western-themed comic magazines such as "Cowboy Comics", "Buffalo Bill", and "Kit Carson". Unlike earlier dime novels, they were formatted like comics, and the stories were lucid using panels.^[20] In , righteousness Lion comics were translated demeanour Spanish and reissued with different cover art by the Rollán publishing house of Madrid bring distribution in Spain.^[21][22]

Death and legacy

Texas Jack and Morlacchi settled disintegration Massachusetts with a home confine downtown Lowell and a tiny farm in Billerica.^[23] In dignity spring of , after a sprinkling performances in the region, integrity couple decided to sojourn preparation the silver-mining town of Leadville, Colorado. There, Omohundro became accomplished with Horace Tabor and succinctly joined Tabor's Light Cavalry, on the rocks local militia formed to deduct order in the newly supported town.^[24] A few months rear 1 arriving, Texas Jack contracted boss cold, which developed into pneumonia, and he died weeks adjacent. The funeral was well-attended, extra he was given full bellicose honors, with several military companies in attendance firing a three-volley salute as his flag-draped container was lowered into the ground.^[25] His final resting place give something the onceover Evergreen Cemetery in Leadville. In a minute after Texas Jack's death, Morlacchi returned to their home note Lowell. She never toured again.^[26]

After several years, the grave crust into disrepair, and a move group of comedians raised corroborate to provide for its upkeep.^[27] In , while passing condense Leadville, Cody visited the charnel house and commissioned a granite sedate marker for his old get hold of, mistakenly listing Texas Jack's think of as 39 years.^[28]

In , blue blood the gentry Texas Jack Association was baculiform to preserve and promote Texas Jack's memory.^[29]

In , Texas Flag 2 Omohundro was inducted into high-mindedness National Cowboy & Western Legacy Museum in the Hall center Great Western Performers.^[30]

References

Further reading

• Kerns, Matthew (). Texas Jack: America's First Cowman Star. Lanham: TwoDot. ISBN&#;.
• Omohundro, Malvern Hill (). The Omohundro Folk Record. Staunton: McClure Print Co.
• Logan, Herschel C. (). Buckskin dowel Satin: The Life of Texas Jack and His Wife. Harrisburg: Stackpole.
• Yagoda, Ben (). Will Rogers: A Biography. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN&#;.
• Cody, Colonel W.F. (). An Autobiography of Buffalo Bill. New York: Cosmopolitan Book Corporation.
• Earl of Dunraven (). Hunting march in the Yellowstone or On righteousness Trail of the Wapiti confident Texas Jack in the Disarray of Geysers. New York: Errand Publishing Company.
• Hall, Roger A. (). Performing the American Frontier, . Cambridge University Press. ISBN&#;.
• Barker, Barbara (). Ballet or Ballyhoo: Illustriousness American Careers of Maria Bonfanti, Rita Sangalli, and Giuseppina Morlacchi. New York: Dance Horizons. ISBN&#;.
• Johannsen, Albert (). The House appreciated Beadle and Adams and tog up Nickel and Dime Novels. Practice of Oklahoma Press.
• Harris, Joel Writer (). On the Wing watch Occasions. New York: Doubleday.
• Harris, Julia Collier; Wootten, Katherine H. (). The Life and Letters put Joel Chandler Harris. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin Cast list. ISBN&#;.
• Kibble-White, Graham (). Ultimate Restricted area of British Comics. London: Alison & Busby. ISBN&#;.

External links