Lou Cooley was a

cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaquer ...

, and alleged

gunfighter Gunfighters, also called gunslingers (), or in the 19th and early 20th centuries gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in gunfights and shootouts. Today, the te ...

who took part in the Earp- Clanton feud in Tombstone, AZ from 1880-1882.

Biography

Cooley's reputation as a gunfighter is mostly

hearsay Hearsay evidence, in a legal forum, is testimony from an under-oath witness who is reciting an out-of-court statement, the content of which is being offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted. In most courts, hearsay evidence is inadmis ...

. There are no known gunfights involving Cooley. The one confirmed fact is that he was one of the suspects in the death of

Johnny Ringo John Peters Ringo (May 3, 1850 – July 13, 1882), known as Johnny Ringo, was an American Old West outlaw loosely associated with the Cochise County Cowboys in frontier boomtown Tombstone, Arizona Territory. He took part in the Mason County War ...

who was found in West Turkey Creek, Tombstone AZ, with a bullet wound to the head. Cooley was one of the few men who did not fear Ringo, and had the skills necessary to survive a confrontation with him. But few feared Ringo, though he had a fearsome temper, he never killed anyone aside from unarmed men, a fact since confirmed by

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...

s. Cooley was alleged to have been good with a gun, however, there is nothing to indicate he actually put those skills to work. It was suggested that a

posse Posse is a shortened form of posse comitatus, a group of people summoned to assist law enforcement. The term is also used colloquially to mean a group of friends or associates. Posse may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Posse'' (1975 ...

led by

Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman and gambler in the American West, including Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. Earp took part in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which law ...

located Ringo, who spotted them and grabbed his guns to run for a canyon. Two theories exist: Cooley shot him as he ran with a rifle; or that Cooley killed him one on one. Neither version can be proven. Cooley supported the Earp faction, but he has never been mentioned as having taken active part in the

Earp Vendetta Ride The Earp Vendetta Ride was a deadly search by a federal posse led by Deputy U.S. Marshal Wyatt Earp for a loose confederation of outlaw "Cowboys" they believed had ambushed his brothers Virgil and Morgan Earp, maiming the former and killing t ...

. He is believed to have helped fund the ride, and to have been employed as a

stage coach A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...

driver for

Wells Fargo Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with corporate headquarters in San Francisco, California; operational headquarters in Manhattan; and managerial offices throughout the United States and intern ...

at the time. Although his personal exploits have no written proof, Cooley was a friend to Wyatt Earp, as well as

Doc Holliday John Henry Holliday (August 14, 1851 – November 8, 1887), better known as Doc Holliday, was an American gambler, gunfighter, and dentist. A close friend and associate of lawman Wyatt Earp, Holliday is best known for his role in the event ...

. Cooley was also a close friend of

Virgil Earp Virgil Walter Earp (July 18, 1843 – October 19, 1905) was both deputy U.S. Marshal and Tombstone, Arizona City Marshal when he led his younger brothers Wyatt and Morgan, and Doc Holliday, in a confrontation with outlaw Cowboys at the Gunfig ...

. It is widely known that Lou Cooley sided against the "Cowboys" with Virgil Earp at a time when the confrontation between the Earps and Clantons reached a boiling point, but there are no documented accounts of him having any clashes with any of the Clanton clan, or the "Cowboys". He did have a reputation of being fast with a gun, and an excellent shot.

Morgan Earp Morgan Seth Earp (April 24, 1851 – March 18, 1882) was an American sheriff and lawman. He served as Tombstone, Arizona's Special Policeman when he helped his brothers Virgil and Wyatt, as well as Doc Holliday, confront the outlaw Cochise C ...

, another friend of Cooley's, reported that he could shoot a silver dollar out of a person's hand before they could slap their hands together. It has been suggested that it was Lou Cooley that shot and killed

Ike Clanton Joseph Isaac Clanton (1847 – June 1, 1887) was a member of a loose association of outlaws known as The Cowboys who clashed with lawmen Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan Earp as well as Doc Holliday. On October 26, 1881, Clanton was present at the Gunf ...

in Mexico, and that he did so to end more backshooting from the cowboys against the Earps—at that point both Morgan and Virgil had been ambushed. However, that was a complete fabrication, since Ike Clanton's death was a well documented event, with him having been killed by

Detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...

Jonas V. Brighton in

Springerville, Arizona Springerville is a town in Apache County, Arizona, United States, within the White Mountains. Its postal ZIP Code is 85938. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 1,961. Springerville sits at an elevation of above sea level. ...

. In fact, there are no documented facts confirming Cooley having ever been involved in any gunfight. Cooley has at times been confused with lawman/outlaw

Scott Cooley Scott Cooley (1845 – June 1876) was an Old West Texas Ranger and later outlaw, best known for his association with gunman Johnny Ringo. Biography Cooley was born in Texas, and was unofficially adopted as a boy and raised by rancher Tim Willia ...

, but the two are not the same. Lou Cooley disappeared from public view after the end of the Earp-Clanton fighting, and continued a normal life. He died in

Oak Hill, Tennessee Oak Hill is a city in Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County, Tennessee. The population was 4,529 at the 2010 census. The Tennessee Governor's Mansion is located in the city. Although the city is administered under the Metropolitan Government ...

at the age of 93 and is buried outside of

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

. His descendants still reside there.

References

External links

Death of Johnny RingoLou Cooley Riding with Wyatt Earp
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooley, Lou Arizona folklore Year of death missing Gunslingers of the American Old West Year of birth missing