Bucky O'Neill
Encyclopedia
William Owen "Buckey" O'Neill (February 2, 1860 – July 1, 1898) was an American
soldier, sheriff
, newspaper editor, miner, politician, gambler and lawyer, mainly in Arizona
. His nickname came from his tendency to "buck the tiger" (play contrary to the odds) at faro
or other card games.
, or Washington, D.C.
, although he sometimes listed Ireland
as his birthplace. This last is doubtful, since his parents had been in the United States since the 1850s. During the Civil War
, his father, John, served as a captain in the 116th Pennsylvania Volunteers of the Irish Brigade, and was severely wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg
.
. In 1880, he settled in Tombstone, Arizona
. During this time the Earp Brothers, the city policemen, and the Clanton
-McLaury Gang, a group of rustlers and murderers, were at war with each other. O'Neill joined the Tombstone Epitaph
; since it was a pro-Earp newspaper, he frequently talked with, and became a casual acquaintance of, the Earps. On October 26, 1881 the war escalated with the Gunfight at the O. K. Corral. O'Neill may have been the man to report on the scene. He left Tombstone shortly after, heading for Prescott, Arizona
.
, he soon founded his own newspaper, Hoof and Horn, a paper for the livestock industry.
He became captain of the Prescott Grays in 1886, the local unit of the Arizona Militia. On February 5, 1886, Dennis Dilda, a convicted murderer, was hanged. O'Neill and the Prescott Grays stood honor guard for the event. When the trap dropped, O'Neill fainted, which caused him severe embarrassment. He later wrote a story called "The Horse of the Hash-Knife Brand." In it, a member of a posse
admits to nearly fainting at the hanging of a horse thief.
In April 1887, he married Pauline Schindler
. They had a son, but he died shortly after being born premature.
In 1888, while serving as Yavapai County, Arizona
judge, he was elected county sheriff, running on the Republican
ticket.
On March 20, 1889, four masked men robbed the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad
passenger train in Diablo Canyon. A four-man posse, made up of O'Neill, Jim Black, Carl Holton, and Ed St. Clair, was soon formed and they took off after robbers. On March 21, O'Neill and his posse caught up with the robbers. After exchanging rifle shots, the posse captured the four men. During the fight, no men were injured, but O'Neill's horse was killed.
The four men were William Sterin, John Halford, Daniel Harvick, and J. J. Smith. All four were sent to the Yuma Territorial Prison
, but were pardoned eight years later. In 1898, William Sterin enlisted in the Rough Riders
under the name Henry Nash, posing as a school teacher from Strawberry, Arizona
. He served as a Sergeant under O'Neill, although the latter was unaware of his past.
After his term was up, O'Neill was elected unanimously Mayor of Prescott.
One of his best friends was Tom Horn
.
. O'Neill joined the Rough Riders
and became Captain of Troop A. FIrst Lieutenant Frank Frantz
served as O'Neil's Deputy Commander. Along with Alexander Brodie
and James McClintock, he tried to make an entire regiment made up of Arizona Cowboys. Eventually though, only three troops were authorized.
The Rough Riders landed at Daiquirí
on June 22, 1898. Two Buffalo Soldier
s, of the 10th Cavalry fell overboard. Upon seeing this, O'Neill jumped into the water in full uniform and sabre
. He searched for the men for two minutes, before having to come up for breath.
On June 25, 1898, the Rough Riders saw their first action. O'Neill led his men at the front of the line in the Battle of Las Guasimas
, capturing the Spanish flank. During the action he saw several men, whom he believed were Spaniards, across the road from him, and shouted "Hostiles on our right, fire at will!" He learned after the firing ceased that the men he exchanged shots with were Cuba
n rebels.
fire down on the Americans. Buckey O'Neill was killed in action.
Theodore Roosevelt
, commander of the Rough Riders, wrote about the death of O'Neill:
He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery
, Section 1, Site 294.
On July 3, 1907, a monument by sculptor Solon Borglum
was dedicated to O'Neill and the other Rough Riders in their memory in Prescott, Arizona
. Seven thousand people gathered to witness the unveiling.
, portrayed by Sam Elliott
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldier, sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
, newspaper editor, miner, politician, gambler and lawyer, mainly in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. His nickname came from his tendency to "buck the tiger" (play contrary to the odds) at faro
Faro (card game)
Faro, Pharaoh, or Farobank, is a late 17th century French gambling card game descendant of basset, and belongs to the lansquenet and Monte Bank family of games, in that it is played between a banker and several players winning or losing according to the cards turned up matching those already...
or other card games.
Early life
O'Neill was born on February 2, 1860, either in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, or Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, although he sometimes listed Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
as his birthplace. This last is doubtful, since his parents had been in the United States since the 1850s. During the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, his father, John, served as a captain in the 116th Pennsylvania Volunteers of the Irish Brigade, and was severely wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
.
Tombstone
In 1879, O'Neill left home, heading for Arizona TerritoryArizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....
. In 1880, he settled in Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, founded in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin in what was then Pima County, Arizona Territory. It was one of the last wide-open frontier boomtowns in the American Old West. From about 1877 to 1890, the town's mines produced USD $40 to $85 million...
. During this time the Earp Brothers, the city policemen, and the Clanton
Ike Clanton
Joseph Isaac Clanton was born in Callaway County, Missouri. He is best known for being a member of group of outlaw Cowboys that had ongoing conflicts with lawmen Wyatt, Virgil, Morgan Earp and Wyatt's friend Doc Holliday. The Clantons repeatedly threatened the Earps because they interfered with...
-McLaury Gang, a group of rustlers and murderers, were at war with each other. O'Neill joined the Tombstone Epitaph
Tombstone Epitaph
The Tombstone Epitaph is a Tombstone, Arizona-based monthly publication that serves as a window in the history and culture of the Old West. Founded on May 1, 1880, The Epitaph is the oldest continually published newspaper in Arizona.-History:...
; since it was a pro-Earp newspaper, he frequently talked with, and became a casual acquaintance of, the Earps. On October 26, 1881 the war escalated with the Gunfight at the O. K. Corral. O'Neill may have been the man to report on the scene. He left Tombstone shortly after, heading for Prescott, Arizona
Prescott, Arizona
Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. It was designated "Arizona's Christmas City" by Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in the late 1980s....
.
Prescott
O'Neill arrived in Prescott in the spring of 1882. There he rapidly progressed in his journalistic career. Starting as a court reporterCourt reporter
A court reporter, stenotype reporter, voice writing reporter, or transcriber is a person whose occupation is to transcribe spoken or recorded speech into written form, using machine shorthand or voice writing equipment to produce official transcripts of court hearings, depositions and other...
, he soon founded his own newspaper, Hoof and Horn, a paper for the livestock industry.
He became captain of the Prescott Grays in 1886, the local unit of the Arizona Militia. On February 5, 1886, Dennis Dilda, a convicted murderer, was hanged. O'Neill and the Prescott Grays stood honor guard for the event. When the trap dropped, O'Neill fainted, which caused him severe embarrassment. He later wrote a story called "The Horse of the Hash-Knife Brand." In it, a member of a posse
Posse comitatus (common law)
Posse comitatus or sheriff's posse is the common-law or statute law authority of a county sheriff or other law officer to conscript any able-bodied males to assist him in keeping the peace or to pursue and arrest a felon, similar to the concept of the "hue and cry"...
admits to nearly fainting at the hanging of a horse thief.
In April 1887, he married Pauline Schindler
Pauline O'Neill (suffrage leader)
Pauline Marie O'Neill was an American suffragist and legislator. In addition to her personal accomplishments, she is remembered as the widow of William Owen "Buckey" O'Neill.-Biography:...
. They had a son, but he died shortly after being born premature.
In 1888, while serving as Yavapai County, Arizona
Yavapai County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*89.3% White*0.6% Black*1.7% Native American*0.8% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.5% Two or more races*5.0% Other races*13.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
judge, he was elected county sheriff, running on the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
ticket.
On March 20, 1889, four masked men robbed the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad
Atlantic and Pacific Railroad
The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad was a U.S. railroad that owned or operated two disjoint segments, one connecting St. Louis, Missouri with Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the other connecting Albuquerque, New Mexico with Southern California. It was incorporated by the U.S. Congress in 1866 as a...
passenger train in Diablo Canyon. A four-man posse, made up of O'Neill, Jim Black, Carl Holton, and Ed St. Clair, was soon formed and they took off after robbers. On March 21, O'Neill and his posse caught up with the robbers. After exchanging rifle shots, the posse captured the four men. During the fight, no men were injured, but O'Neill's horse was killed.
The four men were William Sterin, John Halford, Daniel Harvick, and J. J. Smith. All four were sent to the Yuma Territorial Prison
Yuma Territorial Prison
The Yuma Territorial Prison was a prison in the Arizona Territory of the United States and now in present day Yuma, Arizona. The Territorial Prison is one of the Yuma Crossing and Associated Sites on the National Register of Historic Places in the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area.The site is...
, but were pardoned eight years later. In 1898, William Sterin enlisted in the Rough Riders
Rough Riders
The Rough Riders is the name bestowed on the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, one of three such regiments raised in 1898 for the Spanish-American War and the only one of the three to see action. The United States Army was weakened and left with little manpower after the American Civil War...
under the name Henry Nash, posing as a school teacher from Strawberry, Arizona
Strawberry, Arizona
Strawberry is a census-designated place in Gila County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,028 at the 2000 census.-History:In June 1931, federal agents destroyed a large whiskey still in Sandrock Canyon, north of Strawberry. The still had an estimated worth of $20,000...
. He served as a Sergeant under O'Neill, although the latter was unaware of his past.
After his term was up, O'Neill was elected unanimously Mayor of Prescott.
One of his best friends was Tom Horn
Tom Horn
Thomas "Tom" Horn, Jr. was an American Old West lawman, scout, soldier, hired gunman, detective, outlaw and assassin. On the day before his 43rd birthday, he was hanged in Cheyenne, Wyoming, for the murder of Willie Nickell.-Early life:Born to Thomas S. Horn, Sr...
.
Rough Riders
In 1898, war broke out between the United States and SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. O'Neill joined the Rough Riders
Rough Riders
The Rough Riders is the name bestowed on the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, one of three such regiments raised in 1898 for the Spanish-American War and the only one of the three to see action. The United States Army was weakened and left with little manpower after the American Civil War...
and became Captain of Troop A. FIrst Lieutenant Frank Frantz
Frank Frantz
Frank Frantz was an American Rough Rider and politician who served as the seventh and final Governor of Oklahoma Territory. Frantz ran on the Republican ticket to serve as the first Governor of Oklahoma. Frantz lost the election to Democrat Charles N. Haskell.-Early life:On May 7, 1872, Frank...
served as O'Neil's Deputy Commander. Along with Alexander Brodie
Alexander Oswald Brodie
Alexander Oswald Brodie was an American military officer and engineer. Earning his initial reputation during the Indian wars, he came to prominence for his service with the Rough Riders during the Spanish–American War...
and James McClintock, he tried to make an entire regiment made up of Arizona Cowboys. Eventually though, only three troops were authorized.
The Rough Riders landed at Daiquirí
Daiquirí
Daiquirí is a small village, 14 miles east of Santiago de Cuba. It became a focal point of the United States invasion of Cuba in the Spanish-American War....
on June 22, 1898. Two Buffalo Soldier
Buffalo Soldier
Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas....
s, of the 10th Cavalry fell overboard. Upon seeing this, O'Neill jumped into the water in full uniform and sabre
Sabre
The sabre or saber is a kind of backsword that usually has a curved, single-edged blade and a rather large hand guard, covering the knuckles of the hand as well as the thumb and forefinger...
. He searched for the men for two minutes, before having to come up for breath.
On June 25, 1898, the Rough Riders saw their first action. O'Neill led his men at the front of the line in the Battle of Las Guasimas
Battle of Las Guasimas
The Battle of Las Guasimas of June 24, 1898, part of the Spanish-American War, unfolded from Major General "Fighting Joe" Wheeler's attempt to storm a Spanish position in the jungles surrounding Santiago. Commanding a division that included the 1st U.S...
, capturing the Spanish flank. During the action he saw several men, whom he believed were Spaniards, across the road from him, and shouted "Hostiles on our right, fire at will!" He learned after the firing ceased that the men he exchanged shots with were Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n rebels.
Death
On July 1, 1898, at about 10am, the Rough Riders and the 10th Cavalry were stationed below Kettle Hill. The Spaniards, who were on top of the hill, poured machine gun and MauserMauser
Mauser was a German arms manufacturer of a line of bolt-action rifles and pistols from the 1870s to 1995. Mauser designs were built for the German armed forces...
fire down on the Americans. Buckey O'Neill was killed in action.
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, commander of the Rough Riders, wrote about the death of O'Neill:
He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
, Section 1, Site 294.
On July 3, 1907, a monument by sculptor Solon Borglum
Solon Borglum
Solon Hannibal de la Mothe Borglum was an American sculptor. He is most noted for his depiction of frontier life, and especially his experience with cowboys and native Americans....
was dedicated to O'Neill and the other Rough Riders in their memory in Prescott, Arizona
Prescott, Arizona
Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. It was designated "Arizona's Christmas City" by Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in the late 1980s....
. Seven thousand people gathered to witness the unveiling.
Movies
Bucky (sic) O'Neill is a main character in the TNT movie Rough RidersRough Riders (film)
Rough Riders is a 1997 three hour television miniseries about future President Theodore Roosevelt and the regiment . The series prominently shows the bravery of the volunteers at the Battle of San Juan Hill, part of the Spanish-American War of 1898. It was released on DVD in 2006...
, portrayed by Sam Elliott
Sam Elliott
Samuel Pack "Sam" Elliott is an American actor. His rangy physique, thick horseshoe moustache, and deep, resonant voice match the iconic image of a cowboy or rancher, and he has often been cast in such roles.-Early life:Sam Elliott was born in Sacramento, California, to a physical training...
See also
- Buckey O'Neill CabinBuckey O'Neill CabinThe Buckey O'Neill Cabin was built in 1890 by William "Buckey" O'Neill in what would become Grand Canyon National Park. O'Neill was, among many other things, a member of Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders, who had previously been an author and a judge in his native Arizona...
in Grand Canyon National ParkGrand Canyon National ParkGrand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park and is located in Arizona. Within the park lies the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, considered to be one of the Wonders of the World. The park covers of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.Most...
, built by O'Neill in 1890 and listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...