John Simpson Chisum was a wealthy cattle baron

Cattle baron

A cattle baron is a historic term for a person who possessed great power or influence, generally as owner of a large ranch and many cattle, specifically beef cattle. A cattle baron in the United States was sometimes called a cowman or a rancher...

 in the American West in the mid-to-late 19th century. Born in Hardeman County, Tennessee, Chisum's family moved to Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 in 1837, with Chisum finding work as a building contractor. He also served as county clerk in Lamar County.

Chisum got involved in the cattle business in 1854 and became one of the first to send his herds to New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

. He obtained land along the Pecos River

Pecos River

The headwaters of the Pecos River are located north of Pecos, New Mexico, United States, at an elevation of over 12,000 feet on the western slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County. The river flows for through the eastern portion of that state and neighboring Texas before it...

 by right of occupancy and eventually became the owner of a large ranch in the Bosque Grande, about forty miles south of Fort Sumner

Fort Sumner

Fort Sumner was a military fort in De Baca County in southeastern New Mexico charged with the internment of Navajo and Mescalero Apache populations from 1863-1868 at nearby Bosque Redondo.-History:...

, with over 100,000 head of cattle. In 1866-67, Chisum formed a partnership with cattlemen Charles Goodnight

Charles Goodnight

Charles Goodnight, also known as Charlie Goodnight , was a cattle rancher in the American West, perhaps the best known rancher in Texas. He is sometimes known as the "father of the Texas Panhandle." Essayist and historian J...

 and Oliver Loving

Oliver Loving

Oliver Loving was a cattle rancher and pioneer of the cattle drive who with Charles Goodnight developed the Goodnight-Loving Trail. He was mortally wounded by Indians while on a cattle drive. Loving County, the smallest county in the United States in population, is named in his honor.Loving was...

 to assemble and drive herds of cattle for sale to the Army in Fort Sumner and Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...

, to provide cattle to miners in Colorado as well as provide cattle to the Bell Ranch.

Chisum died in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Eureka Springs is a city in Carroll County, Arkansas, United States. Along with Berryville, it is one of the two county seats for the county. It is located in the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 2,350...

 on December 23, 1884, aged 60. He was unmarried and left his estate worth $500,000 to his brothers Pitzer and James. While living in Bolivar, Texas

Bolivar, Texas

Bolivar is an unincorporated community in northern Denton County, Texas, United States, at the intersection of Farm Roads 2450 and 455, 14 miles northwest of Denton, on Clear Creek.-History:...

, he lived with a young slave girl named Jensie and had two daughters with her. The relationship is described in a book entitled Three Ranches West. Chisum had an extended family living with him at the South Springs ranch in Roswell

Roswell, New Mexico

Roswell is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County in the southeastern quarter of the state of New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,366 at the 2010 census. It is a center for irrigation farming, dairying, ranching, manufacturing, distribution, and petroleum production. It is also...

, and this family, along with hired help, often numbered two dozen at the main ranch headquarters. Chisum's niece, Sallie, daughter of his brother James, became a beloved figure in the area where she lived until 1934. Both she and her uncle John are honored by statues to their memory in Roswell and Artesia

Artesia, New Mexico

Artesia is a city in Eddy County, New Mexico, United States, centered at the intersection of U.S. Route 82 and 285; the two highways serve as the city's Main Street and First Street, respectively...

.

Lincoln County War

Chisum was a business associate of Alexander McSween

Alexander McSween

Alexander McSween was a prominent figure during the Lincoln County War of the Old West, and a central character, alongside John Tunstall, opposing the "Murphy-Dolan Faction".-Early life:...

, a principal figure in the Lincoln County War

Lincoln County War

The Lincoln County War was a 19th-century range war between two factions during the Old West period. Numerous notable figures of the American West were involved, including Billy the Kid, aka William Henry McCarty; sheriffs William Brady and Pat Garrett; cattle rancher John Chisum, lawyer and...

 with money, advice, and influence behind the scenes, he played a role in the dispute between the opposing factions of cattle farmers and business owners. When Lewis Wallace took office as Governor of New Mexico on October 1, 1878, he proclaimed an amnesty for all those involved in the bitter feud. However, after Billy the Kid

Billy the Kid

William H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier...

 surrendered to the authorities, he was told he would be charged with the killing of Sheriff William J. Brady

William J. Brady

William J. Brady was the sheriff of Lincoln County during the Lincoln County Wars in New Mexico, United States. He was killed in an ambush, aged 48, in which Billy the Kid took part.-Early life:...

.

Billy the Kid escaped from custody and went to see Chisum. Billy believed he was owed $500, but Chisum refused to pay, claiming that he had given the Kid horses, supplies, and protection over the years in lieu of payment. The Kid responded by promising to steal enough cattle to make up this sum. The Kid's gang also stole from other cattlemen and became a serious problem in Lincoln County. His gang included Dave Rudabaugh

Dave Rudabaugh

David Rudabaugh , was an outlaw and gunfighter in the American Old West. Modern writers often refer to him as "Dirty Dave" on account of his alleged aversion to water, no evidence has emerged to show that he was ever referred to as such in his own lifetime.-Early life:Rudabaugh was born as David...

, Billy Wilson, Tom O'Folliard

Tom O'Folliard

Tom O'Folliard was the best friend of the famous outlaw William Bonney . Both were members of the Regulators, a gang of cattle rustlers operating in the New Mexico Territory....

 and Charlie Bowdre

Charlie Bowdre

Charles Bowdre was an American cowboy and outlaw. He was an associate and member of Billy the Kid's gang.-Early life:...

. In 1880, Chisum was involved in getting Pat Garrett

Pat Garrett

Patrick Floyd "Pat" Garrett was an American Old West lawman, bartender, and customs agent who was best known for killing Billy the Kid...

 elected as 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....

 of Lincoln County. In December 1880, Garrett shot dead two of the Kid's gang, Tom O'Folliard and Charles Bowdre. Billy the Kid, Dave Rudabaugh and Billy Wilson were later either captured or killed by Garrett.

Media portrayal

Chisum and his story have been portrayed several times on film. Some of the prominent performers to play him include John Wayne

John Wayne

Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...

 in Chisum

Chisum

Chisum is a 1970 Warner Bros. Technicolor western motion picture starring John Wayne, Forrest Tucker, Christopher George, Ben Johnson, Glenn Corbett, Geoffrey Deuel, Andrew Prine, Bruce Cabot, Patric Knowles, and Richard Jaeckel....

(1970), Barry Sullivan

Barry Sullivan (actor)

Barry Sullivan was an American movie actor who appeared in over 100 movies from the 1930s to the 1980s.Born in New York City, Sullivan fell into acting when in college playing semi-pro football...

 in Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973), and James Coburn

James Coburn

James Harrison Coburn III was an American film and television actor. Coburn appeared in nearly 70 films and made over 100 television appearances during his 45-year career, and played a wide range of roles and won an Academy Award for his supporting role as Glen Whitehouse in Affliction.A capable,...

 in Young Guns II

Young Guns II

Young Guns II is a 1990 western film, and the sequel to Young Guns . It stars Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Christian Slater, and features William Petersen as Pat Garrett. It was written and produced by John Fusco and directed by Geoff Murphy.It follows the life of...

(1990).