The Horrell Wars

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For decades, the Horrell brothers of Lampasas, Texas, have been viewed as ruthless outlaws, but author David Johnson offers a different perspective. The Horrells were primarily ranchers, and while folklore suggests they built their herds through rustling, contemporary records reveal a more complex reality. The family patriarch, Sam Horrell, was killed at forty-eight during a conflict with Apaches in New Mexico. One brother died serving the Confederacy, while five of the remaining six brothers were shot dead; only Sam, Jr. lived into old age, passing away from natural causes. Johnson chronicles the Horrells' tumultuous lives, starting with their infamous confrontation with the State Police in Lampasas in 1873, which became the most disastrous shootout in Reconstruction history. The brothers and their loyal friends fled to New Mexico, becoming embroiled in the violent Lincoln County War, known historically as the Horrell War, which had racial undertones. Upon returning to Texas, they became involved in the Horrell-Higgins War, leading to the near annihilation of their family when two brothers were killed by a mob in Bosque County. Johnson provides a comprehensive account of these conflicts while maintaining a neutral stance, and he includes previously unpublished photographs of the Horrell family and others.