FREE ESSAY ON DOC HOLLIDAY

DOC HOLLIDAY

American West, Term Paper 
"Doc" Holliday: A man in search of normality.
John Henry Holliday, perhaps one of the most legendary gunfighters of the west, lived in
reality a life built on necessity and simply followed it and made due with the blows that
were dealt to him. Born August 14, 1851 to Alice and Henry Holliday, John Henry Holliday
entered the world already at a disadvantage with a serious birth defect. The defect known
as a cleft palate and a partially cleft lip, basically made suckling his mother's breast
impossible. Dr. John S. Holliday, John's uncle and an accomplished surgeon, delivered
John, cleared his air passages, and taught his mother the proper way to feed the him due
to the defect. With out the aid and instructions of Dr. Holliday, John could have easily
choked to death as was common with children that had this genetic defect. Ironically one
of the tools to feed the young child effectively was a shot glass, which in many ways
never left his side. At only eight weeks old John was under the careful care of his uncle
once again. Dr John Holliday, along with family friend Dr. Crawford Long, operated on
John's mouth and lip with success. This was only the beginning of a turbulent childhood
that was anything but typical.
Instead of playing around without a care in the world like most toddlers, John spent
almost all of his time in speech therapy in an effort to correct what otherwise would
have been a terrible impediment. His mother, Alice Holliday, was the chief therapist and
attacked the problem with gusto. Her determination at alleviating the impediment rubbed
off on the young child, and John therefore worked hard at improving his speech. By the
age of four the impediment was barely noticeable. Yet John's childhood was not only
speech therapy, playing with his cousin Robert was his favorite activity and would
persist to be for most of his young life.
John Holliday's adolescence was influenced by two main factors, his mother and southern
society. Like most children John had a special bond with his mother, but coupled with his
need of constant attention due to his speech therapy and the routine absence of his
father due to business and political affairs, that bond became much stronger than
typical. Alice home schooled John until his therapy ended, doing such a good job that
when he started school he was way ahead of his classmates. Conversely after years of
practical solitude, except for the occasional recess with Robert, John was behind
socially and was therefore quite shy and reserved with the other students at the academy.
The shy and quiet boy was about to get a crash course on social behavior, when the
passing of John's grandfather brought four of his young aunts and uncle into his
household. Although spoiled by them, the quiet times of being at home with just him and
his mother were over. 
The Holliday's were true Southerners in both philosophical attitudes and genetic lineage.
From birth John was surrounded by the virtues and attitude that exemplified a true
southern gentleman, in the form of his father Henry Holliday. In true form to this code
of southern males of the time, Henry Holliday accepted a presidential appointment into
the Confederate Army from Jefferson Davis to serve in the Georgia Volunteer Infantry.
Henry prior to the Civil War had taught his son to handle revolvers, rifles, and
shotguns. Although only ten years old John became the "man of the house" and with weapons
ready at all times was well prepared to defend it. This was not necessary for long
however, as Henry Holliday resigned his commission after a little more than a year due to
chronic diarrhea. In that year Henry Holliday spent with the Confederate army, he
realized that in fact the Yankees were coming, and therefore sold what he had in Griffin,
Georgia and moved south to just outside Valdosta, a small town named Bemiss. The move
most likely saved both his assets and his life, since General Sherman and the bluecoats
went right through Griffin in their "march to the sea." All together, some fourteen
members of John Holliday's family fought in the Civil War, surprisingly all returned home
safely. Although Reconstruction would prove almost as difficult as the War.
While the rest of the south was trying to cope with the entry of the Northerners, John
Holliday's main dilemma was more personal. Since the move to Bemiss, Alice Holliday, his
mother, had taken ill and would steadily decline in health until her death in September
of 1866 of tuberculosis. This drove John into a serious depression, which was only mildly
retarded by the consoling of his Uncle John. This show of sympathy and concern for John
by his uncle helped to create what would form into a long lasting almost parental
relationship. His father, Henry Holliday, did not help matters much by remarrying only
three months after his mother's death to a neighbor simply eight years John's senior.
This formed a wedge between John and his father, causing John to hide in his studies,
thus becoming even more reclusive and shy, with little time for extracurricular
activities.
In the late 1860's, John Holliday shot a weapon in anger for the first time at a number
of blacks that had gathered at a white swimming hole. He fired over their heads in an
attempt to scare them off. His father felt this was sufficient enough reason to warrant a
trip out of town to visit his uncle, John Holliday. John welcomed the change of scenery,
as well as, the opportunity to visit his uncle and cousins. 
During this hiatus Dr. Holliday, John's uncle, stressed and emphasized the importance and
the value of a formal profession and education. John's first instinct was to become a
doctor, following in the footsteps of his uncle. Dr. Holliday, however, dissuaded this in
view of improper licensing that had made the medical profession disreputable. He then
planted the seed of possibly attending dental school in John's mind. John returned to
Bemiss to discuss this prospect with his father, even though in actuality he had already
made up his mind to become a dentist. 
Soon there after, John and a few of his buddies decided that blowing up the Freedmen's
Bureau, a section of the Reconstruction Policy, was a good idea. Valdosta's citizens were
able to dissuade John and his crew, but none the less Henry Holliday used this as a
catalyst to send his son off to dental school. In 1870, John Henry Holliday, after paying
$105 in tuition and fees, was officially enrolled in the Pennsylvania College of Dental
Surgery. This began John's profession period of his life. 
Following his graduation in March of 1872, Doctor John Henry Holliday left Philadelphia
and headed south, back to Atlanta, Georgia. There, he moved in with his Uncle John and
his cousin Robert. Robert and John were together again except, this time, young men
carousing the bells of Aristocratic Atlanta instead of toddlers playing games in Griffin.
John's uncle took him in as his own son and gave him every opportunity that was available
to his own children. Included in these opportunities was the introduction of Dr. Arthur
Ford. Dr. Ford would later be John's partner in dental practice. 
During this time, Robert also decided to pursue a dental career. His father had promised
Robert and his nephew, John, to financial support their very own dental practice upon
Robert's graduation. In early 1873, this became a shattered dream when John was diagnosed
with pulmonary tuberculosis, the cause of his mother's death. The prescription, at the
time, for such diseases, was a combination of dry climate, prolonged rest, and moderate
alcohol consumption. John "Doc" Holliday thus moved west to Texas expecting to return to
Atlanta fully recovered to live out the dream of his family dental practice. 
John was met in Dallas by his new dental partner, Dr. John Seegar. John quickly impressed
Dr. Seegar and his new patients with a combination of Southern manners, good looks, and
superior dental work. Initially, an influx of people into Dallas provided plenty of work.
Nevertheless, a recession hit in December of 1873 and his health declined, creating a
constant cough. Needless to say, this was not good for business. With his newly acquired
extra time, John "Doc" Holliday took to the saloons. 
Dallas's faro bankers welcomed the newcomer with open arms. John quickly discovered the
similarities between faro and an old slave game named "Skinning". Due to his mathematical
mind and his card playing education received from Sophie Walton, a former slave of his
uncle, Doc quickly became a skilled gambler. What began as a subsidization of the income
he received from dentistry, evolved into professional gambling. Although he would often
attempt to return to dentistry, his dental tools were often further from him than a deck
of cards. 
In May of 1874, John Henry Holliday was arrested for the first time, of an eventual
seventeen times, for gambling. This led to the destruction of his partnership with Dr.
Seegar. Because he was aware of his tarnished reputation as a gambler, Doc started to
dress in a very gentlemanly and formal manner. This was the beginning of his
transformation into his "western" personality.
Although he looked the part of a well-mannered gentleman, John was able to defend himself
from physical and mental harm. Thanks to his father and Uncle John, his effectiveness
with firearms was impeccable. His impressive gambling style was mostly attributed to his
earlier sessions with Sophie, but western skill of alcohol tolerance was self-taught. 
With this newfound persona, Doc left Dallas and relocated to Denison, Texas. Denison,
with a population of 5000, was known as "the lowest of the low places of Texas" thanks,
in part, to its large number of dance and whorehouses. He often traveled by train back to
Dallas to visit friends and to, of course, gamble. On one such occasion, celebrating the
New Year of 1875 in Dallas, Doc Holliday exchanged gunshots with Charles Austin, the
operator of the St. Charles Saloon. Neither man was hurt, both men were arrested, yet
only Doc Holliday was charged with a crime, specifically, assault to murder. Charles
Austin was believed to have had political clout that allowed him to allude the charge.
None the less, Holliday appeared in court to have the jury find him not guilty. He then
moved back to Denison. 
Soon after, he became bored of Denison and boarded a stagecoach for Denver, Colorado.
Along the way, he stopped at Fort Griffin which, at the time, was the center of a
flourishing cattle industry. Approximately two thousand hunters and cowboys annually
visited Ft. Griffin. Their money and existence attracted gamblers and prostitutes alike,
quickly giving Ft. Griffin the reputation as the craziest town in Texas. Doc's stay was
cut short when he was again arrested for gambling which was more than likely, a sign of
showing a newcomer unwelcomeness rather than upholding the law. Holliday got the point
and swiftly left Fort Griffin. 
John finally reached Denver in the summer of 1875. He assumed the alias of Tom Mackey in
order to start a new life and, perhaps, calm the lifestyle that had kept his sickness
active. He got a job dealing faro and largely stayed to himself. Yet, in early 1876,
after hearing stories of the booming city of Cheyenne, Doc quickly left Denver for the
Wyoming city. Doc didn't let the paint dry in Cheyenne before he was off to Dead Wood
where he spent the winter of 1876. 
Doc then headed to Breckenridge where, while playing cards with a local gambler by the
name of Henry Kahn, a fight broke out between the two men. Doc caned Kahn repeatedly with
his walking stick. Both men were arrested and fined. The conflict would not end there.
Later that day, Kahn grew more violent and shot Doc, seriously impairing him. Nineteen
days later, George Holliday, Robert's older brother, reached Breckenridge to nurse the
frail and injured Doc Holliday back to health. After attempting to convince him to return
Georgia and seeing to his full recovery, George and John parted ways once again. 
Doc, unfazed, returned to Fort Griffin settling back into a lifestyle of poker and faro.
This is where and when he first met Kate Elder. He found Kate to be intellectually and
compassionately stimulating. From this point in his life on, "Big Nose Kate" came in and
out of his life repeatedly. Also during this stop in Fort Griffin, Doc Holliday met Wyatt
Earp. All seemed to be going well when, yet, another event turmoiled Doc's life. 
While playing poker with a local by the name of Ed Bailey, Doc cut him with a knife after
he had discovered that Mr. Bailey had been examining the discarded cards. Before Doc cut
him, Bailey had drawn his pistol after ignoring several warnings from Holliday regarding
the cards. Doc was arrested but was allowed to go under house arrest because of the
uncertain claim of self-defense. When Kate saw men outside of his hotel, calling for
Doc's head, she knew that she had to get Doc out of Ft. Griffin. She did this by setting
a nearby shed on fire as a diversion; thus she and Doc were able to slip out of town.
They headed north to Dodge City, following the advice of Wyatt Earp regarding the up and
coming town. 
Doc put up his dentistry sign yet again, but did not give up the cards, which dictated
his nightlife. Doc settled into Dodge City, where he became friends with many of the
lawmen therein; Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson in particular. This was also the time where
his friendship with Wyatt Earp reached a new level. According to Wyatt, Doc saved his
life when a man attempted to attack him from behind. Although financially successful in
Dodge City, Doc's health deteriorated and became a big concern. He, thereafter, left for
Las Vegas. There, Doc tried, wholeheartedly, to recover and rehabilitate himself. He
opened his dental practice and attempted to lay low in order to assist his recovery. As
the railroad reached Las Vegas, Holliday tried his hand at owning the Holliday Saloon.
What seemed like the beginning of a permanent lifestyle, was quickly changed when Wyatt
told Doc of yet, another booming town that he and the other Earps were heading towards,
Tombstone. 
While picking up Virgil Earp in Prescott, Doc found a faro game and continued to do well
in it. Thus, when the Earps headed to Tombstone, Holliday decided not to go with them,
preferring instead to keep winning. Instead of going directly to Tombstone, he went back
to Las Vegas to finalize some business affairs. While there, he ran into Charlie White,
who he had previously had a run-in with. As soon as Charlie spotted Doc, he started
shooting at him. Doc then returned fire and dropped White to the floor. Convinced he had
killed White, Holliday, headed out of town. In actuality, White had only been grazed and
was momentarily stunned, but after realizing what had transpired, Charlie got on a train
and headed to Boston in an attempt to never cross paths with Doc again. 
Doc arrived in Tombstone in September 1880. Once there, he found that Wyatt, Morgan,
Virgil, and James Earp were all entrenched in the economy and thus, he too, started
investing in local businesses. Typical of the pattern of his life, trouble forms in the
form of Milt Joyce. While in a skirmish with Doc, Joyce was shot in the left hand and his
partner was shot in the foot. Doc was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon but plead
to a misdemeanor charge where he paid a fine $20 and $11.25 in court fees. Once again,
Doc entered a gun battle in which no one really got hurt and no one paid the price for
risky behavior. That slowly started to change due to Doc's growing reputation as a
gunfighter. 
In March of 1881, false rumors circulated that Doc Holliday was implicated in the robbery
of a stagecoach in which two men were killed. Although false, Doc would spend the next
six months avoiding both lawmen and vigilantes who took the rumors to be true. In an
attempt to prove Doc's innocence, Wyatt Earp sought to find those that actually committed
the crime to testify to Doc not being present at the scene of the crime. Unfortunately,
none could be taken alive and the killing of those that Wyatt Earp found, only created
further hostilities towards the Earps and Doc Holliday. One individual in particular, Ike
Clanton, was persistent in his hate of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. In October of 1881,
he was found announcing to all that would listen that he planned on killing Doc Holliday
and the Earps. This led up to the infamous incident at the OK Corral. 
There were numerous claims by townsfolk that Ike and members of his gang were armed and
looking for Doc Holliday and the Earps. Doc quickly met up with Morgan, Virgil, and Wyatt
and began the slow walk to the OK Corral. There they found Ike and Billy Clanton, Frank
and Tom McLaury, and Billy Claiborne armed and looking for trouble. Marshall Virgil Earp
called out to Ike and his men to throw up their hands. The response was immediate as two
shots were heard. Who fired first is uncertain yet unimportant as the gunfight was
inevitably going to occur. During the next thirty seconds, shots were heard one after the
other. Doc killed Tom McLaurey with his shotgun. He then tossed his shotgun and withdrew
his pistol, where upon he fired at Frank McLaurey. 
During those thirty seconds, the McLaurey Brothers and Billy Clanton were killed and
Morgan Earp was injured. Doc Holliday, the often portrayed "ruthless killer", went back
to his room and, according to Kate Elder, sat on the side of the bed and cried. Three
days later, the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday were charged with the killing of the
McLaurey brothers. Justice Spicer, who was in charge of the case, indicated that Virgil
Earp, acting as Chief of Police, along with Doc and his brothers who were all deputized,
were discharging their official duty, and therefore committed no crime. The verdict
enraged Ike, Clanton, and his crew known as the Cowboys. 
Threats circulated Tombstone regarding the Cowboy's revenge upon Doc and the Earps. In
March of 1882, Morgan Earp was fatally shot while playing billiards. Wyatt Earp, a
spectator at the billiard game, held his wounded brother and promised to get revenge.
When Doc got news about Morgan's death, he went mad, kicking in doors of private homes
looking for the possible killers. Wyatt blamed the entire Cowboy gang for his brother's
murder and, along with Doc, became obsessed with erradicating his enemies. Wyatt, Doc,
Warren Earp, Sherman McMasters, Turkey Creek Johnson, and "Texas Jack" Vermillion became
a posse with the sole purpose of seeing Morgan's killer come to justice. This posse
eventually led to the death of Frank Stilwell, Florentino Cruz, Curly Bill Brocius,
Johnny Barned, and John Ringo. Although chased by authorities and Cowboy sympathizers,
Wyatt and Doc were never actually found guilty of any of these crimes due to lack of
evidence. After these events, Doc moved on to Leadville. 
In Leadville, a silver enriched boomtown, Doc went back to his typical life of gambling.
Also during this time, Doc's Tuberculosis worsened. This, coupled with pneumonia, which
he caught several times, led to a fast decline in Doc's health. Even with the
deterioration of his health Doc found time for one more gunfight. This time with Billy
Allen, who was looking to settle some old debts. Again John Holliday was found not
guilty, this time due to the motive of self-defense. This gunfight took more out of him
than the others though, due to seven months spent in jail awaiting trail, devastating his
health beyond repair.
Doc found time for only one more trip as he headed to Glenwood Springs with Kate in
October of 1887. This last and desperate attempt to secure his health was fruitless.
Doc's health was beyond repair and he died there in the care of Kate Elder. The constant
battle against tuberculosis that he had fought so long had finally claimed him. 
John "Doc" Holliday lived a life full of travel and adventure, yet plagued with the
misfortune of disease. Wyatt Earp said it best when he described Doc as, "A dentist who
necessity made a gambler. A gentleman who disease made a frontier vagabond. A long, lean
ash-blond fellow nearly dead with consumption and, at the same time, the most skillful
gambler and the nerviest, speediest, deadliest man with a six-gun I ever knew." 
Bibliography
Works Consulted.
1. Linder, Shirley. "When the dealings done, John H. (Doc) Holliday and the evolution of
the Western Myth." Journal of the West, Vol. 37, No. 3, page 53-60.
2. Marks, Paula. And Die in the West. New York: William, Morrow and Company, Inc., 1989.
3. Tanner, Karen Holliday. Doc Holliday:A Family Portrait. Norman: Oklahoma Press Co.,
1998.
4. Walters, Lorenzo D. Tombstones Yesterday. Glorietta: Rio Grande Press, 1968.