You're right about the winners writing history, that's the natural order of things.
As to Earp/Clanton and the street fight near the OK corral, niether side was lily white.....The "Cowboys" lifestyle was stealing other people's stock.....this would hardly copmpare with the traditions and culture the Indiasn had, where you obtained wealth through warfare.....these were 'civilised' white men who stole cows and horses, and mules.....the Earps where much 'cleaner' and socially acceptable, by 1880's standards at least.....yes they were, for the most part 'Sporting Men' (gamblers), but in the 1880's, Gamblin' was a legitamit occupation. Yes, James was married to a 'Lady' who sold her favors and they together employed other ladies to do the same, but until most 'cow towns' became civilised, and many afterwards, the brothels were a legit business too.
In the Victorian age, many cities had brothels and some were licensed by the city, etc., and it was acceptable for 'gentlemen' to visit these places on occasion to sate their earthly desires.....this type of behavior with your wife was relegated for occasions when a child was wanted by the parents. Maybe this is what our Grandfathers meant when they talked of the good old days! :-D
Back to the Earp/Cowboys situation, maybe this was mearely a turf war between rival gangs, as some have said........the fact remains, we'll never know for sure, but documents do tend to support the Earp side a lot more than they do the 'Cowboy's'. If you really want to read some modern day propaganda, find "Ike" Clanton's web page.....he contends the Clanton's and McLaureys were "honest" cattlemen........we know that Army Mules were found on the McLaurey's ranch, and they 'braced' Virgil and the US Army over them........several of their "associates", such as Curly Bill and Johnny Ringo, were known rustlers, Sheriff Behan's own deputies were arrested for stage robbery......I think the situation in and around Tombstone, AT was really 'wide open' during the 1880's, much more so than we really know.
In the testimony following the street fight, both Virgil and Wyatt testified that the cowboys cocked their pistols in their holsters.....yes, I watched the recreation of the gunfight on History Channel, but I do not buy the theory of Holiday cocking the shotgun as being the signal to start the fight....for one, the TV editied in the sound of a revolver cocking....I have two original hammer guns dating to the 1880's-90's and they hammers are barely audible when cocked, and sound nothing like the distinctive Colt cocking sound.........I've had folks say that you can't cock the revolver, but most modern type CAS holster are much thicker leather and stiffer than those commonly used in the 1880's, my reproduction holsters I use are made very closly to original partterns and you certainly can cak the revolver in it, and do it easily......it makes me wonder if this is not more representative of the Old West 'fast draw' than we have been led to believe.....maybe that is why some of the old gunfighters were so fast on the draw......they had their hand on the gun and cocked it BEFORE drawing it.......most old time holsters were fairly deep pouches and little more than the grip was exposed on many, which would not be condusive to a smooth, fast draw.
This one fight has more detail than many as to the tactics employed, and that is one area that is always skimmed over......I suppose it is because most historians are not really into guns all that much.
