Brothers of Blood
Coleman Brothers vs. Maxwell Brothers
Categories: Classic Gunfights , Photo Gallery
By: Bob Boze Bell 08/01/2008
The Battle of Fox Creek
After the Maxwells dodged the Wisconsin manhunters, folks in western Illinois got nervous—justifiably. The boys had a history of returning to their old stomping grounds; this time would be no exception.
By mid-September, they were reportedly seen in Calhoun County, just a few miles from the Mississippi. Sheriff John Lammy took four posse men to a farm south of Mozier Landing on Fox Creek to investigate. Another group, led by the Pike County sheriff, was not far away.
The generally accepted version of the gunfight is that the Calhoun County lawmen spotted Lon Maxwell walking alongside the creek, carrying a rifle. Brother Ed was out of sight, a few yards ahead of Lon, armed with a handgun. The posse split up to come at the outlaws from different directions. As they approached, Lon leveled his rifle at Frank McNabb and John Churchman, ordering them to dismount and disarm. Instead, they opened up with pistols. The Maxwells returned fire. Churchman was hit in the leg; another bullet broke his gun. Lon then shot McNabb through the shoulder, knocking him from action.
Lammy came up and joined in the fight. The Maxwells advanced upon the officers, still firing, and Churchman decided to make a run for it. He passed the sheriff, who followed him, looking for cover. Lon leveled his rifle and shot Lammy through the head, killing him instantly. The outlaws then took Churchman’s and Lammy’s horses and escaped.
The outcome could have been much different. Two members of the posse, both armed with shotguns, hid under the creek bank and never got off a shot. In his report on the shoot-out, Deputy Churchman pretty much called them cowards.
As for Lon and Ed Maxwell, things were now way too hot for them in Wisconsin and Illinois (and Missouri and Minnesota, for that matter). They headed for another familiar spot—southern Nebraska, where their folks lived.
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Here's that link again, minus the code.
http://flickr.com/photos/contusion/sets/...
My dad subscribes to True West (and I always look forward to each new issue he gets!) and we love it. Recently he told me about this particular story. When we found out how close we were to the actual events in Durand, WI we decided to make a day of it. My dad, my boyfriend, and I had a spectacular time. Photos are <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/contusion/sets/72157608193475745/">here</a>. Enjoy!
What an excellent magazine.