Brothers of Blood
Coleman Brothers vs. Maxwell Brothers
Categories: Classic Gunfights , Photo Gallery
By: Bob Boze Bell 08/01/2008
For the two Coleman brothers, it’s about to get a lot hotter.
Near 9 p.m., Milton Coleman, undersheriff of Dunn County, and his older brother Charles, the former sheriff of Pepin County, are using the last hint of twilight to look for a couple of desperate characters—Ed and Lon Williams (actually, Maxwell). The outlaws are wanted in Illinois and Wisconsin on numerous charges, mostly robbery and horse stealing, and rewards exceed $500.
The Colemans carry pistols and double-barreled shotguns—but for whatever reason, the long guns hold loads of birdshot, not the heavier buckshot that will down a human target.
They stop to talk to a couple of boys at the Dorchester house on the northeast edge of town. That’s when they spot some men headed their way from downtown. The lawmen have no idea who these guys are, but the Winchesters in their hands make them persons of interest. Milton stays next to the fence outside the house while Charles fans out about six feet into the street and slightly behind his brother.
When the strangers get within 10 feet, Milton levels his shotgun at the man directly across from him, Lon Maxwell, and starts to identify himself. Lon fires the rifle from his hip; Milton shoots at the same time. The undersheriff drops dead, a bullet severing his jugular and spine. Lon takes the blast in his shoulder and face—but the birdshot only wounds him.
As this goes on, Ed Maxwell shoots Charles in the chest. The ex-lawman staggers a couple of feet and unloads one barrel of the shotgun, hitting the outlaw in the arm before going down to his knees. The two combatants each get off one more shot. Charles’s shot misses. Ed’s bullet shatters Charles’s right arm; he pitches into the street and dies.
As night envelops the scene, the wounded outlaws hightail it out of Durand. In the battle of brothers, the final tally is Maxwells 2, Colemans 0.
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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.