Ready to Die But Dr. Brassell wasn’t expecting the kind of death he got.

Dr. Phillip Brassell of Yorktown, Texas was dying of tuberculosis. On September 18, 1876, he put his affairs in order, believing that his end was imminent. It was—but not in the way he thought. The next day, Sutton partisans in the Sutton-Taylor Feud came to the Brassell home. They rounded up the doctor and three of his sons, two of whom escaped. But the father and son George were shot to death. It’s believed the killings were mistakes since the Brassells hadn’t taken sides in the conflict.