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.

True West May/June 2025
In This Issue:
Features
- Historic Hotels of the American West
- A Journey Through Wyoming’s Outlaw History
- A Journey Through Washington’s Wild Frontier
- Blazing The Oregon Trail
- Journey Through Time
- Did Brigham Young Order a Massacre?
- Mountain Meadows Scapegoat John D. Lee VS. A Firing Squad
- Mormons in the Movies
- An Indigenous Consultant Ensures Accuracy
- The Battle Axe And A Raw Deal
- Showdown: Bridger VS. Brigham
- The Mountain Man and the Mormon Moses
- The Ghosts of Mountain Meadows
- The War Before the War
- Mountain Meadows