Stone Cabin Gray, Legend
Andrew Jackson "Jack" Longstreet (1834-1928) – was known as the "Last of the Desert Frontiersmen". Longstreet hailed from Tennessee. He made his way to Arizona and Nevada about 1880. Nothing is known of his earlier life other than his claims, which included being a relative of General James Longstreet of the Confederate Army (who had ridden with Moseby's Raiders during the Civil War). As a young man, Jack was talked into helping a group attempting to steal cattle, but they were caught by vigilantes. The entire group except Jack was hung. Because of Jack’s youth he was spared hanging, but was punished by cutting off one ear and sent on his way, and told never to return. He wore his hair long thereafter to hide the missing ear. Jack is also reported to have worked as a Pony Express rider. At one time or another he was a prospector, a rancher, a saloon keeper, a trailblazer, a stagecoach shotgun rider, and a defender of Indian rights.
Jack was a rugged individualist who was quick tempered but apparently had a strong moral code. He was a loner, but found friendship amongst the Southern Paiutes. In his 40's, he married a Paiute Indian woman named Fannie. He spoke their language, and spent much time with them, and was considered a leader of the tribe.
married a Paiute Indian woman named Fannie. He spoke their language, and spent much time with them, and was considered a leader of the tribe.
Epitomized as the mythical Western frontiersman, Longstreet was said to have been a charismatic man, reputed to settle arguments with a gun, yet was fair-minded He spoke with a southern drawl, and in his last years was revered as a gruff but kind old man with many stories of his gunslinger days. He continued to ranch and mine until his death at the age of 94, having outlived most of his friends and enemies. After having accidentally shot himself, the wound festered for several days before he was taken to the Tonopah hospital, where he died later from a stroke.
On my very first experience viewing wild horses in the Stone Cabin Complex in Nevada, I was struck by the multitude of gorgeous gray horses that appeared to me to reflect a definitive and refined Thoroughbred influence. The Stone Cabin Complex of wild horses also exhibit the common colors associated with wild horses such as bay, brown, chestnut, sorrel and black; however, the gray colored wild horses are unique to this complex. Some sources indicate that the Stone Cabin gray wild horses are descendants of a steel dust gray Thoroughbred, set free into what is now the Stone Cabin Complex HMA (herd management area), by a famous gambler and gunslinger by the name of Jack Longstreet. The Stone Cabin Grey is typically born black or dark, and begins to “roan out” as early as 3-4 years of age, continuing to become more gray until they are nearly white by age 15. Many of the gray horses retain dark black or gray manes and tails. Velma Johnston, known as Wild Horse Annie, was said to revere these Stone Cabin gray wild horses, in particular. The character Longstreet fascinated me, and upon researching, I found these intriguing details.
6 WHEMAGAZINE. MAY 2018
Article by Beth Quigley Lauxen. WHE board member and volunteer.
Photo Laura Leigh