Nate Love
Nate Love has often been referred to as the most famous black cowboy of all. He was born a slave in June of 1854, and was raised in an old log cabin in Davidson County, Tennessee. Both of his parents, also slaves, were owned by Robert Love who was an extensive planter and owner of many slaves.
Nate had an older sister, Sally, and a brother Jordan. As their mother worked in the Big House, Nate's sister was often the one who watched over him. Later, the toddler learned to care for himself. Much of his early years was spent raiding the plantation garden, taking onions, watermelons, turnips, and sweet potatoes.
When Nate was about fifteen-years-old his father died. The year would have been about 1869 and slaves had been freed. Ready to experience that freedom, Love gathered up his few belongings and headed for the rip-roaring cattle town of Dodge City in Kansas. His aim was to work as a cowpuncher where the going rate of monthly pay was about $30.00. It is said that, as a ranch hand, Love was excellent at everything concerned with cattle punching.
Some accounts state that after a few years Nate left Kansas, in 1876, and headed north for Deadwood City, South Dakota to enter a cowboy competition.
Other accounts of Nate Love's adventures says that he found a Texas outfit that had delivered its herd [place of delivery is not stated] and was getting ready to head back to Texas. Noting that there were several black cowboys already working in the outfit, Nate hung around. He managed to have some breakfast with the crew, then asked the boss for a job. The man consented as long as Nate could break an ornery horse the outfit had. The horse, named Good Eye, was the wildest four-legged critter, not counting some also ornery longhorns, in the outfit. One of the other black cowboys, Bronco Jim, was willing to give Nate some pointers. Well, Nate rode that ornery cuss of a horse and got the job.
If Nate Love figured he'd done some hard work in the past, he was mistaken. While pushing cows for this Texas outfit he rode through hailstorms said to be so violent that only strong men could withstand them. But Nate showed his grit the first time he come up face to face with hostile Indians. He didn't run, he couldn't. Like he later admitted, he was to scared to run. There's no word as to whether he actually came to a bullet and arrow swapping contest but at some point Nate made sure he'd be ready if such an event came about. He got himself a forty-five and never missed an opportunity to get in some practice. It's said, either by others or himself, that he got really good with his shooting iron and after a bit he could out shoot any of his friends.
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