After the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in October, 1881, and Morgan Earp's murder on March 18, 1882, in a Tombstone, Arizona pool hall, Wyatt and Warren Earp, along with Doc Holliday, "Turkey Creek" Jack Johnson and Sherman McMasters escorted the Earp family out of Tombstone to Tucson, Arizona on March 20th.

There, Wyatt spied Frank Stillwell, who he suspected of having been involved in the killing of Morgan and had heard was now seeking revenge on Virgil. The next morning a very dead, bullet-ridden Frank Stillwell was found on the tracks next to the depot. This was the first death in what would become known as the Earp Vendetta Ride.

Wyatt would later tell his biographers that he had spied Frank Stillwell and Ike Clanton lying prone on a flatcar with shotguns and that he had killed Stillwell but that Ike had escaped.

Tombstone, Arizona  in 1882.

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The Earp group quickly returned to Tombstone but by March 21st, a warrant had been issued for the arrest of Wyatt Earp, Warren Earp, Doc Holiday, "Turkey Creek" Jack Johnson and Sherman McMasters as suspects in the murder of Stillwell.

Pima County justice of the peace, Charles Meyer sent a telegram to Johnny Behan indicating that the men should be arrested. However, the manager of the telegraph office was a friend of the Earps and showed the message to Wyatt before delivering it to Behan. He agreed to hold on to it for a little while, allowing the Earp group some time to get out of Tombstone. However, just as they were leaving, Behan approached Wyatt, saying that he wanted to see him. To this, Wyatt replied, "Johnny if you're not careful you'll see me once too often" and the group left. Later, it would be said that Earp's group had resisted arrest and pulled their guns on Behan.

For the next three weeks, Wyatt and Warren Earp, along with several of their friends, namely Doc Holiday, Sherman McMasters, "Turkey Creek" Jack Johnson, and "Texas Jack" Vermillion would form a "posse” and go after those they felt responsible for Morgan’s death, as well as others that supported the Clanton faction. More men were also thought to have supported the Earps in their revenge including Dan Tipton. Charlie Smith, Fred Dodge, Johnny Green, and Lou Cooley.

Sometimes called the Arizona War or Cochise County War, Earp had been deputized as a U.S. Deputy Marshal and led his force under federal jurisdiction with a warrant for William "Curly Bill" Brocious. This, however; did not stop Earps "posse” being pursued by a Cochise County sheriff’s posse consisting of Sheriff Johnny Behan, deputies Fin Clanton and Johnny Ringo, along with some 20 other Clanton "Cowboys”, in an effort to arrest the Earps for the killing of Frank Stillwell. The Behan posse deliberately failed to include Pima County Sheriff Bob Paul, who actually had jurisdiction for the Tucson killing of Stillwell. Behan's group, though much larger, never caught up with the Earp faction.

The first man to be killed by the Earp faction was Florentino Cruz, also known as Indian Charlie. Cruz, along with Pete Spence, Frank Stillwell, Curly Bill, and others, had been prime suspects in Morgan's killing. Pete Spence had earlier turned himself in so that he could be protected in Behan's jail, but the Earp faction was unaware of this. On March 22nd, the Earps rode into Pete Spence's ranch at South Pass in the Dragoon Mountains, looking for Spence. There, they found instead, "Indian Charlie,” who, according to a later account by Wyatt, confessed to acting as a lookout while the others killed Morgan. Wyatt shot him.