Love, Nat (1854-1921), was an African American cowboy of the Old West. Love worked in cattle drives for about 20 years, traveling across the Western United States and Mexico. He became known for his expert horsemanship and ability to identify cattle brands.
Love was born a slave in Davidson County, Tennessee. He left home when he was 15 years old and went to work as a cowboy near Dodge City, Kansas. He worked in cattle drives until 1889. He became a railroad porter in 1890.
Love was nicknamed “Deadwood Dick” after he won a riding, roping, and shooting contest in Deadwood, South Dakota, in 1876. His autobiography, The Life and Adventures of Nat Love, Better Known in the Cattle Country as Deadwood Dick (1907), has many cowboy stories. It includes tales about such famous Western characters as Bat Masterson, Billy the Kid, Buffalo Bill, and Jesse James. However, like many other legends of the Old West, Love’s stories are greatly exaggerated, and his true adventures are difficult to distinguish from the “tall tales.”
