Thompson was wounded during the battle, and was treated for six weeks in a military hospital at Niblett's Bluff (located west of Vinton, Louisiana).

After the conclusion of the Civil War, Thompson fought in the armed forces of Emperor Maximilian against the Mexican revolutionaries.

[citation needed] In 1868 Thompson received word that his wife was being physically abused by her brother, Jim Moore.

[citation needed] In 1870, Thompson left Texas for Abilene, Kansas, which had become a boomtown due to the expanding cattle trade.

[4] Their saloon prospered due to the many cattle drives that gave Abilene a steady stream of cowboys passing through who were anxious to drink and gamble.

It was at the Bulls Head Saloon that Thompson and Coe made the acquaintance of John Wesley Hardin, and actively recruited him in an attempt to rid the town of its marshal, "Wild" Bill Hickok.

The two entrepreneurs had painted a picture of a bull with a large erect penis on the side of their establishment as a form of advertisement.

Hardin, then living under the assumed name of "Wesley Clemmons" (but better known to the townspeople by the alias, "Little Arkansas"), replied, "If Wild Bill needs killin', why don't you kill him yourself?

Hickok had no knowledge at the time of Hardin being a wanted man, and he advised "Clemmons" to avoid problems while remaining in Abilene.

Soon after, newly appointed police officer, J.C. "Charlie" Brown, killed Morco when he pulled a gun during a disturbance.

Billy Thompson fled Kansas, too, but eventually was returned to be unsuccessfully tried for the death of Sheriff Whitney.

On Christmas Eve 1876, Thompson and friends were at the Capital Theater drinking when a fight erupted involving other patrons.

In June 1880, Ben Thompson asked Masterson to go to Ogallala, Nebraska (then "the end of the Texas Trail"), to rescue his younger brother Billy, who was in trouble again as a result of being involved in a shootout.

The following year, Thompson was involved in a dispute with Vaudeville Variety Theater owner, Jack Harris, in San Antonio.

The two men, who had known one another for several years, decided to attend shows at the Turner Hall Opera House, and later at the Vaudeville Variety Theater.

Fisher was shot thirteen times, but fired one round in retaliation, possibly wounding Coy, who was crippled for life.

[15] It was reported that the table was used by Thompson in a gambling house he opened above the Iron Front Saloon, which had been located on Congress Avenue in Austin.

[16] Thompson's character is played by Denver Pyle in seven episodes of the ABC television series, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, with Hugh O'Brian in the title role.

In one episode "The Time for All Good Men" (June 4, 1957), the actor Mike Ragan played Clay Allison, who joins Thompson and John Wesley Hardin (Phillip Pine) in coming to Earp's aid in a shootout with the owner and foreman, respectively, of the Big T Ranch, Rance Purcell (Richard Devon) and Gus Andrews (Grant Withers).

Don Megowan portrayed Thompson in the episode "Hide Jumpers" (January 27, 1958) of the NBC television series, Tales of Wells Fargo.