Jasper Calhoun

Character Name: Jasper Charles Calhoun AKA "Stalwart Calhoun"

Race: Caucasian

Preferred Position: Circuit Judge

Character specializations: expert horseman, highly accurate with pistols, average accuracy with rifles. Fluent orator and avid reader, excels at puzzles and card games. Deep rooted sense of honor and unflinching views of the law.

Background:

Jasper was born in Charleston South Carolina in August of 1843. The grandson of the late John C Calhoun, Jasper (So named after William Japser Moultrie, South Carolina Revolutionary War Hero) was born into the class of the Southern Gentleman, where honor and family names were to be upheld and defended. His grandfather: politican, statesman and former vice president, left a lasting legacy for the male heirs that carried his name. His father, Andrew Pickens Calhoun was a prominent Charleston lawyer and it was decided long before Jasper had a say that he would follow in his father's footsteps. As was the custom, he was trained from an early age how to handle a horse, then later a firearm. With this training and schooling in place, it was natural and fitting that he be accepted as a student at the prestigous Citadel Military College of South Carlolina, located in Charleston at the age of 16.

Calhoun's life was about to change as the war clouds that had been looming, finally erupted and rained upon the land. Jasper was present when the Citadel cadets first fired upon Fort Sumter in April of 1861, helping to pass powder to the senior classmen working the artillery peices. Although still in classes, the corps of cadets was called upon several times to aid with small skirmishes from Federal landing parties on some of the nearby barrier islands. Due to the nature of the conflict, Calhoun's class time was shortned by a year and in May of 1862 Jasper graduated from the Citadel with his degree and was given his commission as a 2nd Lt. with the 6th Regiment of the S.C Cavalry (known as the Cadet Raiders). Soon his unit was under the command of General Wade Hampton and it began its path of fighting and raiding to last through out the war. The height of Jasper's short military career came at the battle of Trevilian Station VA on June 11-12 1864. Already a 1st Lt., Calhoun was given a battlefield promotion to captain by none other than General Hampton himself for bravery upon the battlefield. (Jasper thought it was simply because their captain had been killed and the unit needed a body to fill the slot but he wasnt going to question) His elation was short lived however for less than a fortnight later he was sorely wounded in the left leg by shrapnel from an exploding Union artillery shell and would spend the remainder of the war either convalescing (which although healed properly, gave Jasper a very slight limp, which is why he carries a cane) or being assigned to state run defenses in and around North Carolina and South Carolina.

With the war over, Jasper Calhoun took off his captain bars and cavalry boots and attempted to return home, only to find his father had passed a few months prior from cholera. Still determined to follow in his father's role, he applied for and was accepted at the University of South Carolina Law School and at the age of 23 passed the state bar exam. Calhoun tried to ressurect his father's practice but the times had changed. The Federals had arrested several of his fathers clients and to put it simply, there wasnt enough money left to fight court cases as there was before. The people he knew were broken, tired and beaten down. To see his family suffer enraged the young Calhoun, but having no true way to stop it rubbed salt upon the wound. Calhoun traveled to the capitol, Columbia for work, but as was in Charleston, there wasnt much in his line that was needed. Calhoun moved and moved again, finding himself finally in Nashville TN. where he was at last able to have some success both in his practice and with restoring his family name.

Several years had passed before Calhoun, now a respected attorney with a number of clients was prompted to move west to Kansas City, following the advice of several prominent men in office. He was advised to go west to aid with the Railroad building and land surveying, a movement that was sweeping the nation. However what he found in Kansas City was nothing like the streets of Charleston or Nashville. Muddy roads, brothels and saloons on every block and a level of lawlessness that he had only seen in his days as a cavalry officer. Not finding much work at first, Calhoun was offered a job as a deputy after fending off an attacker and shooting him with his old 1851 Navy Revolver (hold over from his military days). Not having much options as his money source was running low, he accepted, working as a lawman when needed and reading and studying law books when he could. The job itself wasnt difficult, he knew the law and although he practiced it from the other side of the court, understood the neccessity of violence when it was needed.

Following the trains, as was his custom now, he would still move slowly westward, arriving several months before the railroad barons did so he could prepare briefs and cases to make the land buying easier. Always however he seemed to return to his moonlighting manner of working for the local constable or sheriff, a job that he was finding to be exciting and yet satisfying. Denver, Boulder, Santa Fe...all the cities were similar to Jasper by now, only the names changed it seemed. Along the way he found a love of cards, at first losing money, shirt and revolver but over time excelling at the games until he was able to make more than he lost. Of course, the brothels were quick to remove the coinage from the Southern Gentleman's pockets, a diversion that Jasper was happy to oblige with. Salt Lake City was one stop he made and going into the wrong door changed his life. Looking for a bathhouse, Calhoun in advertantly walked into a district judges office and ran into the judge as he was coming out. One thing led to another and after a hurried apology by Jasper, the judge was chatting with him as if he knew him all of his life. Over the next few days the judge found out more of this young man and after doing some checking through the telegraph, sat him down in his office.

"Son..." He began as he chewed on his cigar, "Nevada became a state just a few years back and were needing some hard nosed men like yourself to apply the law as its written. We recently had a judge position open up in a new area that I'd like you to take, pay isnt the best but I can say it wont be without some fun. I'll even throw in a new 1873 Colt for your troubles."

And like that, Jasper had his bags packed, was on the stage and headed to Nevada, to a town called Rimfire, in a place he had never before seen.