When the American Civil War broke out, his older brothers enlisted in the Union Army, leaving Wyatt, 13, and his younger brothers to tend to the farm. He ran away from home and attempted to join the army, but his father tracked him down and returned him. His father then hired a lawyer to draw up a contract which made Wyatt work for the family during summer months and get half of whatever they earned during winter months. Wyatt worked on the farm all summer, saving his money, and when winter came around he bought a horse with it. He then moved to Phoenix, Arizona where he began working as a lawman. He is regarded as one of the first western heroes because he fought against the outlaws that were plaguing the country at the time. He is also noted for having killed his first man at the age of 26. There are several schools of thought about how old Wyatt Earp actually was when the war started. Some say he was born in 1848 so he would have been 23 years old. Other sources claim he was born in 1848 but didn't turn 24 until after the war ended in 1865 so he would have been 21 or 22 at the time. Still others claim he wasn't born until 1871 so he would have been 29 or 30 when the war started.