Lincoln County War Factions
McSween, Tunstall
Ranchers, Regulators Cow Hands, including Billy the Kid |
Murphy, Dolan
General Store Monopoly Corrupt law and Jessie Evans gang |
Billy the Kid
photo from Chronicle of the Old West
Outlaws and bandits in the 1880’s American West were extremely common and the majority of them continuously used aliases to stay hidden from the law. The case of Billy the Kid is no exception. Billy the Kid, originally Henry McCarty, also went by Henry Antrim, Austin Antrim, William Antrim, William Bonner, William H. Bonney William LeRoy, Michael McCarthy, William McCarthy, and Michael McCarty. Even though Billy the Kid was a cow rustler, gambler, thief and murderer, he is remembered as a kind, friendly young man whose actions were the result of circumstance. This romanticism and glorification of the old west makes Billy the Kid a true American legend.
As difficult as it is to decipher what about Billy the Kid is real or legend, historians have done a good job tracking down this mysterious young man’s history. Billy was born around 1859 in New York City and moved with his mother and half brother to New Mexico. Shortly after this, his mother died and he left home working as a ranch hand. He began stealing and shot a few men in cold blood. Billy arrived in Mesilla, Arizona after skipping town to avoid the law. “Mesilla was a hotbed of criminal activity and rustling, the announced king of which was John W. Kinney.” (Cline) Kinney and other famous outlaw Jesse Evans worked together to rustle cattle all over the American southwest. “These men were already established, hardened criminals long before Henry Antrim (Billy) rode upon the scene and joined them in late August. It was at the knee of these men that the eighteen-year old lad learned his trade.” (Cline) The gang disbanded but many members including Billy got tangled in the politics of Lincoln, New Mexico.
There was a turf war raging between two groups in Lincoln. Two men named Murphy and Dolan ran the only general store in the area and used the power to create a monopoly. Two newcomer ranchers Tunstall and McSween learned of their tricks and “they opened a general store in direct competition to the Murphy-Dolan one.” (Cline) Angered by this, Murphy and Dolan had Tunstall murdered by his ranch hands so McSween organized his own band of violent crusaders to avenge the death of Tunstall. This group including Billy the Kid, called themselves the Regulators. The Regulators murdered two members of the Murphy-Dolan clan and Murphy used his power in the courts to get the Sheriff Brady to issue a warrant for McSween’s arrest. McSween then had his Regulators murder the Sheriff and destroy the warrant he had in his vest. The Murphy-Dolan clan then started an all out attack on McSween’s home. They set fire to his house and as the flames destroyed the last of the house, the men had to make a run for it. McSween fell with five bullets in him and “as the others dashed out it became a slaughter.” (Cline) A few of the Regulators, including Billy escaped and rode off. Dolan said that any members of the Regulators would be executed if they were ever found in the New Mexican territory.
Billy fled to Texas and over the next years, Billy became wanted in the Texas Panhandle too. He and outlaws like himself rustled so many cattle in Texas that the ranchers formed the “Panhandle Stock Association of Texas. They offered a reward of $250 for anyone caught rustling association cattle. They also hired their own lawmen.” (Cline) Pat Garrett was one of these men hired to take down these thieves. Garrett captured Billy in 1880 who then took him to New Mexico to face the charges against him. One night, when Garrett left Bell, the other guard, in charge, Bonney stole his gun and killed him and then forced the townspeople to pick his shackle locks and he rode away. Pat Garrett tracked him to Fort Sumner and on July 14, 1881, Garrett shot Billy dead.
As difficult as it is to decipher what about Billy the Kid is real or legend, historians have done a good job tracking down this mysterious young man’s history. Billy was born around 1859 in New York City and moved with his mother and half brother to New Mexico. Shortly after this, his mother died and he left home working as a ranch hand. He began stealing and shot a few men in cold blood. Billy arrived in Mesilla, Arizona after skipping town to avoid the law. “Mesilla was a hotbed of criminal activity and rustling, the announced king of which was John W. Kinney.” (Cline) Kinney and other famous outlaw Jesse Evans worked together to rustle cattle all over the American southwest. “These men were already established, hardened criminals long before Henry Antrim (Billy) rode upon the scene and joined them in late August. It was at the knee of these men that the eighteen-year old lad learned his trade.” (Cline) The gang disbanded but many members including Billy got tangled in the politics of Lincoln, New Mexico.
There was a turf war raging between two groups in Lincoln. Two men named Murphy and Dolan ran the only general store in the area and used the power to create a monopoly. Two newcomer ranchers Tunstall and McSween learned of their tricks and “they opened a general store in direct competition to the Murphy-Dolan one.” (Cline) Angered by this, Murphy and Dolan had Tunstall murdered by his ranch hands so McSween organized his own band of violent crusaders to avenge the death of Tunstall. This group including Billy the Kid, called themselves the Regulators. The Regulators murdered two members of the Murphy-Dolan clan and Murphy used his power in the courts to get the Sheriff Brady to issue a warrant for McSween’s arrest. McSween then had his Regulators murder the Sheriff and destroy the warrant he had in his vest. The Murphy-Dolan clan then started an all out attack on McSween’s home. They set fire to his house and as the flames destroyed the last of the house, the men had to make a run for it. McSween fell with five bullets in him and “as the others dashed out it became a slaughter.” (Cline) A few of the Regulators, including Billy escaped and rode off. Dolan said that any members of the Regulators would be executed if they were ever found in the New Mexican territory.
Billy fled to Texas and over the next years, Billy became wanted in the Texas Panhandle too. He and outlaws like himself rustled so many cattle in Texas that the ranchers formed the “Panhandle Stock Association of Texas. They offered a reward of $250 for anyone caught rustling association cattle. They also hired their own lawmen.” (Cline) Pat Garrett was one of these men hired to take down these thieves. Garrett captured Billy in 1880 who then took him to New Mexico to face the charges against him. One night, when Garrett left Bell, the other guard, in charge, Bonney stole his gun and killed him and then forced the townspeople to pick his shackle locks and he rode away. Pat Garrett tracked him to Fort Sumner and on July 14, 1881, Garrett shot Billy dead.