William H. Bonney

[cruororism]

There's many a man with face fine and fair
Who starts out in life with a chance to be square
But just like poor Billy, he wanders astray
And loses his life in the very same way.

The Territory of New Mexico, in the mid-1870-80s, experienced a wave of rampant lawlessness, unparalleled in the history of the United States. One must walk a mile in their shoes before coming to conclusions about the lives of men and boys in that era.

Henry McCarty, alias Kid Antrim, alias William H. Bonney, alias Billy The Kid, born in the east, came to New Mexico in the 1870's and started out on his own from Silver City. Go where you will over the trails he rode, and you will agree, he is alive today

In Lincoln, he became involved in the famous Lincoln County War. This was a time of political strife and financial power struggles. In most cases, one must kill or be killed.

Upon the death of John Tunstall, Billy vowed vengeance on every man who participated in that cruel, wanton murder. Later, the Kid was involved in the death of Morton, Baker, McCloskey, Brady, Hindman and Beckwith. The vendetta led him through the heart of New Mexico. At Blazer's Mill, near Mescalero, Brewer and Buckshot Roberts met their destiny. The Rio Ruidoso took them to Dowlin's Mill, the Hondo Valley led to the Chisum South Springs Ranch near Roswell. The Pecos River trail winds up to Old Fort Sumner, where Joe Grant caused his own demise. A dim trail off east to Los Portales Springs hideout. Seven Rivers crossing, near Carlsbad, tallied 200,000 head of cattle from Texas following the Goodnight-Loving, Chisum trail.

Billy the Kid authentic tintype
Patrick Floyd Garrett, born in Alabama, led a successful life as a buffalo hunter in Texas, before drifting into New Mexico. His election as Sheriff of Lincoln County drew him into this legend. He was a good Sheriff at the time New Mexico needed such a man.

The White Oaks skirmish on December 1, 1880 caused an accidental shooting at the Greathouse Stage Station, near Corona. The trail goes on to Anton Chico, Puerto de Luna, Sunnyside Spring and Old Fort Sumner, where Tom O'Folliard fell in an ambush. The connections of Wilcox-Yerby ranches and Brazil Spring played a part in the surrender at Stinking Springs, and the end of Charlie Bowdre. On to Las Vegas, by wagon, to Santa Fe by railcar, through Albuquerque, on to Old Mesilla for trial. Under heavy guard they trudged through La Luz, Alamogordo, and back to Lincoln, where Billy performed his daring escape, after the death of Bell and Olinger.

Now, with a wanted poster for Billy The Kid, Pat Garrett was hot on the trail back to Old Fort Sumner. There, on July 14, 1881, Pat Garrett, in the Maxwell house, killed the famous Outlaw. In the old fort cemetery a vagrant wind whisks across the plain, a tiny dust devil will spin for a moment madly, futilely, and is swallowed up in the nothingness. This was the life of the Kid, and certainly, he is buried there, in Old Fort Sumner.


Garrett's trails continued to the Roswell area, where he made his home. He made trails to the gold and turquoise mines in the Jicarilla Mountains, he followed the trails of Albert Fountain, trying to solve his mysterious disappearance. On the trail from Organ to Las Cruces, Pat Garrett met his death, in 1908, and is buried in the Masonic cemetery in Las Cruces.

Garrett left his mark on New Mexico in many ways; one of significance is, his daughter Elizabeth wrote O Fair New Mexico, the state song. So the Legends live on!!!