The Lincoln County War by Austin Zapata

In the early 1870’s two men by the names of Lawrence Murphy and James Dolan owned the only store in Lincoln County, Murphy & Dolan Mercantile and Banking. Murphy & Dolan Mercantile and Banking monopolized the trade of the county, controlling pricing, making immense profits on their goods, and virtually having a hand in nearly every part of the economy of the large county. (At the time, Lincoln County was the largest county in the nation, covering 1/5 of New Mexico.)

In 1877 Alexander McSween, a lawyer, and John Tunstall, a wealthy 24-year old English cattleman and banker, set up a rival business called H.H. Tunstall & Company near the one owned by Dolan and Murphy. Furious at this development, Dolan attempted to goad Tunstall into a gunfight. However, Tunstall refused to use violence himself but soon recruited Billy the Kid, officially, as a “cattle guard”.

In February, 1878, Murphy & Dolan obtained a court order to seize some of Tunstall’s horses as payment for an outstanding debt. Lincoln County Sheriff, William Brady, formed a posse led by deputy William Morton to seize them. After protesting the presence of the posse on his land, Tunstall was shot in the head on February 18, 1878. This incident started what became known as the Lincoln County War.

Adding fuel to the fire, it was rumored that Tunstall had been murdered on the orders of James Dolan and Lawrence Murphy. Billy (“Billy the Kid”) soon joined a posse led by Dick Brewer, Tunstall’s Ranch Forman, called the Regulators. The group’s primary aim was to hunt for Tunstall’s killer.

April 1, 1878 Billy and several other Regulators holed up in Tunstall’s store while ambushed Sheriff Brady and his men, killing Brady and mortally wounding one of his deputies.

July 19, 1898, McSween, Billy the Kid and The Regulators were besieged by the new Sheriff, George Peppin. McSween’s house was set on fire and he was also shot dead as he came out of the house.

September, 1878, President Rutherford B. Hayes removed New Mexico’s corrupt Governor Axtell from office and appointed Lew Wallace as New Mexico’s new governor. November 13, 1878, Governor Wallace proclaimed an amnesty for all those involved in the Lincoln County War if they were not already under indictment; however, did not include Billy the Kid. Officially, this ended the Lincoln County War, but not before nineteen people had been killed in the conflict.

Susan McSween, Alexander McSween’s widow hired Huston Chapmen as her attorney after her husband was killed. Chapman was murdered on February 18, 1879. James Dolan was accused of the murder but with the help of powerful friends, the case against him was dropped.

On December 15, 1880, Governor Wallace put a $5000 reward on Billy the Kid’s head. On November 7, 1880, Pat Garett was appointed as the Lincoln County Sheriff, his primary goal of apprehending Billy the Kid. On December 19, 1880 Garrett confronted Billy and his gang when they rode into Fort Sumner, New Mexico. Killing Tom O’Folliard, the rest of the gang escaped.
Garrett and his posse tracked the outlaws down to Stinking Springs and surrounded the hideout. After a several-day siege, the posse killed Charlie Bowdre and captured Billy the Kid, Dirty Dave Rudabaugh, Tom Pickett and Billy Wilson on December 23, 1880.

Billy the Kid was tried and sentenced to hang in Lincoln, New Mexico on May 13, 1881. However, he escaped from jail on April 18,1881, killing two guards in the process.

On July 14, 1881, he was tracked again by Pat Garrett to Fort Sumner, New Mexico where he was shot three times and died, putting an end to “The Regulators.”