Lincoln County War

ROBERTS TOOK UP A LITTLE RANCH IN THE BEAUTIFUL RIODOSO VALLEY OF CENTRAL NEW MEXICO, ONE OF THE MOST CHARMING SPOTS IN THE WORLD, AND ALL HE ASKED WAS TO BE LEFT ALONE, FOR HE SEEMED ABLE TO GET ALONG, AND NOT AFRAID OF WORK.

When the Lincoln County War broke out, he was recognized as a friend of Major Murphy, one of the local faction leaders.

But when the fighting men curtly told him it was about time for him to choose his side, he as curtly replied that he intended to take neither side, that he'd seen fighting enough in his time and would fight no man's battle for him.

This, for the time and place, was treason and punishable with death.

Among his daring followers were the afterwards noted Tom O'Falyard and Henry Brown, leader of the Medicine Lodge Bank tragedy, which happened in 1884, who was shot in trying to escape while his three companions were hung.

The Kid was there trying to dispose of a herd of ponies he had stolen from the Seven River Warriors in Lincoln County, New Mexico, his bitter enemies whom he had fought so hard against that past summer in what is known as the Bloody Lincoln County War of 78.

During his stay at the ranch and around Tascosa, I became intimately acquainted with him and his jovial crowd.

I mention these facts because I intend to give you a brief sketch of Billy's doings in the closing pages of this book.

Ash was making his home at Garrett's Ranch, a few miles from Roswell.

We laid over Christmas Day at the mouth of Seven Rivers and helped kind Mrs. Jones, one of Mr. Upson's old-time friends, get away with a nice turkey dinner.

While sitting around our campfire at nights, old Ash would amuse us by relating circumstances connected with the bloody Lincoln County War, also gave me a full sketch of Billy the Kid's life, a subject which I am going to devote the next chapter to, as I imagine it will be interesting reading to some.

We arrived at Pecos Station on the TPRR one afternoon about three o'clock, and it being a terribly lonesome place, we, after leaving our horses and things in care of an old wolf hunter who promised to see that the horses were well fed, boarded the westbound passenger train for Toyah, a distance of twenty-two miles.

Among his daring followers were the afterwards noted Tom O'Falyard and Henry Brown, leader of the Medicine Lodge Bank tragedy, which happened in 1884, who was shot in trying to escape while his three companions were hung.

The Kid was there trying to dispose of a herd of ponies he had stolen from the Seven River Warriors in Lincoln County, New Mexico, his bitter enemies whom he had fought so hard against that past summer in what is known as the Bloody Lincoln County War of 78.

During his stay at the ranch and around Tascosa, I became intimately acquainted with him and his jovial crowd.

I mention these facts because I intend to give you a brief sketch of Billy's doings in the closing pages of this book.

Ash was making his home at Garrett's Ranch a few miles from Roswell.

We laid over Christmas Day at the mouth of Seven Rivers and helped kind Mrs. Jones, one of Mr. Upson's old-time friends, get away with a nice turkey dinner.

While sitting around our campfire at nights, old Ash would amuse us by relating circumstances connected with the bloody Lincoln County War, also gave me a full sketch of Billy the Kid's life, a subject which I am going to devote the next chapter to, as I imagine it will be interesting reading to some.

We arrived at Pecos Station on the TPRR one afternoon about three o'clock, and it being a terribly lonesome place, we, after leaving our horses and things in care of an old wolf hunter who promised to see that the horses were well fed, boarded the westbound passenger train for Toyah, a distance of twenty-two miles.

End of chapter 3 Recording by Roger Melin Chapter 4 of History of Billy the Kid by Charles A. Siringo This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.

Recording by Roger Melin History of Billy the Kid by Charles A. Siringo Chapter 4 The Starting of the Bloody Lincoln County War The Murder of Tunstall Billy the Kid is partially revenged when he kills Morton and Baker Arriving back at the Murphy-Dolan cow camp on the Pecos River, Billy the Kid was greeted by his friends McDaniels, Morton, and Baker, who persuaded him to join the Murphy and Dolan outfit and become one of their fighting cowboys.

This he agreed to do and was put on the payroll at good wages.

The summer and fall of 1877 passed along with only now and then a scrap between the factions, but the clouds of war were lowering and the Kid was anxious for a battle.

His anger was at the boiling point on hearing of the foul murder.

He at once saddled his horse and started to Lincoln to consult with lawyer McSween.

Now the Lincoln County War was on with a vengeance and hatred, and the Kid was to play a leading hand in it.

He swore that he would kill every man who took part in the murder of his friend Tunstall.

The kid was one of the so-called cowhands hired on by Tunstall after he was apparently caught with one of Tunstall's stolen horses.

Although Tunstall thought he was prepared for a fight with hiring a small band of misfits, they proved ineffective in keeping him alive, and his murder in February 1878 served as the launching point for the Lincoln County War.

The war, considered by some historians as a crucial moment in contributing to creating a period of turmoil for Arizona and New Mexico for several years, was a relatively short affair, with brief moments of violence spanning a period of months and actual engagement only lasting days.

Billy, who would go on to be memorialized as a result of the war, was with Tunstall when he died.

And it was his death that elevated Billy to the leader of the mismatched group.

Hearing of the chaos happening in the New Mexico territory, President Hayes appointed Lee Wallace as governor.

Wallace, a former Civil War general and the future author of the novel Ben-Hur, decided the best approach to get a handle on the situation was to issue amnesty to all parties involved in the Lincoln County War and extend an invite to Billy, where he promised a full pardon in exchange for Billy's testimony against two men responsible for murder.

Billy agreed and was taken into custody at Lincoln, where he stayed until the spring of 1879, giving the surrounding area some peace.