living descendants of billy the kid living descendants of billy the kid

Garrett may have deliberately been waiting in the dark to shoot the Kid. This was done to prevent an accidental discharge should the hammer be struck. [51] Tunstall's men formed their own group called the Regulators. The Kid left the war with a reputation as one of the Wests most skilled gunmen, but he remained wanted for the murder of Sheriff Brady. McCarty was loyal to the memory of Tunstall, though not necessarily to McSween. After the death of his father, he traveled west with his mother ending up in Silver City, New Mexico Territory in 1873. Edit. [127], "Billy the Kid" folksong sung by Woody Guthrie, recorded by Alan Lomax in 1940 for the Library of Congress (#3412 B2), with a melody Guthrie later used for his song "So Long, it's Been Good to Know You". Footnote 3: The Silver City newspaper reported: Henry McCarty, who was arrested Thursday and committed to jail to await the action of the grand jury, upon the charge of stealing clothes from Charley Sun and Sam Chung, celestials, sans cue, sans Joss sticks, escaped from prison yesterday through the chimney. Dave Stamey's "The Skies of Lincoln County", which features the deceased Bonney as narrator, answering historical distortions by Pat Garrett. [19] Although she was fondly remembered by onetime boarders and neighbors as "a jolly Irish lady, full of life and mischief",[20] she was already in the final stages of tuberculosis when the family reached Silver City. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. The young gunslinger stole the occasional horse, but he never once held up a bank, train or even a stagecoach. While the evidence shows that Billy lived on, it does not appear that Brushy Bill Roberts was Billy the Kid. In what became known as the Lincoln County War, the Regulators assassinated Sheriff Brady and spent the next several months shooting it out with The Houses forces. McCarty was buried the next day in Fort Sumner's old military cemetery, between his fallen companions Tom O'Folliard and Charlie Bowdre. Brushy Bill Roberts claimed he'd been born William Henry Roberts, in Buffalo Gap, Texas. [47] "As a wry and macabre joke on Tunstall's great affection for horses, the dead bay's head was then pillowed on his hat", writes Frederick Nolan, Tunstall's biographer. at which point he was shot and killed in ambush style. [77] On July 19, a column of U.S. cavalry soldiers entered the fray. Geni requires JavaScript! Blyth previously appeared in Benediction. [9][10] According to some accounts, McCarty was born as William Henry McCarty, Jr., but his mother preferred to call him "Henry" because she did not wish him to be known as "Junior". Deputy James William Bell, a deputy to Sheriff Pat Garrett and one of Billy the Kid's guards. Billy the Kids real name was William Henry McCarty (1), when and where he was born, or who or what happened to his father is not known. Quin es?" [34] Years later, Louis Abraham, who had known McCarty in Silver City but was not a witness, denied that anyone was killed in this altercation. [35], Susan McSween, widow of Alexander McSween, stated: "Billy was not a bad man, that is he was not a murderer who killed wantonly. The Kid wrote to the governor that he was tired of running and would surrender to authorities and testify against the Dolan side to have his murder charges dropped. MPI/Getty Images. History first traces the Kid as a youngster in Indiana in the late 1860s and then in Wichita, Kansas in 1870. Billy the Kid tries to live in peace, under a new name and in a frontier town, but is approached by a preacher who asks for his help in freeing the town from a ruthless man and his gunman. [69] For a short period, the Regulators benefited from the appointment of Sheriff John Copeland, who proved sympathetic to the McSween faction. 4K views 3 years ago #BillyTheKid #Travel The Spirits of the Lincoln County War | Haunted Travels - In the heart of the state of New Mexico, lies the historic ghost town of Lincoln. I went in and was the first to discover that they had killed my little boy. [54][55][56] During their journey to Lincoln, the Regulators also killed one of their own members, a man named McCloskey, whom they suspected of being a traitor. Bill Richardson to. As he approached, he saw Garretts two deputies on the porch and since he didn't recognizing the strangers, he backed cautiously into Maxwells room and asked Pete, who are those fellows outside? He got no answer and as he walked towards the bed, he saw Garretts silhouette and started to back away and asked in Spanish, Whose there? Garrett recognized the Kids voice and fired his gun. The Collected Works of Billy the Kid: Left-handed Poems, by Michael Ondaatje, 1970 Governor General's Award-winning biography in the form of experimental poetry. [88], In November 1880, a posse pursued and trapped McCarty's gang inside a ranch house owned by one of the Kid's friends, James Greathouse, at Anton Chico in the White Oaks area. The Left Handed Gun, Arthur Penn's 1958 motion picture based on a Gore Vidal teleplay, starring Paul Newman as Billy and John Dehner as Garrett. His real name and date of birth are disputed. This nineteen or twenty year old lived a short life but made a lasting impression. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Take your pick. Dolan sent for Colonel Dudley at Fort Stanton for assistance. Lastly, they had a dramatic gunfight with Dolan gunman Buckshot Roberts, but during that shootout their leader Dick Brewer was killed. One bullet struck the 21-year-old near his heart, killing him instantly. [8] A single tombstone was later erected over the graves, giving the three outlaws' names (Billy's as "William H. Bonney") and with a one word epitaph of "Pals" also carved into it. Since there were now two Billies in the household, the Kids mother referred to him by his middle name, he was now Henry McCarty-Antrim (2). By July of 1881, Garrett heard rumors that Billy the Kid was in the Fort Sumner area, so with two deputies he rode into Fort Sumner. [70] Frank Coe escaped custody a short time later, when his captors were occupied elsewhere. [112] A number of the Regulators faded away or secured amnesty, but McCarty was in no position to accomplish either. Some of the most famous actors to play the Kid include Roy Rogers, Paul Newman, Val Kilmer and Emilio Estevez. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Billy-the-Kid-American-outlaw, American Heritage - Billy the Kid: From Outlaw to Legend, PBS - American Experience - The Life and Legend of Billy the Kid, Billy the Kid - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). [75], The Regulators' position worsened when the governor, in a quasi-legal move, removed Copeland and appointed George Peppin (an ally of the Murphy-Dolan faction) as sheriff. He noticed someone in the darkness, and uttered the words, "Quin es? Of course the death was credited to the Kid and destroyed any ounce of sympathy the public had for him, not to mention, any chance for him to get things squared up with the governor to get his pardon. We strive for accuracy and fairness. [2] Some historians speculate that his image was created deliberately to distract the public's attention from the nefarious activities of the Dolan faction and their influential supporters in Santa Fe, notably regional political leader Thomas Benton Catron. Unlike other Old West outlaws such as Jesse James, Cole Younger or Butch Cassidy, Billy the Kid didnt make his living as a bandit. In the late 1940s, an elderly Texas man known as Brushy Bill Roberts even claimed to be Billy the Kid in the flesh, but his story was largely discredited after family records revealed his birthdate to be 1879. Though his life was short, he left a lasting impression on the American West. The Kid worked his hand free to his revolver and fired it into Cahills gut. Billy the Kid was born Henry McCarty and spent his early life in New York. He escaped jail on April 28, however, killing two deputies, and remained at large until tracked down and ambushed by Garrett, who shot him dead on the evening of July 14 at the ranch home of Pete Maxwell. He always found a touch of humor in everything, being naturally full of fun and jollity. That is, unless he was buried in the middle of Texas. [95] On December 23, the Kid was tracked to an abandoned stone building located in a remote location known as Stinking Springs (near present-day Taiban, New Mexico). But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! By 1873 he had moved west to New Mexico as a result of his mother remarrying after. Chisum, 1970 movie starring John Wayne as John Chisum, dealing with Billy the Kid's involvement in the Lincoln County War. Billy the Kid knew he didnt stand a chance in court and he had lost faith in the governor, so he escaped. In December 1880 he was captured by Garrett and stood trial for murder in Mesilla, New Mexico, in April 1881; he was found guilty and was sentenced to hang. After some name-calling, Cahill rushed the Kid and slammed him down on the ground, then jumped on top of him and proceeded to slap him in the face. The Kid surrendered and testified in court, but the Santa Fe Ring had influence over the court system, so members of the Dolan side, including James Dolan, were acquitted. He was raised in Tarpon Springs, where he also picked up the piano in the local church. Buster Crabbe played Billy the Kid in a serial series during 1942 and 1943. The next day Billy the Kid was buried at the Fort Sumner cemetery near his two fallen companions, Tom OFolliard and Charlie Bowdre. After a short stint working on the ranch of Henry Hooker, McCarty began working on the Coe-Saunders ranch. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [78] After a five-day siege, McSween's house was set on fire by the sheriff's posse. Billy the Kid, also known as William Henry McCarty, Jr., was a 19th-century American outlaw and gunfighter. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. They retaliated by killing Bill Morton, Frank Baker and William McCloskey. At first the deputized Regulators tried to do things legally by serving warrants, but with the prejudice Sheriff Brady and the bias court system, they couldnt count on justice being served. On the run again and an outlaw, the Kid went back to making a living the only way he knew how rustling. McCarty retrieved the gun, and turned it on Bell when the pair had reached the top of a flight of stairs in the courthouse. Footnote 8: Its of great speculation whether or not the Kid was armed with a gun. After taking several days to consider Wallace's offer, McCarty agreed to testify in return for amnesty.[83]. [40] According to this account, Apaches stole McCarty's horse, forcing him to walk many miles to the nearest settlement, which happened to be Jones' home. When he noticed the silhouette of one of Garretts deputies on the porch, the Kid drew his pistol and backed toward the door, shouting, Whos that? in Spanish. There is an interesting tale of a mysterious stranger who came to the Ramah country to live shortly after Billy the Kid was "killed". Michael takes a deep dive into the claims that Abrana Garcia of Fort Sumner was Billy the Kid's wife, and that Billy fathered her son Patrinocio Garcia who lived until 1964! [54][57][58] On the very day that McCloskey, Morton, and Baker were slain, Governor Samuel Beach Axtell arrived in Lincoln County to investigate the ongoing violence. [87] While popular accounts often depict McCarty and Garrett as "bosom buddies", there is no concrete evidence that they were ever friends. In late 1880, Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrett tracked the Kid to a cabin in Stinking Springs, New Mexico, and forced his surrender. One particularly legendary gunfight unfolded in January 1880 at a New Mexico saloon. For two nights in the Hollywood Bowl, musicians of all kinds are coming together to celebrate the country music icon. To date, no results of the DNA tests have been made public. There were other outlaws and rustlers in New Mexico, much worse than Billy the Kid, but the Kid had gain fame and was singled out by the newspapers who had built him up into something he wasnt. Various accounts recorded by friends and acquaintances describe him as fun-loving and jolly, articulate in both his writing and his speech, and loyal to those for whom he cared. )[114] Indeed, the notion of a left-handed Billy became so entrenched that, in 1958, a film biography of "the Kid" (starring Paul Newman) was titled The Left Handed Gun. Then they ambushed Sheriff Brady and his deputy George Hindman in Lincoln (5). His mother Catherine McCarty was a widow and single mother and he had a younger brother named Joseph (born 1863). Bob Dylan's album Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, soundtrack of the 1973 film by Sam Peckinpah. Scholarly opinion is divided over whether that or William H. Bonney, Jr. (the name he used later, as in the trial), was his true name. [9][10] While his biological father remains an obscure figure, some researchers have theorized that his name was Patrick McCarty, Michael McCarty, William McCarty, or Edward McCarty. Jack has skinned out.. The Kid was in unfriendly territory and one of his threats was prosecutor attorney William Rynerson, who was part of the Ring and wanted to put the Kid on trial for the murder of Sheriff Brady. Beginning of a short life On November 23, 1859, Henry McCarty was born in New York City but moved to Kansas with his family when he was very young. Footnote 2: Its my guess that Billy the Kids stepfather never legally adopted his stepsons, since the Kid would also be referred to by his last name McCarty in Silver City. The infamous Old West outlaw was first arrested at. Add languages. A more likely explanation, however, was his slender physique, "which placed him in precarious situations with bigger and stronger boys".[24]. Now fighting for the Tunstall side and in the hopes of a better future, the Kid changed his name to William H. Bonney, but his friends called him Kid. Tensions were high and the feud between Dolan and Tunstall escalated in to bloody violence. Billy the Kid's real name was William Henry McCarty (1), when and where he was born, or who or what happened to his father is not known. Abrana Garcia lived in Fort Sumner at the time Billy the Kid frequented the town.