Post on 10-Jan-2016
description
The Lincoln County War
1878-1881
The Town of Lincoln.
Photo taken in 1880.
WORDS TO REMEMBER
Lawlessness- disorder
Amnesty- official pardon
Ambushed- trap
Proclamation- public statement
Posse- group
Indicted- charged
Exterminate- destroy
Forage- hunt or scavenge
Immobilize- put out of action
Vocabulary
KEY PLAYERS
Lawrence G. Murphy
Alexander A. McSween
James J. Dolan
John Henry Tunstall
Pat Garrett
General Lew Wallace
Susan McSween
Sheriff William Brady
Colonel N.A.M. Dudley
Regulators
William H. Bonney (also know as) Billy the Kid
Much of Hollywood was taken with the saga of the Lincoln County War where characters like Lawrence Murphy, James Dolan, and Alexander McSween fought for political control of the county. LAWLESSNESS and ruthless pursuit of power led to the legend of William H. Bonney, also know as Billy the Kid. With the end of the Kid’s reign of terror also came the
end of the outlaw days of the New Mexico Territory but prolonged statehood for New Mexico.
Introduction
Hollywood Fiction
What really happened in the Lincoln County War? The true story starts with the Santa Fe Ring. The Santa Fe Ring was a loose group of lawyers, newspaper owners,
politicians, and businessmen determined to run the New Mexico Territory by controlling its land. Land is an important need to both farmers and ranchers. The Santa Fe Ring bought the biggest amount of land, at the time, around Lincoln called the Carrizozo
Ranch, becoming part of the Lincoln County War.
The Santa Fe Ring
Lawrence Murphy, who belonged to the Santa Fe Ring, and James Dolan opened a store in Lincoln called The House in 1872. The House was a general store that sold, traded, or allowed customers to use credit to buy goods like flour, seeds, land, and
sometimes land that didn’t belong to Murphy or Dolan.
Judge Alexander McSween worked for Murphy and Dolan as a bill collector until Judge McSween began keeping some of the money he collected. While on a collection
Judge McSween met John Henry Tunstall in Santa Fe and encouraged Tunstall to move to Lincoln.
Taking Sides
In 1877 John Henry Tunstall purchased land and opened a store in Lincoln, which was competition
for Murphy and Dolan’s store. In retaliation, Murphy and Dolan had Judge McSween arrested for
keeping some of the money he collected.
Two Wrongs Don’t Make A Right
Judge Warren Bristol ordered Sheriff William Brady to obtain property from Judge McSween to pay for
Judge McSween’s $8000.00 bail. Sheriff Brady believed Judge McSween and Tunstall were partners
and began obtaining Tunstall’s property to pay Judge McSween’s bail. Brady sent a POSSE to take
Tunstall’s cattle too. Tunstall was traveling with some of the men who worked for him when the POSSE reached him outside of Lincoln. This is
where Tunstall was shot and died. One of the men traveling with Tunstall that day was William H.
Bonney, who became Billy the Kid. Billy formed a group called the Regulators who wanted justice for
their employers’ murder.Sheriff William Brady
In 1878 some of the Murphy-Dolan men were indicted for Tunstall’s murder. Murphy and Dolan began loosing money and had to close The House. Murphy died of an alcohol-related illness shortly after. Judge McSween was cleared of keeping some of the money he collected but had to hide in the hills surrounding Lincoln because other charges were
brought against him. Judge McSween’s wife Susan remained in Lincoln allowing the Regulators to stay at her house to protect her.
A Little Justice
Murphy-Dolan Store, The House, built in 1874, became headquarters during Lincoln County War. After the store failed, the building became county courthouse and jail for 33 years.
John Tunstall’s store, built in 1877, continued as a store for many years.
War The arrival of the Army gave the Murphy-Dolan side the upper hand because the
Army would not help the McSween side unless Judge McSween surrendered. Murphy-Dolan men managed to set
McSweens house on fire. Billy the Kid, who was leading the Regulators, ordered
the women and children to leave the house. After the sun went down Billy and most of the Regulators sprinted from the
burning house. Judge McSween was IMMOBILIZED and died at home.
Residents of Lincoln called for help from Colonel N.A.M. Dudley who was the
commanding officer at the near by Fort Stanton. Dudley sent one company of
cavalry and one company of infantry (a grand total of thirty-five men) who arrived
five days after the first bullet was fired.
When Judge McSween returned to Lincoln he brought about forty Regulators
determined to fight until the bitter end. Murphy-Dolan men positioned themselves
in houses, the former Tunstall store, the Torreon watch tower, and the Worthy Hotel. The McSweens, Elizabeth Shield plus her
five children, and about a dozen Regulators barricaded themselves in the McSween’s home. For four days both sides tried to
EXTERMINATE the other.
Murphy-Dolan Men
Billy and the Regulators were now on the run. Governor Lew Wallace issued a PROCLAMATION of general AMNESTY but the Regulators remained on the run,
continuing to steal horses and rustle cattle. Billy’s former friend Pat Garrett won the office of Sheriff in Lincoln
County. Garrett’s POSSE surrounded Billy the Kid in a FORAGE station called Stinking Springs. Billy
surrendered.
The newly arrived Santa Fe Railroad transported Billy from Las Vegas, New Mexico to Mesilla, New Mexico for trail. Billy was convicted and sentence to hang. Billy then was transported back to Lincoln to await execution. Once in
Lincoln Billy escaped from jail. Billy rode a horse to Fort Sumner, New Mexico where he hid for two months. Late
one night Billy went to visit a friend. There are many accusations as to what happened next. Some say Billy
escaped and lived a long life in either Ramah, New Mexico or in Texas while others believe Garret AMBUSHED Billy, shot him, and Billy was buried in Fort Sumner. Either way
Billy’s so-called reign of terror was over.
Outlaws and Lawmen
Billy the Kid
What happened to Susan McSween? Susan remarried, bought some land outside of
Tularosa, used Tunstall’s cattle to start her herd, and managed Three Rivers Land and Cattle Company. Over the next two
decades Susan’s business grew and she earned the title “Cattle Queen of New Mexico”. After moving to White Oaks, Susan
died in 1931 of influenza.
In the End
LINCOLN COUNTY REFERENCE MAP
Works CitedImages Billy the Kid Reward Poster. 2006. FanpopWeb. 8 Oct 2012. <http://www.fanpop.com/spots/young-guns/images/9753148/title/billy-kid-reward-poster-photo>. Historic Marker. N.d. Lincoln WarWeb. 8 Oct 2012. <http://www.galenfrysinger.com/new_mexico_lincoln_war.htm>. John Tunstall's Store. 2011. About Billy the KidWeb. 16 Oct 2012. <http://www.aboutbillythekid.com/Lincoln_County_War.htm>. Lincoln County Reference Map. 2005. Ruidoso New Mexico - Getting Here, Ruidoso. Web. 13 Oct 2012. <http://www.goruidoso.com/Map_Directions_for_Ruidoso_New_Mexico.html> LINCOLN COUNTY SHERIFF BADGE . 2012. The Old West GalleryWeb. 10 Oct 2012. <http://www.theoldwestgallery.com/servlet/the-41666/LINCOLN-COUNTY-SHERIFF-BADGE/Detail>. Sheriff William Brady . 2006. Chronicle of the Old WestWeb. 9 Oct 2012. <http://www.chronicleoftheoldwest.com/last_week_06-march.shtml>. Susan McSween. N.d. AngelfireWeb. 14 Oct 2012. <http://www.angelfire.com/mi2/billythekid/alexmcsween.html>. The Five-Day Battle. N.d. AngelfireWeb. 15 Oct 2012. <http://www.angelfire.com/mi2/billythekid/fiveday.html>. The House. 2011. On Walkabout In: Loncoln, New MexicoWeb. 11 Oct 2012. <http://on-walkabout.com/2011/11/12/on-walkabout-in-lincoln-new-mexico/http://on-walkabout.com/2011/11/12/on-walkabout-in-lincoln-new-mexico/>. The Lincoln County Wars. 2010. Fixed Bayonet Model Soldiers: The Lincoln County WarsWeb. 11 Oct 2012. <http://fixedbayonet.blogspot.com/2010/02/lincoln-county-wars.html>.
William H. Bonney o Billy The Kid. 2011. Entre Penas y Gracias: Billy the KidWeb. 13 Oct 2012. <http://entrepenasygracias.blogspot.com/2011/01/billy-kid-129-anos-sin-perdon.html>. Young Guns Movie Poster. N.d. PhotobucketWeb. 8 Oct 2012. <http://s80.photobucket.com/albums/j174/christylejeune/FunStuff/?action=view¤t=YoungGuns.jpg>.
Written Sources Etulain, Richard W. New Mexican Lives . 1st. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2002. 193-218. Print. Garrett, Pat F. The Authentic Life of Billy, the Kid. 1st ed. 3. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1954. 45-57. Print. Roberts, Calvin A., and Susan A. Roberts. New Mexico. 1st Rev.ed. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2006. 124-29. Print.
Works Cited Continued