Transcript The Lincoln County War

1878-1881
The Town of
Lincoln.
Photo taken
in 1880.
WORDS TO REMEMBER
Vocabulary
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
KEY PLAYERS
General Lew Wallace
Lawrence G. Murphy
Susan McSween
Alexander A. McSween
Sheriff William Brady
James J. Dolan
Colonel N.A.M. Dudley
John Henry Tunstall
Regulators
Pat Garrett
William H. Bonney
(also know as) Billy the
Kid
Introduction
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.
Hollywood Fiction
The Santa Fe Ring
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.
Taking Sides
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.
Two Wrongs Don’t Make A Right
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.
Sheriff William Brady
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.
A Little Justice
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 alcoholrelated 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.
John Tunstall’s store, built in 1877,
continued as a store for many
years.
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.
War
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
The End of the Lincoln
County War
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.
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.
Outlaws and Lawmen
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.
Billy the Kid
AMBUSHED?
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 socalled reign of terror was over.
Santa Fe Railroad
In the End
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.
LINCOLN COUNTY REFERENCE MAP
Images
Works Cited
Billy the Kid Reward Poster. 2006. FanpopWeb. 8 Oct 2012. <http://www.fanpop.com/spots/youngguns/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/onwalkabout-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>.
Works Cited Continued
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.