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