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'{{Otheruses|Billy the Kid (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox Person | name = Billy the Kid | image = Billykid.jpg | caption = This [[Tintype|ferrotype]] photograph is a mirror image of the outlaw. | birth_name = Henry McCarty | alias = William H. Bonney, Billy the Kid | birth_date = {{birth date|1859|11|23}} | birth_place = [[New York City]], [[New York]], [[United States]] | death_date = {{death date and age|1881|07|14|1859|11|23}} | death_place = [[Fort Sumner, New Mexico|Fort Sumner]], [[New Mexico]] [[United States]] | occupation = [[Ranch hand]], [[Gambler]], [[Cattle rustler]], [[Outlaw]] | parents = '''Father''': unknown, poss. Patrick Henry McCarty, Michael McCarty ''or'' William Bonney<br /> '''Stepfather''': William Antrim<br /> '''Mother''': Catherine McCarty/Katherine McCarty Bonney '''Half-brother''': Joseph Antrim }} '''Henry McCarty''' (November 23, 1859<ref name="earlylife">{{cite web | url = http://www.aboutbillythekid.com/early_life.htm | title = Early Life | publisher = aboutbillythekid.com |accessdate = 2008-08-05}}</ref>&nbsp;&mdash; July 14, 1881), better known as '''Billy the Kid''', but also known by the aliases '''Henry Antrim''' and '''William H. Bonney''', was a [[19th century]] [[American frontier]] [[outlaw]] and gunman who participated in the so-called [[Lincoln County War]]. According to legend, he killed 21 men, one for each year of his life, but he most likely participated in the killing of fewer than half that number,<ref name="wallis244">Wallis (2007), p. 244.</ref> and he was undisputedly involved in the killing of four men.<ref name="wallis244"/> McCarty (or Bonney, the name he used at the height of his notoriety) was 5 ft 8 in to 5 ft 9 in (173-175&nbsp;cm) tall with blue eyes, a smooth complexion and prominent front teeth. He was said to be friendly and personable at times,<ref name="wallis129">Wallis (2007), p. 129.</ref><ref name="rasch126">Rasch (1995), p. 126.</ref> and many recalled that he was as "lithe as a cat".<ref name="wallis129"/> Contemporaries described him as a "neat" dresser who favored an "unadorned [[Mexican]] [[sombrero]]".<ref name="wallis129"/><ref name="utley15">Utley (1989), p. 15.</ref> These qualities, along with his cunning and celebrated skill with firearms, contributed to his paradoxical image, as both a notorious outlaw and beloved folk hero.<ref name="wallis244-245">Wallis (2007), pp. 244&ndash;245.</ref> A relative unknown during his own lifetime, he was catapulted into legend the year after his death when his killer, Sheriff [[Pat Garrett]], along with co-author M.A. "Ash" Upson, published a sensationalistic biography titled ''The Authentic Life of Billy, the Kid''. Beginning with Garrett's account, Billy the Kid grew into a symbolic figure of the [[American Old West]].<ref name="wallis249-250">Wallis (2007), pp. 249—250.</ref> ==Biography== ===HE ENJOYED POTATOES!!!!!!!=== Little is known about McCarty's origins, but most reputable scholars of western history agree that he "was born on the eve of the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] in the bowels of an [[Irish people|Irish]] neighborhood in [[New York City]]."<ref name="wallis6">Wallis (2007), p. 6.</ref><ref name="utley2">Utley (1989), p. 2.</ref> 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.<ref name="wallis6"/> There is clear evidence that his mother's name was Catherine McCarty, although "there have been continuing debates about whether McCarty was her maiden or married name".<ref name="wallis6"/><ref name="utley2"/> 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".<ref name="rockincherokee">{{cite web | url = http://www.rockincherokee.com/Billy.htm William Henry McCarty AKA Billy the Kid | first = Daniel | last = McCarty | title = Billy the Kid | publisher = rockincherokee.com | accessdate = 2009-08-27}}</ref> It is generally believed that McCarty's parents were survivors of the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Great Irish Famine]] of the mid-19th century.<ref name="wallis6"/><ref name="utley2"/> Some genealogists argue, however, that the future outlaw was born William Henry Bonney, the son of William Harrison Bonney and wife Katherine Boujean, paternal grandson of Levi Bonney and wife Rhoda Pratt and great-grandson of Obadiah Pratt, who in turn were the grandparents of [[Mormons|Mormon]] leader [[Parley P. Pratt]], making him and McCarty first cousins once removed.<ref name="wargs.com">{{cite web | url = http://www.wargs.com/political/romney.html | title = The Ancestors of Mit Romney | publisher = wargs.com | accessdate = 2008-08-03}}</ref> Furthermore, the late [[New Mexico]] historian, Herman P. Weisner, contended that McCarty was of partial [[Latino|Hispanic]] ancestry. Weisner's theory was based, in part, on the outlaw's remarkable fluency in [[Spanish language|Spanish]] and his well-known sympathy for the Hispanic people of the [[New Mexico Territory]].<ref name="wallis153-156">Wallis (2007), pp. 153—156.</ref> By 1868, Catherine McCarty had moved with her two young sons, Henry and Joseph, to [[Indianapolis, Indiana]].<ref name="wallis14">Wallis (2007), p. 14.</ref> There, she met William Antrim, who was 12 years her junior.<ref name="wallis16">Wallis (2007), p. 16.</ref> In 1873, after several years of moving around the country, the two were married at the First [[Presbyterian]] Church in [[Santa Fe, New Mexico]],<ref name="utley1">Utley (1989), p. 1.</ref> and settled further south in [[Silver City, New Mexico|Silver City]].<ref name="wallis52-56">Wallis (2007), pp. 52—56.</ref> Antrim found sporadic work as a bartender and carpenter but soon became more interested in prospecting and gambling for fortune than in his wife and stepsons.<ref name="wallis78">Wallis (2007), p. 78.</ref> Nevertheless, young McCarty often used the surname "Antrim" when referring to himself.<ref name="wallis55-56">Wallis (2007), pp. 55—56.</ref> Faced with a husband who was frequently absent, McCarty's mother reportedly washed clothes, baked pies, and took in boarders in order to provide for her sons.<ref name="wallis64">Wallis (2007), p. 64.</ref> Although she was fondly remembered by onetime boarders and neighbors as "a jolly Irish lady, full of life and mischief",<ref name=utley6>Utley (1989), p. 6.</ref> she was already in the final stages of [[tuberculosis]] when the family reached Silver City.<ref name="wallis76">Wallis (2007), p. 76.</ref> The following year, on September 16, 1874, Catherine McCarty died; she was buried in the Memory Lane Cemetery in Silver City.<ref name="wallis78"/> At age 14, McCarty was taken in by a neighboring family who operated a hotel where he worked to pay for his keep. The manager was impressed by the youth, contending that he was the only young man who ever worked for him that did not steal anything.<ref name="wallis84-85">Wallis (2007), 84—85.</ref> One of McCarty's school teachers later recalled that the young orphan was "no more of a problem than any other boy, always quite willing to help with chores around the schoolhouse".<ref name="wallis83">Wallis (2007), p. 83.</ref> Early biographers sought to explain McCarty's subsequent descent into lawlessness by focusing on his habit of reading [[pulp magazines|dime novels]] that romanticized crime. A more likely explanation, however, was his slender physique, "which placed him in precarious situations with bigger and stronger boys".<ref name="wallis87">Wallis (2007), p. 87.</ref> Forced to seek new lodgings when his foster family began to experience "domestic problems", McCarty moved into a [[boarding house]] and pursued odd jobs.<ref name="wallis87"/> In April, 1875, McCarty was arrested by [[Grant County, New Mexico|Grant County]] Sheriff [[Harvey Whitehill]], after McCarty stole some cheese. On September 24, 1875, McCarty was again arrested when he was found in possession of clothing and firearms that a fellow boarder had stolen from a [[Chinese people|Chinese]] laundry owner.<ref name="wallis87-88">Wallis (2007), pp. 87—88.</ref> Two days after McCarty was placed in [[County jail|jail]], the teenager escaped by worming his way up the jailhouse chimney. From that point on, McCarty was more or less a fugitive.<ref name="wallis89">Wallis (2007), p. 89.</ref> According to some accounts, he eventually found work as an itinerant ranch hand and shepherd in southeastern [[Arizona]].<ref name="wallis95">Wallis (2007), p. 95.</ref> In 1876, he settled in the vicinity of [[Fort Grant, Arizona|Fort Grant]] Army Post in Arizona, where he worked local ranches and tested his skills at local gaming houses.<ref name="wallis103">Wallis (2007), p. 103.</ref> Sheriff Whitehill would later say that he liked the boy, and his acts of theft were more due to necessity than wantonness. During this time, McCarty became acquainted with John R. Mackie, a [[Scottish people|Scottish]]-born ex-cavalry private with a criminal bent.<ref name="wallis107">Wallis (2007), p. 107.</ref> The two men supposedly became involved in the risky, but profitable, enterprise of horse thievery; and McCarty, who targeted local soldiers, became known by the sobriquet of "Kid Antrim".<ref name="wallis110-111">Wallis (2007), pp. 110—111.</ref> Biographer Robert M. Utley writes that the nickname arose because of McCarty's "slight build and beardless countenance, his young years, and his appealing personality".<ref name="utley16">Utley (1989), p. 16.</ref> In 1877, McCarty was involved in an altercation with the civilian blacksmith at Fort Grant, a loquacious Irish immigrant named Frank "Windy" Cahill, who took pleasure in bullying young McCarty.<ref name="wallis114">Wallis (2007), p. 114.</ref> On August 17, Cahill reportedly attacked McCarty after a verbal exchange and threw him to the ground. Reliable accounts suggest McCarty retaliated by drawing his gun and shooting Cahill, who died the next day.<ref name="wallis115">Wallis (2007), p. 115.</ref> Years later, Louis Abraham, who knew McCarty in Silver City, denied that anyone was killed in this altercation.<ref name=eulogy>{{cite web | url = http://www.aboutbillythekid.com?Eulogy.htm | title = Eulogy | publisher = aboutbillythekid.com | accessdate = 2008-08-04}}</ref> Records show, however, that a coroner's inquest concluded that McCarty's shooting of Cahill was "criminal and unjustifiable". Some of those who witnessed the incident later claimed that McCarty acted in self-defense.<ref name="wallis116">Wallis (s007), p. 116.</ref> In fear of Cahill's friends and associates, McCarty fled [[Arizona Territory]] and entered [[New Mexico]] Territory.<ref name="wallis119">Wallis (2007), p. 119.</ref> He eventually arrived at the former army post of Apache Tejo, where he joined a band of cattle rustlers who targeted the sprawling herds of cattle magnate [[John Chisum]].<ref name="wallis128">Wallis (2007), p. 128.</ref> During this period, McCarty was spotted by a resident of Silver City, and the teenager's involvement with the notorious gang was mentioned in a local newspaper.<ref name="wallis123-131">Wallis (2007), pp. 123—131.</ref> It is unclear how long McCarty rode with the gang of rustlers known as "the Boys", but reliable sources indicate that he soon turned up at the house of Heiskell Jones in the [[Fort Stanton|Pecos Valley]],<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=mYhw78YF12IC&pg=PA77&lpg=PA77&dq=%22Heiskell+Jones%22+-heather&source=bl&ots=hwJ0SrbNzy&sig=nR8Zw7nZbZkW_wzA_qK3_-Wf2pI&hl=en&ei=Rd48Su6JKZCEtwfNtN0F&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3 Heiskell Jones in Fort Stanton, New Mexico], in the Pecos Valley.</ref> New Mexico.<ref name="wallis144">Wallis (2007), p. 144.</ref> According to this account, [[Apache]]s stole McCarty's horse, forcing him to walk many miles to the nearest settlement, which happened to be Jones' home. When he arrived, the young man was supposedly near death, but Mrs. Jones nursed him back to health.<ref name="wallis144"/> The Jones family developed a strong attachment to McCarty and gave him one of their horses.<ref name="wallis144"/> At some point in 1877, McCarty began to refer to himself as "Willam H. Bonney".<ref name="wallis159">Wallis (2007), p. 159.</ref> ===Lincoln County War=== In the Autumn of 1877, McCarty (now widely known as Bonney) moved to [[Lincoln County, New Mexico]], and was first hired by [[Doc Scurlock]] and [[Charlie Bowdre]] to work in their [[cheese]] factory.<ref>{{cite web |first=Kathy |last=Weiser |url=http://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-docscurlock.html |title= Josiah Gordon "Doc" Scurlock - Cowboy Gunfighter |accessdate=2008-09-30 |publisher=Legends of America }}</ref> He met through them [[Frank Coe (Lincoln County War)|Frank Coe]], [[George Coe (Lincoln County War)|George Coe]] and [[Ab Saunders]], three cousins who owned their own ranch near to the ranch of [[Richard Brewer|Dick Brewer]]. After a short stint working on the ranch of [[Henry Hooker]], McCarty began working on the Coe-Saunders ranch.<ref>{{cite web |first=William H. |last=Wroth |url=http://www.newmexicohistory.org/filedetails.php?fileID=508 |title=Billy the Kid |accessdate=2008-09-30 |publisher=New Mexico Office of the State Historian }}</ref> Late in 1877, McCarty, along with Brewer, Bowdre, Scurlock, the Coes and the Saunders, was hired as a cattle guard by [[John Tunstall]], an [[English people|English]] cattle rancher, banker and merchant, and his partner, [[Alexander McSween]], a prominent lawyer.<ref name="wallis193-196">Wallis (2007), pp. 193—196.</ref> A conflict known today as the [[Lincoln County War]] had erupted between the established town merchants, [[Lawrence Murphy]] and [[James Dolan (Lincoln County War)|James Dolan]], and local ranchers.<ref name="wallis196-197">Wallis (2007), pp. 196—197.</ref> Events turned bloody on February 18, 1878, when an unarmed Tunstall was spotted herding cattle on the open range and murdered by William Morton, [[Jessie Evans (outlaw)|Jessie Evans]], Tom Hill, and Frank Baker — all members of the Murphy-Dolan faction.<ref name="wallis197-198">Wallis (2007), pp. 197—198.</ref> After murdering Tunstall, the gunmen shot down his prized bay horse.<ref name="utley46">Utley (1989), p. 46.</ref> "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.<ref name="molan272">Nolan (1965), p. 272.</ref> Although members of the Murphy-Dolan faction sought to frame Tunstall's death as a "justifiable homicide", evidence at the scene suggested that Tunstall attempted to avoid a confrontation before he was shot down.<ref name="jacobsen87-90">Jacobsen (1994), pp. 87—90.</ref> Tunstall's murder enraged McCarty and the other ranch hands.<ref name="wallis198-199">Wallis (2007), pp. 198—199.</ref> McSween, who abhorred violence, took steps to punish Tunstall's murderers through legal means; he obtained warrants for their arrests from the local justice of the peace John B. Wilson.<ref name="wallis199">Wallis (2007), p. 199.</ref> Tunstall's men formed their own group called the [[Lincoln County Regulators|Regulators]].<ref name="jacobsen107-108">Jacobsen (1994), pp. 107—108.</ref> After being deputized by rancher [[Richard Brewer|Richard "Dick" Brewer]], Tunstall's foreman, who had been appointed a special constable and given the warrant to arrest Tunstall's killers, they proceeded to the Murphy-Dolan ranch.<ref name="wallis200">Wallis (2007), p. 200.</ref> The wanted men, Bill Morton and Frank Baker, attempted to flee, but they were captured on March 6. Upon returning to Lincoln, the Regulators reported that Morton and Baker had been shot on March 9 near [[Mora_County,_New_Mexico#History|Agua Negra]] during an alleged escape attempt.<ref name="wallis200-201">Wallis (2007), pp. 200—201.</ref><ref name="jacobsen111-112">Jacobsen (1994), pp. 111—112.</ref><ref name="burns89-90">Burns (1953/1992), pp. 89—90.</ref> 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.<ref name="wallis200-201"/><ref name="SOTP">{{cite web | url = http://www.sptddog.com/sotp/billy.html | title = Chronology of Billy the Kid | publisher = Shadows of the Past, Inc. | accessdate = 2008-08-04}}</ref><ref name="burns90">Burns (1953/1992), p. 90.</ref> On the very day that McCloskey, Morton, and Baker were slain, Governor [[Samuel Beach Axtell]] arrived in New Mexico Territory to investigate the ongoing violence. The governor, accompanied by James Dolan and associate John Riley, proved hostile to the faction now headed by McSween. Thus, the Regulators "went from lawmen to outlaws".<ref name="wallis201">Wallis (2007), p. 201.</ref> Notably, Axtell refused to acknowledge the existence of the so-called "Santa Fe Ring", a group of corrupt Republican politicians and business leaders led by U.S. Attorney [[Thomas B. Catron|Thomas Benton Catron]].<ref name="jacobsen44-45">Jacobsen (1994), pp. 44&ndash;45.</ref> Catron cooperated closely with the Murphy-Dolan faction, which was perceived as part of the notorious "ring".<ref name="jacobsen51-52">Jacobsen (1994), pp. 51&ndash;52.</ref> Unfazed, the Regulators planned to settle a score with Sheriff [[William J. Brady]], who had arrested McCarty and fellow deputy [[Fred Waite]] in the aftermath of Tunstall's murder. At the time Brady arrested them, the two men were attempting to serve a warrant on Brady for his suspected role in looting Tunstall's store after the Englishman's death.<ref name="wallis199">Wallis (2007), p. 199.</ref> On April 1, Regulators [[Jim French (cowboy)|Jim French]], [[Frank McNab]], [[John Middleton (cowboy)|John Middleton]], Fred Waite, [[Henry Newton Brown|Henry Brown]] and McCarty ambushed Sheriff Brady<ref name="brady">{{cite web | url = http://www.odmp.org/officer/2168-sheriff-william-brady | title = Sheriff William Brady | publisher = The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc. | accessdate = 2008-08-04}}</ref> and his deputy, [[George W. Hindman]],<ref name="hindman">{{cite web | url = http://www.odmp.org/officer/6526-deputy-sheriff-george-hindman | title = Deputy Sheriff George Hindman | publisher = The Officers Down Memorial Page, Inc. | accessdate = 2008-08-04}}</ref> killing them both in Lincoln's main street. McCarty was shot in the thigh while attempting to retrieve a rifle that Brady had seized from him during an earlier arrest.<ref name = "SOTP" /> With this move, the McSween faction disillusioned many former supporters, who came to view both sides as "equally nefarious and bloodthirsty".<ref name="wallis202">Wallis (2007), p. 202.</ref> The connection between McSween and the Regulators was ambiguous, however. McCarty was loyal to the memory of Tunstall, though not necessarily to McSween.<ref name="jacobsen133">Jacobsen (1994), p. 133.</ref> There is some doubt as to whether McCarty and McSween were even acquainted at the time of Brady's death.<ref name="jacobsen133"/> According to a contemporary newspaper account, the Regulators disclaimed "all connection or sympathy with McSween and his affairs" and expressed their sole desire to track down Tunstall's murderers.<ref name="jacobsen133"/> On April 4, in what became known as the [[Gunfight of Blazer's Mills]], the Regulators sought the arrest of an old buffalo hunter known as [[Buckshot Roberts]], whom they suspected of involvement in the Tunstall slaying.<ref name="wallis203">Wallis (2007), p. 203.</ref> Roberts, however, refused to be taken alive, even after he suffered a severe bullet wound to the chest.<ref name="burns97-98">Burns (1953/1992), pp. 97—98.</ref> During the gun battle that ensued, Roberts shot and killed the Regulators' leader, Dick Brewer.<ref name="wallis203"/><ref name="jacobsen144-145">Jacobsen (1994), pp. 144—145.</ref> Four other Regulators were wounded in the skirmish.<ref name = "SOTP" /> The incident had the effect of further alienating the public, given that many local residents "admired the way Roberts put up a gutsy fight against overwhelming odds".<ref name="wallis204">Wallis (2007), p. 204.</ref> ====Killing of Frank McNab and after==== After Brewer's death, Frank McNab was elected as captain of the Regulators.<ref name="wallis204">Wallis (2007), p. 204.</ref> For a short period, the Regulators benefited from the appointment of Sheriff John Copeland, who proved sympathetic to the McSween faction.<ref name="wallis204"/> Copeland's authority, however, was undermined by the Murphy-Dolan faction, which promptly rounded up recruits from among Sheriff Brady's former deputies.<ref name="wallis205">Wallis (2007), p. 205.</ref> On April 29, 1878, a posse including the Jessie Evans Gang and the [[Seven Rivers Warriors]], under the direction of former Brady deputy George W. Peppin, engaged Regulators Frank McNab, Ab Saunders and Frank Coe in a shootout at the Fritz Ranch.<ref name="wallis205"/> McNab was killed in a hail of gunfire, while Saunders was severely wounded and Frank Coe was captured.<ref name="wallis205"/> Frank Coe escaped custody a short time later, when his captors were occupied elsewhere.<ref name="wallis206">Wallis (2007), p. 206.</ref> What is known about the morning following McNab's death is that the Regulator "iron clad" took up defensive positions in the town of Lincoln, trading shots with Dolan men as well as [[Cavalry (United States)|U.S. cavalry]]men.<ref name="wallis205-206">Wallis (2007), pp. 205—206.</ref> The only casualty was Dutch Charley Kruling, a Dolan man wounded by a rifle slug fired by George Coe at a distance of 440 paces.<ref>{{cite book |last=Caldwell |first=C.R. |title=Dead Right - The Lincoln County War |year=2008 |publisher=Clifford, Caldwell | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=HSysw_UbEIQC |isbn=0615171524 |page=108 }}</ref> By shooting at government troops, the Regulators earned their animosity and gained a whole new set of enemies. On May 15, the Regulators tracked down Seven Rivers gang member Manuel Segovia, the suspected murderer of Frank McNab, and shot him to death.<ref name="wallis209-210">Wallis (2007), pp. 209—210.</ref> Around the time of Segovia's death, the Regulator "iron clad" gained a new member, a young Texas "cowpoke" named [[Tom O'Folliard]], who became McCarty's close friend and constant companion.<ref name="wallis212">Wallis (2007), p. 212.</ref> 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.<ref name="wallis211">Wallis (2007), p. 211.</ref> Under indictment for the Brady killing, McCarty and the other Regulators spent the next several months in hiding and were trapped, along with McSween, in McSween's home in Lincoln on July 15, by members of "The House" (as the Murphy-Dolan faction was known) and some of Brady's men.<ref name="wallis212-213">Wallis (2007), pp. 212—213.</ref> On July 19, a column of U.S. cavalry soldiers entered the fray. Ostensibly neutral, the column's actions worked to the clear advantage of the Dolan faction.<ref name="wallis213-214">Wallis (2007), pp. 213—214.</ref> After a five day siege, McSween's house was set on fire. McCarty and the other Regulators fled, although McCarty is believed by some to have killed one "House" member named Bob Beckwith.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newmexico.org/western/learn/billy_the_kid.php |title=Billy the Kid |accessdate=2008-09-30 |publisher=New Mexico Tourism }}</ref> McSween was shot down while fleeing the blaze, and his death essentially marked the end of the Lincoln County Cattle War.<ref name="wallis214-215">Wallis (2007), pp. 214—215.</ref> ===Lew Wallace and amnesty=== In the Autumn of 1878, a former [[Union Army]] general, [[Lew Wallace]], became Governor of the New Mexico Territory.<ref name="wallis225">Wallis (2007), p. 225.</ref> In an effort to restore peace to Lincoln County, Wallace proclaimed an amnesty for any man involved in the Lincoln County War who was not already under indictment.<ref name="wallis225"/> McCarty, who had fled to Texas after his escape from McSween's house, was under indictment, but Wallace was intrigued by rumors that the young man was willing to surrender himself and testify against other combatants if amnesty could be extended to him.<ref name="wallis227-228">Wallis (2007), pp. 227—228.</ref> In March 1879, Wallace and McCarty met in Lincoln County to discuss the possibility of a deal. True to form, McCarty greeted the governor with a revolver in one hand and a [[Winchester rifle]] in the other. After taking several days to consider Wallace's offer, McCarty agreed to testify in return for amnesty.<ref name="wallis227-228"/> The arrangement called for McCarty to submit to a token arrest and a short stay in jail until the conclusion of his courtroom testimony.<ref name="wallis227-228"/> Although McCarty's testimony helped to indict John Dolan, the district attorney, one of the powerful "House" faction leaders, disregarded Wallace's order to set McCarty free after his testimony.<ref name="wallis 228-229">Wallis (2207), pp. 228—229.</ref> After the trial, McCarty and O'Folliard slipped away on horses that were supplied by friends.<ref name="wallis229">Wallis (2007), p. 229.</ref> For the next year-and-a-half, McCarty survived by rustling, gambling, and taking defensive action. In January 1880, during a well documented altercation, he killed a man named Joe Grant in a [[Fort Sumner]] saloon.<ref name="wallis233">Wallis (2007), p. 233.</ref> Grant, who did not realize he was playing poker with McCarty, boasted that he would kill "Billy the Kid" if he ever encountered him. In those days people only loaded their revolvers with five rounds with the hammer down on an empty chamber. This was done to prevent an accidental discharge should the hammer be struck, thereby impacting the primer of the chambered round, inadvertently firing the pistol. The Kid asked Grant if he could see his ivory handled revolver and, while looking at the weapon, rotated the cylinder so the hammer would fall on the empty chamber when the trigger was pulled.<ref name="wallis233"/> He then informed Grant of his identity. When Grant fired, nothing happened, and McCarty then shot him. When asked about the incident later, he remarked, "It was a game for two, and I got there first".<ref name="wallis234">Wallis (2007), p. 234.</ref> Other versions of this story exist. One biographer, Joel Jacobsen, describes Grant as a "drunk" who was "making himself obnoxious in a bar".<ref name="jacobsen217-218">Jacobsen (1994), pp. 217&ndash;218.</ref> As in other versions of the incident, the Kid is described as rotating the cylinder "so an empty chamber was beneath the hammer". In Jacobsen's version, however, Grant attempted to shoot McCarty unawares. "As [McCarty] was leaving the saloon, his back turned to Grant, he heard a distinct click", Jacobsen writes. "He spun around before Grant could reach a loaded chamber. Always a good marksman, he shot Grant in the chin".<ref name="jacobsen217-218"/> 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, New Mexico|White Oaks]] area.<ref name="wallis236">Wallis (2007), p. 236.</ref> A posse member named James Carlysle<ref name="carlysle">{{cite web | url = http://www.odmp.org/officer/2797-deputy-sheriff-james-carlysle | title = Deputy Sheriff James Carlysle | publisher = The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc. | accessdate = 2008-08-04 }}</ref> ventured into the house under a [[white flag]], in an effort to negotiate the group's surrender.<ref name="wallis236"/> Meanwhile, Greathouse was sent out to act as a hostage for the posse.{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}} At some point in the evening, Carlysle evidently decided the outlaws were stalling. According to one version of events, Carlysle heard a shot that had been fired accidentally outside. Concluding that the posse members had shot down Greathouse, he chose to run for his life. Carlysle crashed through a window and jumped into the snow.{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}} The posse, mistaking Carlysle for a member of the gang, fired and killed him.<ref name="wallis236"/> Recognizing their mistake, the posse members became demoralized and scattered, enabling McCarty and his gang to slip away. McCarty vehemently denied shooting Carlysle,<ref name="wallis236"/> and later wrote to Governor Wallace, claiming to be innocent of this crime and others attributed to him.<ref name="wallis237">Wallis (2007), p. 237.</ref> === Pat Garrett=== [[Image:Pat Garrett2.jpg|thumb|A photograph of Sheriff Pat Garrett]] During this time, McCarty became acquainted with an ambitious local bartender and former buffalo hunter named [[Pat Garrett]].<ref name="wallis234" /> While popular accounts often depict McCarty and Garrett as "bosom buddies", there is no concrete evidence that they were ever friends.<ref name="wallis235">Wallis (2007), p. 235.</ref> Running on a pledge to rid the area of rustlers, Garrett was elected as sheriff of Lincoln County in November 1880, and in early December, he assembled a posse and set out to arrest McCarty, now known almost exclusively as "Billy the Kid" and carrying a $500 bounty on his head.<ref name="wallis236-238">Wallis (2007), pp. 236—238.</ref> The posse led by Garrett fared well, and his men closed in quickly. On December 19, McCarty barely escaped a midnight ambush in [[Fort Sumner]], which left one member of the gang, Tom O'Folliard, dead.<ref name="wallis238">Wallis (2007), p. 238.</ref> On [[December 23]], the Kid was tracked to an abandoned stone building located in a remote location known as Stinking Springs. While McCarty and his gang were asleep inside, Garrett's posse surrounded the building and waited for sunrise. The next morning, a cattle rustler named Charlie Bowdre stepped outside to feed his horse.<ref name="jacobsen226">Jacobsen (1994), p. 226.</ref> Mistaken for McCarty, he was shot down by the posse.<ref name="jacobsen226"/> Soon afterward, somebody from within the building reached for the horse's halter rope, but Garrett shot and killed the horse, whose body blocked the building's only exit.<ref name="wallis239">Wallis (2007), p. 239.</ref> As the lawmen began to cook breakfast over an open fire, Garrett and McCarty engaged in a friendly exchange, with Garrett inviting McCarty outside to eat, and McCarty inviting Garrett to "go to hell".<ref name="wallis239"/> Realizing that they had no hope of escape, the besieged and hungry outlaws finally surrendered later that day and were allowed to join in the meal.<ref name="wallis239"/> === Escape from Lincoln === [[Image:LincolnNM Jail and Courthouse.jpg|thumb|Courthouse and jail, Lincoln, New Mexico]] McCarty was transported from Fort Sumner to [[Las Vegas, New Mexico|Las Vegas]], where he spent much of his time giving interviews to reporters.<ref name="wallis240-241">Wallis (2007), pp. 240—241.</ref> Next, the prisoner was transferred to Santa Fe, where he peppered Governor Wallace with letters seeking clemency.<ref name="wallis241">Wallis (2007), p. 241.</ref> Wallace, however, refused to intervene,<ref name="wallis241"/> and the Kid's trial was held in April 1881 in [[Mesilla]].<ref name="wallis242">Wallis (2007), p. 242.</ref> On April 9, after two days of testimony, McCarty was found guilty of the murder of Sheriff Brady, the only conviction ever secured against any of the combatants in the Lincoln County Cattle War.<ref name="wallis242"/> On April 13, he was sentenced by Judge Warren Bristol to [[hanging|hang]].<ref name="wallis242"/> With his execution scheduled for May 13, McCarty was removed to Lincoln, where he was held under guard by two of Garrett's deputies, James Bell and Robert Ollinger, on the top floor of the town courthouse. On April 28, while Garrett was out of town, McCarty stunned the territory by killing both of his guards and escaping.<ref name="wallis243-244">Wallis (2007), pp. 243—244.</ref> The details of the escape are unclear. Some researchers believe that a sympathizer placed a pistol in a nearby privy that McCarty was permitted to use, under escort, each day. McCarty retrieved the gun, and turned it on Bell when the pair had reached the top of a flight of stairs in the courthouse. Another theory holds that McCarty slipped off his manacles at the top of the stairs, struck Bell<ref name="bell">{{cite web | url = http://www.odmp.org/officer/1713-deputy-sheriff-james-w.-bell | title = Deputy Sheriff James W. Bell | publisher = The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc. | accessdate = 2008-08-04}}</ref> over the head with them, grabbed Bell's own gun, and shot him with it.<ref name = "SOTP" /> Whatever happened, Bell staggered into the street and collapsed, mortally wounded.<ref name="wallis244" /> Meanwhile, McCarty scooped up Ollinger's<ref name="olinger">{{cite web | url = http://www.odmp.org/officer/10157-deputy-marshal-robert-olinger |title=Deputy Marshal Robert Olinger |publisher=The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc. |accessdate=2008-08-04}}</ref> 10-gauge double barrel [[shotgun]] and waited at the upstairs window for Ollinger, who had been across the street with some other prisoners, to come to Bell's aid. As Ollinger came running into view, McCarty leveled the shotgun at him, called out "Hello Bob!" and shot him dead.<ref name="wallis244"/><ref name="burns248-249">Burns (1953/1992), pp. 248—249.</ref> The townsfolk supposedly gave him an hour that he used to remove his leg iron. The hour was reportedly granted in appreciation for his work as part of "The Regulators". After cutting his leg irons with an axe, the young outlaw borrowed (or stole) a horse and rode leisurely out of town, reportedly singing.<ref name="wallis244"/> The horse was returned two days later.<ref name="wallis245">Wallis (2007), p. 245.</ref> === Death === [[Image:Billy the Kids' grave TX.jpg|thumb|Billy the Kid's grave, Fort Sumner, New Mexico.]] Responding to rumors that McCarty was still lurking in the vicinity of Fort Sumner almost three months after his escape, Sheriff Garrett and two deputies set out on July 14, 1881, to question one of the town's residents, a friend of McCarty's named Pedro Maxwell (son of land baron [[Lucien Maxwell]]).<ref name="wallis246">Wallis (2007), p. 246.</ref> Close to midnight, as Garrett and Maxwell sat talking in Maxwell's darkened bedroom, McCarty unexpectedly entered the room.<ref name="wallis247">Wallis (2007), p. 247.</ref> There are at least two versions of what happened next. One version suggests that as the Kid entered, he failed to recognize Garrett in the poor light. McCarty drew his pistol and backed away, asking "¿Quién es? ¿Quién es?" ([[Spanish language|Spanish]] for "Who is it? Who is it?").<ref name="wallis247"/> Recognizing McCarty's voice, Garrett drew his own pistol and fired twice, the first bullet striking McCarty just above his heart, killing him.<ref name="wallis247"/> In a second version, McCarty entered carrying a knife, evidently headed to a kitchen area. He noticed someone in the darkness, and uttered the words, "¿Quién es? ¿Quién es?" at which point he was shot and killed in ambush style. Although the popularity of the first story persists, and portrays Garrett in a better light, many historians contend that the second version is probably the accurate one.<ref name="otoole">{{cite web | url = http://deborahotoole.tripod.com/Kid/ | first = Deborah | last = O'Toole | title = Billy the Kid: Myths and Truths | publisher = tripod.com | accessdate = 2008-08-04}}</ref> A markedly different theory, in which Garrett and his posse set a trap for McCarty, has also been suggested. Most recently explored in the [[Discovery Channel]] documentary, ''Billy the Kid: Unmasked'', this theory contends that Garrett went to the bedroom of Pedro Maxwell's sister, Paulita, and bound and gagged her in her bed. Paulita was an acquaintance of Billy the Kid, and the two may have considered getting married. When McCarty arrived, Garrett was waiting behind Paulita's bed and shot the Kid. McCarty was buried the next day in Fort Sumner's old military cemetery, between his fallen companions Tom O'Folliard and Charlie Bowdre.<ref name="wallis249-250"/> A single tombstone was later erected over the graves, giving the three outlaws' names and with the word "Pals" also carved into it. The tombstone has been stolen and recovered three times since it was set in place in the 1940s, and the entire gravesite is now enclosed within a steel cage.<ref name="sumner">{{cite web | url = http://www.ftsumnerchamber.com/index.php/tourist.html | title = Tourist Attractions | publisher = Fort Sumner Chamber of Commerce | accessdate = 2008-08-04}}</ref> == Notoriety, fact vs. reputation == Like many gunfighters of the "Old West", Billy the Kid enjoyed a reputation built partly on exaggerated accounts of his exploits.<ref name="wallis220">Wallis (2007), p. 220.</ref> While McCarty was credited with the killing of no less than 20 men, the actual number was much closer to four.<ref name="wallis244"/> 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.<ref name="wallis220"/> The undeserved notoriety that McCarty gained during the Lincoln County War effectively doomed his appeals for [[amnesty]].<ref name="wallis236-237">Wallis (2007), pp. 236—237.</ref> A number of the Regulators faded away or secured amnesty, but McCarty was in no position to accomplish either. His negotiations with Governor Lew Wallace (famed Civil War general and author of the novel ''[[Ben-Hur (novel)|Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ]]'') for amnesty came to nothing. His position was further undermined by a string of negative newspaper editorials that referred to him as "Billy the Kid".<ref name="wallis236-237"/> When a reporter reminded Wallace that the Kid was depending on Wallace's intervention, the governor supposedly smiled and said, "Yes, but I can't see how a fellow like him can expect any clemency from me".<ref name="wallis241"/> One widely reported characteristic of Henry McCarty, a.k.a. Billy the Kid, has stood the test of research: his personal charisma and popularity. 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.<ref name=chrono>{{cite web | url=http://www.angelfire.com/mi2/billythekid/chronology2.html |title=Chronology of the Life of Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War, Part 2 |publisher=angelfire.com | accessdate = 2008-08-04}}</ref> He was fluent in Spanish, popular with the Latina girls, an accomplished dancer, and thus especially well-loved within the territory's Hispanic community. There, he was regarded as a champion of the oppressed.<ref name="wallis244-245"/> "His many Hispanic friends did not view him as a ruthless killer but rather as a defender of the people who was forced to kill in self-defense", Wallis writes. "In the time that the Kid roamed the land he chided Hispanic villagers who were fearful of standing up to the big ranchers who stole their land, water, and way of life".<ref name="wallis245"/> In this sense, the Lincoln County War was a microcosm of the struggle of New Mexico's established Hispanic ranching communities to hold onto their lands in the face of the encroachments of northern Republican carpetbaggers such as Dolan, Fritz, Martin, Murphy and other corrupt members of the faction called "The House". This post-war struggle between Anglo-American newcomers and ancestral Hispanic ranchers divides New Mexico to this day along the old Republican-Democrat lines.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}} ==Left-handed or right-handed?== [[Image:Billy the Kid corrected.jpg|thumb|120px|As originally posed for [[Tintype|ferrotype]].]] It was widely assumed throughout much of the [[20th century]] that Billy the Kid was [[left-handed]]. This perception was encouraged by the only documented photograph of McCarty (an undated ferrotype), in which he appears to be wearing a gun belt with a holster on his left side. (All Winchester 1873 rifles were made with the loading gate on the right side of the receiver: the "left-handed" photograph is a mirror image.) 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]]''. However, a 1954 book states that McCarty was "right-handed and carried his pistol on his right hip".<ref name="pictorial-righthanded">{{cite book |url=http://books.google.com/books?ei=If47SsPHEZnkygSEl8i6BQ&id=WnR5AAAAMAAJ&dq=pictorial+wild+west+1954&q=right-handed&pgis=1 |title=Pictorial History of the Wild West: A True Account of the Bad Men, Desperadoes, Rustlers, and Outlaws of the Old West--and the Men who Fought Them to Establish Law and Order |last=Horan |first=James David |last2=Sann |first2=Paul |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group|Crown Publishers]] |year=1954 |edition=6}}</ref> In response to a story from ''[[The Guardian]]'' that used an uncorrected McCarty ferrotype, Clyde Jeavons, a former [[curator]] of the [[BFI National Archive|National Film and Television Archive]], cited the book and added: {{quote|This particular reproduction error has occurred so often in books and other publications over the years that it has led to the myth that Billy the Kid was left-handed, for which there is no evidence. On the contrary, the evidence (from viewing his photo correctly) is that he was right-handed: he wears his pistol on his right hip with the butt pointing backwards in a conventional right-handed draw position.<ref>Qtd. in {{cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2001/mar/03/1 |last=Mayes |first=Ian |title=I kid you not |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=2001-03-03 |accessdate=2009-06-19 }}</ref>}} Wallis wrote in 2007 that McCarty was [[ambidextrous]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2007/jun/10/the-fact-and-fiction-32of-americas-outlaw/print/ |title=The fact and fiction of America's outlaw |last=Goode |first=Stephen |work=[[The Washington Times]] |date=2007-06-10 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5hfNVN6Db |archivedate=2009-06-20 |accessdate=2009-06-20 |quote=Billy loved to sing and had a good voice, those who knew him claimed.&nbsp;... He was ambidextrous and wrote well with both hands. }}</ref> == Personality traits according to first-hand accounts == * [[Frank Coe (Lincoln County War)|Frank Coe]], who rode as a [[Lincoln County Regulators|Regulator]], recalled years after the Kid's death: "I never enjoyed better company. He was humorous and told me many amusing stories. HE ENJOYED POTATOES. He always found a touch of humor in everything, being naturally full of fun and jollity. Though he was serious in emergencies, his humor was often apparent even in such situations. Billy stood with us to the end, brave and reliable, one of the best soldiers we had. He never pushed in his advice or opinions, but he had a wonderful presence of mind. The tighter the place the more he showed his cool nerve and quick brain. He never seemed to care for money, except to buy cartridges with. Cartridges were scarce, and he always used about ten times as many as everyone else. He would practice shooting at anything he saw, from every conceivable angle, on and off his horse".<ref name=eulogy>[http://www.aboutbillythekid.com/Eulogy.htm "Eulogy."] ''About Billy the Kid''. Page 1.</ref> * [[George Coe (Lincoln County War)|George Coe]], a cousin to Frank who also served as a Regulator, stated: "Billy was a brave, resourceful and honest boy. He would have been a successful man under other circumstances. The Kid was a thousand times better and braver than any man hunting him, including [[Pat Garrett]]".<ref name=eulogy/> * [[Susan McSween]], [[widow]] of [[Alexander McSween]], stated: "Billy was not a bad man, that is he was not a murderer who killed wantonly. Most of those he killed deserved what they got. Of course I cannot very well defend his stealing horses and cattle, but when you consider that the [[Lawrence Murphy|Murphy]], [[James Dolan (Lincoln County War)|Dolan]], and Riley people forced him into such a lawless life through efforts to secure his arrest and conviction, it is hard to blame the poor boy for what he did".<ref name=eulogy/> * Deluvina Maxwell, a friend of Billy the Kid, stated: "Garrett was afraid to go back in the room to make sure of whom he had shot. I went in and was the first to discover that they had killed my little boy. I hated those men and am glad that I lived long enough to see them all dead and buried".<ref name=eulogy/> * Louis Abraham, who befriended the Kid in [[Silver City, New Mexico]], stated: "The story of Billy the Kid killing a [[blacksmith]] in Silver City is false. Billy was never in any trouble at all. He was a good boy, maybe a little too mischievous at times. When the boy was placed in jail and escaped, he was not bad, just scared. If he had only waited until they let him out he would have been all right, but he was scared and ran away. He got in with a band of rustlers in Apache Tejo in part of the county where he was made a hardened character".<ref name=eulogy/> ==People claiming to be Billy the Kid== Legends grew over time that Billy the Kid had somehow cheated death, despite eyewitness accounts of his slaying.<ref name="wallisxiv">Wallis (2007), p. xiv.</ref> In 2004, researchers sought to exhume the remains of Catherine Antrim, McCarty's mother, "so her DNA could be tested and compared with DNA to be taken from the body buried under the Kid's gravestone".<ref name="wallisxiv"/> Ultimately, the case was bogged down in the courts, "much to the delight of New Mexico Governor [[Bill Richardson]], who knows all too well the value of Billy as a cultural icon and a draw for tourists".<ref name="wallisxiv"/> At least two men claimed to be McCarty, and they were successful in persuading a small segment of the public. ===Brushy Bill=== In 1949, a paralegal named William Morrison located a man in West Texas named [[Ollie P. Roberts]] (nicknamed "Brushy Bill"), who claimed to be Billy the Kid and challenged the popular account of Billy's slaying at the hands of Pat Garrett in 1881. Most historians reject Brushy Bill's claim, although his argument was not entirely bereft of supporting evidence. Despite discrepancies in birth dates and physical appearance, the town of [[Hico, Texas]] (Brushy Bill's residence), has capitalized on the Kid's infamy by opening the ''Billy The Kid Museum''.<ref>Texas Department of Transportation, ''Texas State Travel Guide, 2008'', pp. 200-201</ref> ===John Miller=== Another individual who allegedly claimed to be Billy the Kid was [[John Miller (outlaw)|John Miller]], whose family supported his claim in 1938, some time after Miller's death. Miller was buried at the state-owned Pioneers' Home Cemetery in [[Prescott, Arizona]]. Tom Sullivan, a former sheriff of Lincoln County, and Steve Sederwall, a former mayor of Capitan, disinterred the bones of John Miller in May 2005.<ref name="lbanks">{{cite web | url = http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/Currents/Content?oid=81013 | first = Leo W. | last = Banks | title = A New Billy the Kid? | publisher = Tucson Weekly | accessdate = 2008-08-04}}</ref> DNA samples from the remains were sent to a lab in [[Dallas, Texas]], to be compared with traces of blood obtained from a bench that was believed to be the one upon which McCarty's body was placed after he was shot to death. The pair had been searching for McCarty's physical remains since 2003, starting in [[Fort Sumner, New Mexico]], and eventually ending up in Arizona. To date, no results of the DNA tests have been made public. ==Selected references in popular culture== <!--"Selected" means that the inclusion of items in these sections are limited to the highest profile, most historically reflective, or well known. The section is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of everything about Billy the Kid that has ever been done. Please do not add to these sections unless you have broached it on the article talk page first. The article cannot encompass all pop culture references to Billy the Kid, nor should it. Don't add "The Simpsons" - it isn't a real reflection of this person. The music section is limited to music contained in films about him, or complete works focusing on him or the genre of Western and/of gunfighting. Billy Joel doesn't meet that definition. Thanks. NO MORE ADDITIONS.--><!--NO MORE ADDITIONS.--><!--NO MORE ADDITIONS.--> :'''''Billy the Kid''' has been the subject and inspiration for many popular works, including:'' ===Literature=== *''The Collected Works of Billy the Kid: Left-handed Poems'', by [[Michael Ondaatje]], 1970 [[Governor General's Award#Governor General's Literary Awards|Governor General's Award]]-winning biography in the form of experimental poetry. ===Film=== <!-- Sorted by release date --> * ''[[Billy the Kid (1930 film)|Billy the Kid]]'', 1930 [[widescreen]] film directed by [[King Vidor]] and starring [[Johnny Mack Brown]] as Billy and [[Wallace Beery]] as Pat Garrett.<ref name="wallisxvi">Wallis (2007), p. xvi.</ref> * ''Billy the Kid Returns'', 1938: [[Roy Rogers]] plays a dual role, Billy the Kid and his dead-ringer lookalike who shows up after the Kid has been shot by Pat Garrett. * ''[[Billy the Kid (1941 film)|Billy the Kid]]'', 1941 remake of the 1930 film, starring [[Robert Taylor (actor)|Robert Taylor]] and [[Brian Donlevy]]. * [[Buster Crabbe]] played Billy the Kid in a serial series during 1942 and 1943. The thirteen films included ''Blazing Frontier'', ''The Renegade'', ''Cattle Stampede'', and ''Western Cyclone'' (1943).<ref>[[Buster Crabbe|Buster Crabbe's]] [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185568/#actor1940 filmography] at the [[Internet Movie Database]]</ref> * ''[[The Outlaw]]'', [[Howard Hughes|Howard Hughes']] [[1943 in film|1943]] motion picture featuring [[Jane Russell]] in her breakthrough role as the Kid's fictional love interest. * ''The Kid from Texas'' (1950, Universal International) film starring [[Audie Murphy]]--location of title character's place of origin changed to appeal to Texans and capitalize on Murphy association with that state. * ''The Law vs Billy the Kid'' (1954, Columbia Pictures Corporation) starring Scott Brady. * ''[[The Left Handed Gun]]'', [[Arthur Penn|Arthur Penn's]] [[1958 in film|1958]] motion picture based on a [[Gore Vidal]] [[teleplay]], starring [[Paul Newman]] as Billy and [[John Dehner]] as Garrett. * ''[[Chisum]]'', 1970 movie starring [[John Wayne]] as [[John Chisum]], dealing with Billy the Kid's involvement in the Lincoln County War, portrayed by [[Geoffrey Deuel]]. * ''Dirty Little Billy'',<ref name="dirty">{{cite web | url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068487/ | title = Dirty Little Billy | publisher = imdb.com | accessdate = 2008-08-04}}</ref> Stan Dragoti's 1972 film starring [[Michael J. Pollard]]. * ''[[Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid]]'', [[Sam Peckinpah|Sam Peckinpah's]] [[1973 in film|1973]] motion picture with [[Kris Kristofferson]] as Billy, [[James Coburn]] as Pat Garrett, and with a soundtrack by [[Bob Dylan]], who also appears in the movie. * ''[[Billy the Kid (1989 film)|Gore Vidal's Billy the Kid]]'',<ref name="billygore">{{imdb title|id=0097450/ |title= Billy the Kid}}</ref> Gore Vidal's 1989 film starring [[Val Kilmer]] as Billy and [[Duncan Regehr]] as Pat Garrett. * ''[[Young Guns]]'', Christopher Cain's [[1988 in film|1988]] motion picture starring [[Emilio Estevez]] as Billy and [[Patrick Wayne]], son of [[John Wayne]] as Pat Garrett. * ''[[Young Guns II]]'', [[Geoff Murphy|Geoff Murphy's]] [[1990 in film|1990]] motion picture starring [[Emilio Estevez]] as Billy and [[William Petersen]] as Pat Garrett. * ''[[Purgatory (film)]]'', [[Uli Edel|Uli Edel's]] [[1999 in film|1999]] made for TV movie starring [[Donnie Wahlberg]] as Deputy Glen/Billy The Kid. * ''Requiem for Billy the Kid'', Anne Feinsilber's [[2006 in film|2006]] motion picture starring [[Kris Kristofferson]]. * ''[[Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure]]'', in which Billy was portrayed by [[Dan Shor]], and referred to by the titular characters of that film as "Mister The Kid."<!--NO MORE ADDITIONS.--><!--NO MORE ADDITIONS.--><!--NO MORE ADDITIONS.--> ===Music=== <!--NO BILLY JOEL SONG ADDITIONS. IT IS ABOUT BILLY JOEL, NOT BILLY THE KID. IT WILL BE REMOVED AND REPORTED AS VANDALISM.--> * "Billy the Kid", a folk song in the public domain, was published in [[John A. Lomax]] and [[Alan Lomax|Alan Lomax's]] ''American Ballads and Folksongs'',<ref>MacMillan, (1934), p. 137</ref> and also their ''Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads''.<ref>MacMillan, (1938), pp. 140&ndash;141. From Jim Marby, recorded in 1911, Library of Congress E659098.</ref> * "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". He also recorded it in 1944 for Moe Asch's Asch/Folkways label (MA67).{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}} * [[Aaron Copland|Aaron Copland's]] ''Billy the Kid'', a highly popular ballet he completed in 1939. * Bob Dylan's album ''[[Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (album)|Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid]]'', soundtrack of the 1973 film by Sam Peckinpah. * [[Jon Bon Jovi|Jon Bon Jovi's]] album ''[[Blaze of Glory]]'', used as part of the soundtrack for ''Young Guns II'', and featured the song "Billy Get Your Gun". * [[Marty Robbins|Marty Robbins']] song "Billy the Kid" from the album ''Gunfighter Ballads & Trail Songs Volume 3''. * [[Marty Robbins|Marty Robbins']] song "Fastest Gun Around" from the 1963 album ''Return of the Gunfighter''. * Dave Stamey's "The Skies of Lincoln County", which features the deceased Bonney as narrator, answering historical distortions by Pat Garrett. * [[Ry Cooder]] recorded the folk song "Billy the Kid", on the album ''Into The Purple Valley'',<ref>1972 Reprise K44142</ref> with his own melody and instrumental. It was also on ''Ry Cooder Classics Volume II''.<ref>Japan 1992 P-Vine PCD 2541</ref><!--"Selected" means that the inclusion of items in these sections is limited to the highest profile, most historically reflective, or well known. The section is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of everything about Billy the Kid that has ever been done. Please do not add to these sections unless you have broached it on the article talk page first. The article cannot encompass all pop culture references to Billy the Kid, nor should it. Don't add "The Simpsons" - it isn't a real reflection of this person. The music section is limited to music contained in films about him, or complete works focusing on him or the genre of Western and/of gunfighting. Billy Joel doesn't meet that definition, it is about BILLY JOEL, people, NOT Billy the kid. IF YOU PERSIST ON ADDING THE BILLY JOEL SONG, YOU WILL BE REPORTED FOR VANDALISM. Thanks. --><!--NO MORE ADDITIONS.--><!--NO MORE ADDITIONS.--><!--NO MORE ADDITIONS.--> ===Stage=== * [[Joseph Santley|Joseph Santley's]] 1906 [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] play co-written by Santley, in which he also starred * [[Michael Ondaatje|Michael Ondaatje's]] ''The Collected Works of Billy the Kid'', 1973 play based on his poetry <!--NO MORE ADDITIONS.--><!--NO MORE ADDITIONS.--><!--NO MORE ADDITIONS.--> ===Television and radio=== <!--"Selected" means that the inclusion of items in these sections are limited to the highest profile, most historically reflective, or well known. The section is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of Please do not add to these sections unless you have broached it on the article talk page first. The article cannot encompass all pop culture references to Billy the Kid, nor should it. Don't add "The Simpsons" - it isn't a real reflection of this person. <!--NO MORE ADDITIONS. Thanks. --> * ''[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4799493307205206852&q=nmpbs Billy the Kid]'', a New Mexico [[PBS]] documentary * The 2003 [[Discovery Channel]] Quest, ''Billy the Kid: Unmasked'', investigated the life and death of Billy the Kid through forensic science. * The actor [[Richard Jaeckel]] played The Kid in a 1954 episode of [[Jim Davis (actor)|Jim Davis]]'s [[Television syndication|syndicated]] [[television series]], ''[[Stories of the Century]]''. * The [[National Broadcasting Company|NBC]] series ''[[The Tall Men]]'' ran from 1960 to 1962, starring [[Clu Gulager]] as Billy and [[Barry Sullivan (actor)|Barry Sullivan]] as Pat Garrett * The [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] series ''[[Maverick (TV series)|Maverick]]'' featured an episode where Bret ([[James Garner]]) meets several outlaws, including Billy the Kid.<!--NO MORE ADDITIONS.--><!--NO MORE ADDITIONS.--><!--NO MORE ADDITIONS.--> ==See also== {{col-begin}} {{col-break}} *[[American Folklore]] *[[American Old West]] *[[Cowboy]] *[[Fort Sumner, New Mexico|Fort Sumner]] *[[Lincoln County, New Mexico|Lincoln County]] {{col-break}} *[[Lincoln County War]] *[[List of American Old West outlaws]] *[[List of cowboys and cowgirls]] *[[List of Western lawmen]] *[[Lew_Wallace#Post-war_career|Lew Wallace]] {{col-end}} ==Notes== {{reflist|2}} ==References== * Burns, Walter Noble (1953/1992). ''The Saga of Billy the Kid''. New York: Konecky & Konecky Associates. ISBN 1568521782 * Jacobsen, Joel (1997). ''Such Men as Billy the Kid: The Lincoln County War Reconsidered''. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0803276060 * Nolan, Frederick (1965). ''The Life & Death of John Henry Tunstall''. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. * Nolan, Frederick (1998). ''"The West of Billy the Kid".'' Norman University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0806130822 * Rasch, Philip J. (1995). ''Trailing Billy the Kid''. Stillwater, OK: Western Publications. ISBN 0935269193 * Utley, Robert M. (1989). ''Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life''. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0803295588 * Wallis, Michael (2007). ''Billy the Kid: The Endless Ride''. New York: W. W. Norton. ISBN 0393060683 ==Further reading== * Nolan, Frederick (2007). ''Tascosa: Its Life and Gaudy Times''. Lubbock, TX: [[Texas Tech University Press]]. * Trachman, Paul (1974). ''The Old West: The Gunfighters''. New York: Time-Life Books. * Tuska, John (1983). ''Billy the Kid, A Handbook''. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0803294069 * Garrett, Pat F. (1882). ''The Authentic Life of BILLY, THE KID''. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 1409910350. Library of Congress CCN: 54-10053 * Klasner, Lily. (1972). ''My Girlhood Among Outlaws''. University of Arizona Press. edited by Eve Ball. ISBN 0816503540 ==External links== {{Commons}} {{wikiquote}} * {{findagrave|94}} * [http://www.billythekidoutlawgang.com/ Billy the Kid Outlaw Gang] * [http://www.aboutbillythekid.com/ About Billy the Kid] * [http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/outlaws/mccarty/1.html Court TV's Crime Library: Billy the Kid] * Peterson, Barbara Tucker and Louis Hart. [http://www.historynet.com/billy-the-kid-the-great-escape.htm "Billy the Kid: The Great Escape."] ''Wild West magazine''. August 1998. * Nolan, Frederick. [http://www.historynet.com/the-hunting-of-billy-the-kid.htm "The Hunting of Billy the Kid."] ''Wild West magazine''. June 2003. * Turk, David S. [http://www.historynet.com/billy-the-kid-and-the-us-marshals-service.htm "Billy the Kid and the U.S. Marshals Service."] ''Wild West Magazine''. February 2007 (issued December 2006) * [http://www.billybyway.com/ Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway] * [http://www.desertusa.com/mag98/oct/papr/billykid.html DesertUSA: "The Desert's Baddest Boy"] *{{worldcat id|id=lccn-n79-55264}} * [http://www.newmexico.org/billythekid/ Billy the Kid Territory] - guide by New Mexico Tourism Department {{Template group |list = {{Wild West}} {{American tall tales}} {{Lincoln County, New Mexico}} {{New Mexico}} }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Kid, Billy The}} [[Category:1859 births]] [[Category:1881 deaths]] [[Category:American Presbyterians]] [[Category:Americans convicted of murder]] [[Category:Outlaws of the American Old West]] [[Category:Irish Americans]] [[Category:People from New Mexico]] [[Category:People from Manhattan]] [[Category:People from New York City]] [[Category:Gunmen of the American Old West]] [[Category:Americans convicted of murdering police officers]] [[Category:American folklore]] [[Category:Deaths by firearm in New Mexico]] [[ar:الولد بيلي]] [[ast:Billy'l neñu]] [[bg:Били Хлапето]] [[da:Billy the Kid]] [[de:Billy the Kid]] [[et:Billy the Kid]] [[es:Billy the Kid]] [[eo:Billy the Kid]] [[eu:Billy the Kid]] [[fr:Billy the Kid]] [[hr:Billy Kid]] [[it:Billy the Kid]] [[he:בילי הנער]] [[hu:Billy, a Kölyök]] [[nl:Billy the Kid]] [[ja:ビリー・ザ・キッド]] [[no:Billy the Kid]] [[nn:Billy the Kid]] [[pl:Billy Kid]] [[pt:Billy the Kid]] [[ru:Билли Кид]] [[fi:Billy the Kid]] [[sv:Billy the Kid]] [[tr:Billy the Kid]] [[vi:Billy the Kid]] [[zh:比利小子]]'