The Life And Times Of Billy The Kid

Several years ago, I crossed the USA. Once on bicycle and twice on foot. Going through Lincoln County New Mexico, I decided to spend a few nights.

My fascination for the area and it's history was born and nurtured by the many westerns shown at The Liberty -- the local theater, as well as Saturday morning television.

Having the chance to see where Billy the Kid lived, fought, and died was a once in a lifetime opportunity. And I took advantage of it.

Billy the Kid, born William H. Bonney in 1859, is one of the most notorious outlaws in American history. He was an infamous figure in the American West during the late 1800s and is best known for his role in the Lincoln County War. The Lincoln County War was a bloody, violent conflict that broke out in 1878 in New Mexico between two factions of ranchers and business people.

It resulted in numerous deaths and injuries, as well as property damage and the displacement of many families from the area. It is considered one of the most dramatic events in the history of the American West and resulted in many deaths and much property damage. Billy the Kid was a key figure in this conflict and was known for his daring and ruthless behavior. He is thought to have killed at least eight people during his lifetime, though some historians believe he may have killed twenty-one. Despite his criminal activities, Billy the Kid has become an iconic figure of the American West and remains one of its most renowned outlaws today.Whether you're a history buff or just curious about one of America's most infamous criminals, this post is for you! He is believed to have been responsible for the deaths of at least eight men before he was gunned down at the age of 21.

Billy the Kid’s parents were Irish immigrants who died when he was young, leaving him an orphan. He was eventually sent to New Mexico to live with his older brother, and it was there that he began his life of crime.

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Billy the Kid first became involved in petty theft and cattle rustling, but his crimes escalated quickly. He was arrested for murder in 1877 but managed to escape from jail and went into hiding. He soon became the leader of a gang of outlaws known as the "Regulators," who were known for their violent attacks on local ranchers and businessmen.

One of Billy's most famous acts was the Lincoln County War, a conflict between rival factions in the New Mexico Territory that lasted from 1878 to 1879. Billy and the Regulators fought on the side of Alexander McSween, a local attorney who was being targeted by a rival faction. During the conflict, Billy was responsible for the deaths of several men, including the sheriff of Lincoln County.

After the Lincoln County War, Billy the Kid went into hiding again. He was eventually captured by Sheriff Pat Garrett in 1881 and taken to trial for murder. He was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging, but he managed to escape from jail again.

However, Billy's freedom was short-lived. Sheriff Garrett tracked him down and shot him dead on July 14, 1881. Billy the Kid's life and death have become the subject of many books, movies, and legends, and he remains an enduring symbol of the Wild West and the era of outlaws and gunslingers.

Despite his reputation as an outlaw and a killer, some have argued that Billy the Kid was simply a victim of his circumstances. He grew up in a time and place where violence and lawlessness were the norm, and he may have been driven to a life of crime by poverty, desperation, and a lack of other opportunities. Others argue that he was simply a ruthless killer who deserved the fate he met.

Regardless of one's perspective, there is no denying that Billy the Kid remains a fascinating and controversial figure in American history. His story continues to captivate people today, more than a century after his death, and his legacy lives on in popular culture and the collective imagination of the American West.

Jerry Nelson is an American writer living the expat life in Buenos Aires. Some of the adventures Jerry has enjoyed, he jumped into the ocean from the flight deck of an aircraft carrier in the Gulf of Aden, cut off a goat's balls as part of a mating ritual in Indonesia, raced a NASCAR around the oval in Charlotte, created a small coin purse out of live Tarantulas in Australia's outback, spent six-weeks with the Sinaloa cartel along the U.S./Mexican border and sailed a 16th century schooner through the sound and into the open ocean.

Never far from his coffee and Marlboros, Jerry is always glad to discuss future working opportunities. Email me at [email protected] and join the quarter-million who follow me on Twitter.

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