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Chronology of the Life of Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War, Part 9

Dec. 6, 1880---Pat Garrett dimisses all of his posse, with the exception of Barney Mason, at Fort Sumner. Bob Olinger leads the posse back towards Roswell, while Garrett and Mason load prisoners Joshua Webb and George Davis in a wagon and head for Las Vegas. As they head north, Billy and the Rustlers ride south from Anton Chico towards Fort Sumner, and the two parties somehow miss each other. A few miles from Puerto de Luna, Garrett and Mason encounter a drunken posse from Las Vegas. Garrett at first decides to give his prisoners to the posse, but Webb and Davis protest, saying they'll be killed and it's Garrett's duty to escort them all the way to Vegas. Garrett agrees and rides with the posse to Puerto de Luna, where Webb and Davis are put in shackles. Garrett, Mason, and the drunken posse go to the store of Alexander Grzelachowski while the shackling is being done, and, at some point, Garrett gets into an altercation with posse member Mariano Leyba. The confrontation escalates and the two draw their pistols. Each of their first shots miss, but Garrett's second shot hits Leyba in the shoulder. Wounded, Leyba flees the store. The leader of the posse, Deputy Francisco Romero, then attempts to arrest Garrett for the shooting, but Garrett resists. Before their argument can escalate further, Grzelachowski steps between the men and the deputy leaves.
Dec. 7, 1880---In the morning, Garrett appears before the justice of the peace in Puerto de Luna, answers questions regarding his shooting of Leyba, and is discharged. Afterwards, Garrett, Mason, the posse, and prisoners Webb and Davis continue riding towards Las Vegas. As they near Anton Chico, Garrett hears that Frank Stewart is in town and preparing to go after the Rustlers. Wanting to continue on to Vegas, Garrett sends Mason alone into Chico with instructions to find Stewart and tell him to meet with Garrett in Vegas in a few days. Near Vegas, the posse stops at a way station, while Garrett rides on to Vegas alone, leaving Webb and Davis with the posse. On the same day, the Rustlers finally arrive back in Fort Sumner.
Dec. 10, 1880---Frank Stewart, accompanied by Barney Mason, rides into Vegas and meets with Garrett. They decide to team up in their efforts to catch the Kid. Stewart also tells Garrett of the groups of Texas cowboys led by Charlie Siringo and Bob Roberson camped at White Oaks. It's decided that they'll ride down to meet them in the next few days and try to convince them to serve as their posse.
Dec. 12, 1880---At Fort Sumner, Billy Bonney writes a long letter to Gov. Wallace, rebutting the claims and stories that have been said about him lately. In the letter, Billy says that he is not part of any rustling gang, that he has made his living as a gambler since he left Lincoln, that Dep. Carlyle was killed by his own panicked posse at the Greathouse-Kuch ranch, that he was only in White Oaks that day to meet with lawyer Ira Leonard, and that John Chisum is the man responsible for getting him involved in his troubles.
Dec. 14, 1880---In the morning, Pat Garrett, Frank Stewart, and Barney Mason leave Las Vegas for White Oaks. On the same day, Azariah Wild leaves New Mexico Territory for the east, without accomplishing his mission objective of arresting any of the Rustlers.
Dec. 15, 1880---Garrett, Stewart, and Mason arrive at the Siringo-Roberson camp near White Oaks. Garrett tells the cowboys that the Kid and his gang are holding several stolen Texas cattle near Fort Sumner, in the hopes of gaining their service. Siringo and Roberson, however, know that Garrett is lying and tell him so. Garrett maintains he is being truthful, however, since he knows that the cowboys' mission New Mexico is only to retrieve the stolen stock, not capture the outlaws. Eventually, Siringo and Roberson leave it to each of their cowboys to decide whether or not they want to follow Garrett and Stewart. Lon Chambers, Jim East, Lee Hall, Tom Emory, Bob Williams, Louis Bousman, and possibly Cal Polk decide to go with Garrett, while Siringo, Roberson, Frank Clifford, Monroe Harris, and 'Uncle Jimmy' refuse to do so. With it snowing hard, the fortified Garrett-Stewart posse rides out of White Oaks towards Puerto de Luna. On the same day, Gov. Wallace, who has not yet received Billy's letter, posts a $500 reward notice for Billy's arrest in the newspapers. Meanwhile, Charlie Bowdre and Billy himself each write letters to Joseph Lea in Roswell, Bowdre saying that he will be retiring as an outlaw soon and Billy saying that he will soon be leaving the territory. Also on the same day, Thomas Catron sells the old Murphy-Dolan store (the House) in Lincoln to the county for use as a courthouse and jail.
Dec. 16, 1880---The Garrett-Stewart posse arrives at Puerto de Luna in the early morning. Due to the cold and heavy snow, it's decided they will remain at PdL for the day. However, Garrett does send Jose Roival, a local youth, to Sumner to act as a spy for the posse to see if the Rustlers are still in town.
Dec. 17, 1880---In Fort Sumner, Jose Roival discovers that Billy, Folliard, Bowdre, Rudabaugh, Wilson, and Pickett are in town. After getting this information, Roival rides out of town to report back to Garrett. He is followed by Folliard and Pickett, who quickly stop him and interrogate him. However, Roival maintains that he is simply a sheepherder. The two outlaws allow Roival to go on his way, while they return to Sumner and tell their cohorts that he was acting suspicious. Suspecting a trap by Garrett, Billy and the others ride to the nearby Wilcox-Brazil ranch and stay there for the night. Meanwhile, Roival arrives back to PdL and gives Garrett the news that the Rustlers are at Sumner. Faced with this news, Garrett and his posse, now reinforced by locals Charlie Rudulph and George Wilson, leave PdL for Sumner. Also joining the posse is Roival and his brother, Juan. The posse stops for dinner at the ranch of John Gerhardt near midnight, and after their meal, they press on.
Dec. 18, 1880---Before dawn, the Garrett-Stewart posse enters Fort Sumner. Garrett has the posse stay in the old Indian hospital on the northeastern edge of town (where the Bowdres live) while he and Barney Mason canvas the town, trying to get some information on the Rustlers' whereabouts. Garrett is disappointed where he finds out that between the time Roival reported to him yesterday and now, the Rustlers have once again fled. However, he does manage to find Yginio Garcia, a sometime member of the Rustlers, and interrogates him as to where the rest of the gang currently is. Garcia claims he does not know and tells Garrett he has to leave town to return home. Figuring that Garcia will go straight to his compatriots, but tell them only Garrett and Mason are in town, he allows him to leave. Sure enough, shortly after leaving town, Garcia encounter two other Rustlers, Bob Campbell and Jose Valdez, who he informs of the presence of Garrett and Mason. While Garcia continued on to his home, Valdez rode to Sumner to learn more and Campbell sent word to Billy at the Wilcox-Brazil ranch of Garrett and Mason looking for him and the others. Shortly after arriving in Sumner, Valdez is spotted by Garrett and Mason and detained, knowing he is acting as a spy for the rest of the gang. Meanwhile, Billy gets the message from Campbell and decides to hang around at the Wilcox-Brazil ranch until he receives more news about Garrett's actions. On the same day, Gov. Wallace receives the letter Billy had written him on Dec. 12.
Dec. 19, 1880---In the morning, Billy and the Rustlers send Wilcox's young step-son, Juan Gallegos, to Sumner to find out all he can on Garrett. However, Garrett detains Gallegos shortly after his arrival and the boy confesses his motive for being in town. Garrett then has Jose Valdez write a note to Billy, telling him that Garrett and Mason have left Sumner. Garrett himself then writes a note to Wilcox, asking him to aid in his plan, which Garrett knows he will, since both Wilcox and Brazil aid the Rustlers out of fear instead of friendship. Both notes are given to Gallegos and he is sent back to the Wilcox-Brazil ranch. Upon arrival at the ranch, Gallegos delivers the notes to Billy and Wilcox. When Billy and the gang read the note from Valdez, they instantly believe it and laugh at Garrett for being a coward. Feeling it's safe to return to Sumner, the gang saddles up after dark. Back in Sumner, Garrett and all his men are in the Indian hospital, playing cards as they await the gang's arrival. Lon Chambers and Lee Hall, however, remain outside on the porch as lookouts. Around 11:00 PM, Hall and Chambers spot six riders coming through the fog and run back inside to tell the other members of the posse. Garrett then tells his men to grab their guns, since only the Ruslters would be entering town at this time of night. The men step outside and hide in the shadows around the building, with Garrett and Chambers remaining on the porch, their rifles in their hands. The six Rustlers are riding in pairs, with Folliard and Pickett in front, Rudabaugh and Bowdre in the middle, and the two Billies in the back. Due to the darkness, fog, and falling snow, none of the Rustlers can see the posse waiting for them. As Folliard and Pickett ride near the porch, only a few feet away from Garrett and Chambers, Garrett orders them to halt. Surprised, both outlaws instinctively reach for their pistols. Both Garrett and Chambers fire a shot apiece, one of which tears into Folliard's chest, knocking him back in the saddle while his horse takes off running. The rest of the posse then opens fire, with most of the shots being directed at Pickett, whose horse charges off in a panick. The two Billies, Rudabaugh, and Bowdre quickly turn their horses around and gallop off as fast as they can in the direction from whence they came, with one bullet hitting Rudabaugh's horse. Folliard's horse also turns around and runs after the other four, and they all soon disappear into the fog. The posse stops shooting and a few seconds later a lone horse is heard approaching from the direction the outlaws just fled. Reappearing through the fog comes Folliard, who has managed to get his horse under control. The posse approaches him and orders him to throw up his hands, to which he replies he cannot, that he has been mortally wounded. The posse then takes him down from his horse and carries him inside the hospital building. He is layed down on a blanket and the posse resumes their card playing. After forty-five minutes or so, Folliard dies, with only posse member James East taking any notice. Going through his saddlebags later, the posse discovers a note Folliard had written to his grandmother in Texas, telling her he and Billy were coming to visit her soon. Meanwhile, a few miles outside of Sumner, Rudabaugh's wounded horse collapses and dies, forcing Dave to ride double with Wilson. The four outlaws (Pickett went his own way when his horse took off) continue riding and reach the Wilcox-Brazil ranch shortly after midnight. Believing both Toms to be dead, the gang tries to think of what their next move should be.
Dec. 20, 1880---Near dawn, Pickett arrives at the Wilcox-Brazil ranch and is reunited with Billy, Bowdre, Rudabaugh, and Wilson. Back in Sumner, a few posse members follow the gang's tracks in the snow, but turn back after they find Rudabaugh's dead horse. Afterwards, Garrett and Stewart decide to remain at the fort for the day, due to the heavy snow. At some point during the day, Tom Folliard is bured in the military cemetery in Sumner, with Garrett, the posse, and a few townspeople in attendance.
Dec. 21, 1880---In the early morning, Billy sends Manuel Brazil, not knowing he's working with Garrett, into Sumner to act as a spy for him. Upon his arrival in Sumner, Brazil goes directly to Garrett and tells him the Rustlers are at his ranch. Garrett then tells Brazil to ride back to his ranch and tell Billy that he is only at Sumner with Barney Mason and three Mexican gunmen, and that they plan on returning to Roswell when the snow stops. Brazil elects to spend the night in Sumner and ride back to his ranch in the morning.
Dec. 22, 1880---Brazil leaves Sumner for his ranch, but before leaving, Garrett tells him that if the gang is no longer at the ranch, to report back to him. When Brazil arrives home, the gang is still there. They eat a meal and, when finished, decide to flee once again. At some point during the night, they arrive at an abandoned one-room rock house at an area known as Stinking Springs, about four miles east of the Wilcox-Brazil ranch. The five tired outlaws make camp in the small house and Billy brings his horse inside with them, while the other three horses (Rudabaugh is still riding double with Wilson) are tied to the viga poles jutting from the roof outside. Back in Sumner, the Garrett-Stewart posse rides out of Sumner in the late evening.
Dec. 23, 1880---Before dawn, Garrett and his men arrive at the house in Stinking Springs. Juan Roival is put in charge of the horses while Garrett, Lee Hall, Jim East, and Tom Emory take up positions in a dried up arroyo about thirty feet in front of the house's doorway (there is no actual door). Stewart and the rest of the posse take up positions about two-hundred yards away from the sides and back of the house, and Jose Roival is told to act as a messenger between the Garrett and Stewart groups. Garrett tells his men that if the Kid were killed outright, the other four would surely surrender, and goes on to give a description of the Kid's famous sombrero. Garrett orders his men to open fire when the man wearing this hat steps through the doorway. As the sun rises, Charlie Bowdre, apparently wearing Billy's hat or a similar one, steps out of the house with a bag of horse feed in his hands. Seven shots are suddenly fired, and one of the bullets hits Charlie in the chest. He stumbles, then manages to stagger his way back inside. After a few minutes, Billy Wilson yells out that Charlie has been mortally wounded and wants to come out. Garrett replies that he may do so, and Charlie staggers out towards the posse, then falls dead. Garrett lays the dead outlaw on his saddle blanket. For the rest of the day, there are intermittent gunshots fired by both the posse members and the outlaws. A few times, Billy and Garrett actually engage in conversation. At some point, Garrett notices the outlaws trying to pull another horse from the outside into the house. Garrett takes aim and shoots the horse when it is halfway through the door, blocking any further escape attempt. The two remaining horses tied to the viga poles have their reins shot and quickly walk away. Afterwards, Garrett and half his men ride to the Wilcox-Brazil ranch for a meal. When they return, Stewart and the rest of the men are allowed to get their meal at the ranch. When Stewart returns, a wagon driven by Wilcox and containing food supplies accompanies him. The posse then builds a fire and begins cooking the food over it, with the aroma of it getting to the outlaws. Around 4:00 PM, the outlaws stick a white piece of cloth tied to a stick through the doorway and say they'd like to surrender. Garrett orders them to come out with their hands up, but only Rudabaugh emerges. The outlaw converses with Garrett and Garrett ends up promising the outlaws protection and warm meal if they do surrender. Rudabaugh then returns to the house and carries this message to the other three. A few minutes later, Rudabaugh, Wilson, Pickett, and Billy step outside with their hands up. The outlaws are given a meal and then loaded into Wilcox's wagon. The posse then takes their prisoners back to the ranch and it's decided they will stay there for the night. However, Garrett does send Brazil, Mason, and Charlie Rudulph back to the house to retrieve Charlie's body. The plan from here on in is for the prisoners to be taken north to Santa Fe (since Billy, Rudabaugh, and Wilson are all wanted on federal charges) and held in the jail there.
Dec. 24, 1880---Around noon, the Garrett-Stewart posse rides into Fort Sumner, accompanied by Manuel Brazil driving a wagon containing the four prisoners and the body of Bowdre. Jim East and Louis Bousman are assigned to carry Bowdre's body to his wife, Manuela, and when they do this, the grief-stricken widow hits East over the head with a branding iron, forcing East to drop the corpse to the floor. Afterwards, Garrett tells Manuela he will pay for a new suit for Charlie, a coffin, and his burial. Meanwhile, the prisoners are taken to the blacksmith shop and shackled, with Billy and Rudabaugh being chained to each other, and Pickett and Wilson chained together. Afterwards, the posse and the prisoners have a meal in Beaver Smith's saloon. During the meal, Billy gives Frank Stewart his famous horse and makes Jim East a present of his Winchester rifle. When Beaver Smith hears of this though, he throws a fit, saying the rifle should be his since Billy owes him money, and East reluctantly gives the old bartender the gun. After the meal, Deluvina Maxwell, the Indian servant girl for the Maxwell family and friend of Billy, asks Garrett if Billy could be allowed to visit the Maxwells. Garrett consents and assigns Jim East and Lee Hall to escort the Kid (along with Rudabaugh) to the Maxwell house. In the house, Dona Luz Maxwell, the matriarch of the family, asks Hall and East if Billy could be allowed to go in a private room with her daughter, Billy's girl-friend, Paulita. The two guards refuse though, and Billy and Paulita embrace and kiss each other goodbye in the open living room. Billy and Rudabaugh are then led away by Hall and East and are placed in a wagon along with Wilson and Pickett. The posse and their prisoners then leave Fort Sumner and head north. Around midnight, they reach the ranch of John Gerhardt, where they stay for the night. It's decided that they will leave for Puerto de Luna the next morning.
Dec. 25, 1880---In the afternoon, the posse and their prisoners arrive at Puerto de Luna. Alexander Grzelachowski cooks them up a big Christmas dinner and the lawmen and outlaws alike are well-fed. Following the meal, the posse and their prisoners once again mount up and continue riding north towards Las Vegas.
Dec. 26, 1880---In the late morning, the Garrett posse arrives in Las Vegas. The streets are packed with townsfolk trying to get a glimpse of the infamous outlaws and the men who captured them. All the while, Billy enjoys waving to the crowd and acting the role of celebrity, while the other outlaws remain unamused, especially Rudabaugh, who the crowd is aiming insults and death threats at for his murder of jailer Lino Valdez back in April. The posse takes the four outlaws to the town jail and all are thrown in one cell, still with their shackles on. Afterwards, Garrett dismisses all of his posse except Barney Mason, Frank Stewart, Jim East, and Tom Emory. For the rest of the day, the men who captured the infamous Billy the Kid and Dirty Dave Rudabaugh revel in their new found celebrity status, as citizen after citizen buy the men drinks, congratulate, and thank them. On the same day, Gov. Wallace leaves New Mexico for a vacation in Washington, D. C.
Dec. 27, 1880---After the four prisoners awake in the jail, Las Vegas mail contractor Mike Cosgrove delivers to each of them a brand new suit. As the suits are presented to them, the prisoners are unshackled so they may put the new clothes on. While this is going on, reporters from both the Las Vegas Optic and the Las Vegas Gazette visit the jailed outlaws. The reporter from the Optic notes how cheerful and upbeat Billy is, while Rudabaugh is regretful over the fact that the citizens of Vegas think so harshly of him. Pickett is also anxious to talk to the reporter, while Wilson lays on his cot the entire time, apparently disinterested. The reporter for the Gazette interviews Billy and gets his version of recent events. According to Billy, he was in no outlaw gang, made his living gambling, and John Chisum was the cause of all his problems, basically the same thing he told Gov. Wallace in his letter to him on Dec. 12. When the interviews are completed and the outlaws are finished putting on their new suits, new shackles are applied to them all. Later, when Garrett, Stewart, Mason, East, Emory, and Dep. James W. Bell of White Oaks go to the jail to pick up the prisoners and escort them to the train station where they'll board a train for Santa Fe, Sheriff Desiderio Romero only hands over the Kid and Wilson. He refuses to release Rudabaugh and Pickett into Garrett's hands, saying that Rudabaugh killed a jailer in Vegas and will stand trial here for it. Garrett tells the sheriff he can keep Pickett, who is only wanted on charges of cattle theft, but Rudabaugh is wanted on federal charges for stealing the U. S. mail and must be taken to Santa Fe. Eventually, Romero consents and Garrett and his men take Billy, Rudabaugh, and Wilson to the train station, while Pickett remains behind in the jail cell. As the prisoners board the train, a mob starts to gather around the depot. The intent of the mob is clear: to take Rudabaugh, by force if necessary, and lynch him. The prisoners on the train are hidden from the windows while Garrett's men take up positions at the windows with their rifles, preparing for a fight with the mob. Garrett, meanwhile, stands off the mob, telling them that the prisoners are going to Santa Fe, and if they wanted Dirty Dave so bad, they should have captured him in the first place. Garrett even goes on to say that the second a shot is fired by the mob, he will unshackle and arm the Kid, Wilson, and Rudabaugh and let them fight. Shortly thereafter, the local post office detective, J. Fred Morley climbs onto the train and orders the engineer to start the train rolling. With that, the train starts moving towards Santa Fe and the mob disperses. When they arrive at Santa Fe later in the evening, they are met by Dep. U. S. Marshal Charles Conklin, who accompanies Garrett's men as they take the prisoners to the local jail. There, they are handed over to U. S. Marshal John Sherman and put in a cell with Ed 'Choctaw' Kelly, being held for murder. Meanwhile, Garrett, Stewart, and the rest retire to the saloons in town for drinks. Both Garrett and Stewart are also presented with a gift of $500 from the townsfolk, which the two men split evenly. However, Gov. Wallace's secretary, W. G. Ritch, refuses to pay Garrett the reward offered by the governor at this time, possibly because Garrett is still only sheriff-elect.
Dec. 31, 1880---In Las Vegas, Tom Pickett is arraigned on one charge each of cattle rustling and horse larceny. His bail is set at $250, but, being unable to post it, he is returned to the jail.
Jan. 1, 1881---From his jail cell, Billy writes a short letter to Gov. Wallace, asking him to visit him in jail if he has the time. However, Billy is unaware of the fact that Wallace is currently in Washington, D. C. Shortly thereafter, Pat Garrett, Barney Mason, and James Bell return to Lincoln and Frank Stewart, Jim East, and Tom Emory return to Texas.
Early Jan. 1881---Billy is visited by lawyer Ira Leonard in jail, who tells him he will look over his case and visit him again soon. However, Leonard doesn't show back up. Billy then attempts to hire local lawyer Edgar Caypless, currently representing Rudabaugh and Kelly on their charges. Billy has no money to pay Caypless with, so he offers him his famous horse as payment. Unfortunately, Billy already gave Frank Stewart the horse, who in turn gave it to the wife of Scott Moore, owner of the Old Adobe Hotel near Las Vegas. In an attempt to get the horse back, Caypless files a suit of replevin. Having no faith in this, Billy, Rudabaugh, Wilson, and Choctaw Kelly begin digging a tunnel in the floor of their jail cell, hoping it will lead them to freedom.
Jan. 21, 1881---Billy Wilson is arraigned for passing counterfeit bills. He pleads ''not guilty'' and his bail is set at $2,000. Unable to raise it, he is returned to his cell with Billy, Rudabaugh, and Kelly.
Feb. 7, 1881---Frank Coe marries Helena Tully.
Feb. 10, 1881---Gov. Wallace returns to Santa Fe and immediately leaves again for Silver City.
Feb. 11, 1881---Jordan Webb, a former member of the Dodge City Gang, goes on trial for one of the stagecoach robberies committed near Las Vegas in the summer of 1879. Rudabaugh testifies in the trial in Webb's behalf, saying that it was he that robbed the stagecoaches and that Webb was not involved. Webb is quickly acquitted.

Feb. 14, 1881---Rudabaugh is indicted on two counts of mail theft in connection with each stagecoach robbery. He is also indicted on one count of attempted mail theft in connection with the train robbery.
Feb. 15, 1881---Rudabaugh pleads guilty to all three indictments regarding mail theft.
Feb. 26, 1881---Judge L. Bradford Prince gives Rudabaugh a sentence of ninety-nine years in prison. The sentence is suspended, however, so that Rudabaugh may be taken back to Las Vegas to stand trial for the murder of jailer Lino Valdez.
Feb. 28, 1881---Getting word from a prison trustee that Billy, Rudabaugh, Wilson, and Kelly are digging an escape tunnel, Sheriff Romulo Martinez and Dep. U. S. Marshal Tony Neis go to the prisoners' cell. The tunnel, which is near completion, is discovered hidden under the mattresses. Sheriff Martinez henceforth has all the prisoners separated, with Billy being placed in solitary confinement and shackled to the floor of a cell without any source of light.
Mar. 2, 1881---Billy writes a second letter to Gov. Wallace, not knowing he's in Silver City. In the letter, Billy asks Wallace to visit him and hints at blackmailing him by letting the press see the correspondence between them from back in 1879.
Mar. 4, 1881---Having not received a response from Wallace, Billy writes him a third letter. In this letter, Billy reminds the governor of their bargain and that he (Billy) has completely fulfilled his end, while Wallace himself has not. Billy also complains of the way Marhsal Sherman is treating him and of the way he is apparently being railroaded.
Mar. 7, 1881---Dave Rudabaugh, along with Choctaw Kelly, is taken from Santa Fe to Las Vegas to stand trial for the murder of Lino Valdez.
Mar. 9, 1881---Back in Santa Fe, Gov. Wallace sends his resignation to President Garfield. On the same day, Rudabaugh is arraigned before the court in Las Vegas. Believing he will receive an unfair trial, Dave applies for a change of venue to Santa Fe County, which he is granted.
Mar. 15, 1881---Billy Bonney is indicted in San Miguel County on a charge of cattle theft.
Mid. Mar. 1881---Edgar Caypless gives up on his attempt to retrieve Billy's horse from Scott Moore's wife, who refuses to hand it over. Therefore, with no way to pay Caypless, Billy is left without a lawyer.
Mar. 17, 1881---Pres. Garfield accepts Wallace's letter of resignation and appoints a friend of his, Lionel Sheldon, to replace Wallace as Governor of New Mexico Territory.
Mar. 21, 1881---In Anton Chico, Jim Greathouse is arrested as an accessory in the murder of Dep. James Carlyle. He is taken to White Oaks for a hearing and placed under $3,000 bond, which he is able to post.
Mar. 27, 1881---Billy writes his fourth and final letter to Wallace, pleading to him to keep his promise. Wallace never bothers to respond.
Mar. 28, 1881---At the Santa Fe train station, Billy Bonney and Billy Wilson are loaded into a train set to take them to La Mesilla for their respective trials. Acting as their escort are Dep. U. S. Marshals Tony Neis, Francisco Chavez, and Billy's hated enemy, Bob Olinger. Also riding with them is Ira Leonard, who is once again acting as lawyer for Bonney.
Mar. 30, 1881---The train carrying Billy Bonney and Billy Wilson arrives in La Mesilla. Wilson immediately goes to trial before Judge Bristol for passing counterfeit money, with Pat Garrett and Jimmy Dolan acting as the principal witnesses against him and W. T. Thorton acting as Wilson's lawyer. For some reason, the case is continued to the next term of court and Wilson is placed in the Mesilla jail. Later the same day, Billy goes before Judge Bristol on the federal charge of the murder of Buckshot Roberts. Acting as prosecutor in the trial is Sidney Barnes.
Mar. 31, 1881---Billy enters a plea of not guilty in the case of the Roberts killing.
Apr. 6, 1881---Ira Leonard gets the case against Billy for the Roberts murder dismissed, once he points out that the land on which the killing took place, Blazer's Mills, is not technically part of the Mescalero-Apache Reservation Agency, and therefore not federal land. Therefore, this negates the federal indictment Billy faces for the murder. Thereafter, Bristol orders Billy be turned over to the territorial authorities so that he may stand trial for the murder of Sheriff William Brady.
Apr. 8, 1881---Billy's trial for the murder of Sheriff Brady begins, with Judge Bristol once again presiding. For some reason, Bristol has ordered Ira Leonard to step down as Billy's lawyer and instead appoints Albert J. Fountain and John Bail, neither of which is familiar with the Lincoln County War, in his place. Also, new District Attorney for the Third Judicial District Simon Newcomb, a close friend of former D. A. William Rynerson, is acting as prosecutor. Testifying on the stand against Billy are Billy Mathews, George Peppin, Jimmy Dolan, Isaac Ellis, and Bonifacio Baca.
Apr. 9, 1881---With all the evidence and testimony in the Brady case heard, Bristol basically orders the all Spanish-speaking jury to convict the Kid. After only deliberating a short time, the jury delivers a verdict of guilty. Afterwards, Billy is returned to the cell he is sharing with Billy Wilson.
Apr. 13, 1881---Appearing before Bristol, Billy is sentenced to be taken back to the town of Lincoln and there by executed by hanging on May 13. Billy says nothing in response to this and is returned to his cell.
Apr. 15, 1881---Billy writes a letter to Edgar Caypless, telling him that Al Fountain did all he could for him in his trial and has offered to appeal the case for him if he can pay the expenses. In the letter, Billy again asks Caypless to try to get his horse back from Mrs. Moore, but Caypless is unable to do so.
Apr. 16, 1881---Around 10:00 PM, Billy is placed in a wagon bound for Lincoln and shackled to the floor. Serving as his escort are Dep. Dave Wood, D. M. Reede, Tom Williams, W. A. Lockhart, and three of Billy's worst enemies, Bob Olinger, Billy Mathews, and John Kinney, recently returned to New Mexico from Arizona. Billy expects to be lynched along the way, but his guards expect an attempt to liberate the Kid will be made by his friends. They tell Billy that if this comes to pass, it will be he who is shot first. Along the way, Olinger constantly ridicules the Kid and tries to goad him into an escape attempt. Billy just ignores him though or occasionally responds with a witty remark that angers the big deputy. As they travel east, they make stopovers at the Tularosa ranch of Pat Coghlan and at Blazer's Mills, where Billy reenacts the famous gunfight that occured there with Buckshot Roberts. His guards are amused by the entertainment the Kid's reenactment provides.
Apr. 21, 1881---Upon reaching Fort Stanton, Billy is handed over to Sheriff Pat Garrett, who, along with Bob Olinger, escorts the Kid directly into Lincoln. Billy is held on the second floor of the new courthouse, which is the old Murphy-Dolan store. He is chained to the floor at all times and is constantly guarded by Olinger and Dep. James W. Bell, who was a friend of James Carlyle. While Bell treats Billy in a neutral manner, Olinger continually ridicules him. He has even gone so far as to buy a brand new shotgun, which he keeps on him at all times, in hopes the Kid will try to escape so that Olinger himself may shoot him. Billy's hate for Olinger runs just as deep as the deputy's for him, due to the fact that Olinger played a part in the murder of Frank MacNab and cold-bloodily murdered Billy's friend John Jones. Nevertheless, throughout Olinger's taunting, Billy remains cool and calm.
Apr. 22, 1881---In Santa Fe, Dave Rudabaugh is convicted of the murder of Lino Valdez. The judge sentences him to be returned to Las Vegas and there be executed by hanging on May 20, but the sentence is stayed to allow Dave a chance at an appeal. Upon his return to Vegas, Dave is reunited with his old friend John J. Webb when they're placed in the same jail cell.

Apr. 27, 1881---Pat Garrett leaves Lincoln for White Oaks, either to collect taxes or to buy lumber for the Kid's gallows. Before leaving, he warns Olinger and Bell to watch the Kid like a hawk, since he knows if the Kid is given even the slightest chance at escape, he will take it.
Apr. 28, 1881---Close to 5:00 PM, Olinger escorts five other criminals held at the courthouse across the street to the Wortley Hotel for dinner, leaving Bell in charge of the Kid. Shortly thereafter, the Kid asks to be taken out back to the privy. Bell unchains Billy from the floor, though his wrists and ankles are still shackled, and leads him down the stairs and out the back door to the privy. A few minutes later, Billy emerges from the privy and walks back into the courthouse, with Bell following close behind. After both men are in the building, a shot is fired. Bell staggers back out the door with a bullet hole in his abdomen. Hearing the shot, caretaker Godfrey Gauss (and former cook of the Tunstall ranch) runs into the yard and Bell collapses into his arms. Within seconds, Bell is dead and Gauss lays him down. Across the street, Olinger also hears the shot and comes running, assuming that it was Bell who shot the Kid. Back in the courthouse, Billy is back on the second floor, slips off his wrist irons, and breaks into the armory, where he grabs Olinger's brand new shotgun. Going as fast as his ankle shackles will allow, Billy makes his way back to his cell and positions himself in the window overlooking the street. As Olinger enters the yard, Gauss yells out to him that Bell has been killed. Olinger then hears Billy yell out a cheerful ''Hello, Bob!'' and looks up to see his former prisoner staring down at him from the window. Billy then fires both barrels of the shotgun, its contents hitting the brutish deputy in the face, shoulders, and chest and killing him instantly. Next, Billy smashes the shotgun over the windowsill, breaking it at the stock, and throws it at Olinger's pulverized body, cursing him as he does. As a crowd gathers in the street below, Billy retreats inside the building and reenters the armory, where he grabs two pistols, a Winchester rifle, and two belts of ammunition. Billy then steps out onto the second-story balcony and addresses the crowd, telling them he did not mean to kill Bell but was left with no other choice and that he will leave town as soon as he can. Billy then shouts to Gauss and tells him to get a horse ready for him. Before going to do this, Gauss tosses a prospector's pick up to Billy, so that he may pry off his ankle shackles. After about an hour, Billy finally manages to free one ankle. Taking a piece of string, he ties the dangling shackle and ties it to his belt. Grabbing his weapons and ammunition belts, Billy walks outside and mounts a horse Gauss has gotten for him, owned by County Clerk Billy Burt. Spooked by the loose leg iron, the horse bucks Billy to the ground and takes off down the street. Pulling a pistol, Billy aims it at Alexander Nunnelly, one of the criminals Olinger had taken to the Wortley, and orders him to retrieve the horse. Nunnelly does this and when Billy mounts the horse the second time, he is able to stay on it. He then says his goodbyes to the townsfolk ( and tells them to tell Burt he will return his horse to him) and rides west out of town, singing to himself as he goes. After nightfall, Billy arrives at the house of his friend Yginio Salazar, near Las Tablas. At Yginio's, Billy is able to get his leg irons completely off and Yginio allows him to stay with him for the next few days.
Apr. 29, 1881---A coroner's jury convenes in Lincoln, examines the bodies of Bell and Olinger, and determines they were killed by Billy the Kid. On the same day, Billy follows through on his promise to Billy Burt, as his horse returns to Lincoln. Meanwhile, newspaper all over the country begin carrying the news of Billy's daring escape, transforming him from a local, infamous badman into a national legend. Rumors begin circulating as well, claiming Billy is all over the Southwest. Some rumors also say that he kills Billy Mathews and three Chisum cowboys, but both of these reports are false.
Apr. 30, 1881---Pat Garrett returns to Lincoln. He immediately begins asking his allies throughout the area to keep their eyes out for Billy and report back to him if he is seen. Other than this, Garrett makes no real attempt to recapture the Kid, figuring he is in Old Mexico by now. On the same day, Gov. Wallace receives a telegram in Santa Fe informing him of the Kid's escape. Once again, he posts a notice of a $500 reward to anyone who can capture the escaped felon.
May 1, 1881---Billy leaves Salazar's house on a new horse his friend procured for him and heads south, probably in an attempt to lead an pursuing posses in a wild goose chase. He soon after arrives at the ranch of friend John Meadows on the Rio Penasco. Meadows advises Billy to ride to Mexico, but Billy refuses, saying he will head back north, towards Fort Sumner. Why Billy wants to return to Sumner is a mystery to everyone but himself, as the most logical thing for him to do would be to flee the territory altogether. Maybe he's going back for a girlfriend, maybe to just be with friends, maybe it's to be at the one place all his pursuers would assume he'd avoid, or maybe it's so he can plan his revenge on Pat Garrett, Barney Mason, and/or John Chisum.
Early May 1881---Rather than going directly to Fort Sumner, Billy rides to the house of Doc Scurlock and his family near Tascosa, in the Texas Panhandle. Doc and his family are shocked to see Billy, but allow him to stay with them for several days.
May 8, 1881---Thomas 'Kip' McKinney, who was a cousin to Tom Folliard, and a posse track former Rustler Buck Edwards, accused of stealing horses in Arizona, to his ranch near Rattlesnake Springs, New Mexico. There, a gunfight ensues and McKinney kills Edwards.
Mid. May 1881---Billy leaves the Scurlock home in Texas and soon after arrives back in Fort Sumner. He stays with various friends in town, including Francisco Lobato and Jesus Silva, as well as at sheep camps in the vicinity of Sumner. Rumors soon reach Garrett in Lincoln that Billy is around Sumner, but he widely dismisses them, believing like everyone else that the Kid is far from New Mexico.
May 30, 1881---Gov. Wallace, recently appointed minister to Turkey, leaves New Mexico for good.
June 1881---Newspapers all over the Southwest report sightings of the Kid in various locales. He is reported in Las Vegas, Seven Rivers, Roswell, and Fort Sumner in New Mexico; Denver, Colorado; Tombstone, Arizona; Austin, Texas; and in Old Mexico. However, it's likely he never ventures far from the immediate vicinty around Fort Sumner.
June 16, 1881---The Las Vegas Morning Gazette interviews Barney Mason, who claims he tracked Billy all the way from Lincoln to Fort Sumner. He goes on to say that he tracked Billy to a Sumner sheep camp for the purpose of arresting him, but when he saw Billy had four Mexican allies, he fled. Futhermore, he claims that he and his family encountered Billy on a road near Sumner, but Billy didn't kill him because Mason's wife was present. It seems Mason's account should be taken with a grain of salt.
Late June 1881---Garrett writes a letter to rancher Manuel Brazil, who aided Garrett in his capture of the Rustlers in December. In the letter, Garrett asks Brazil if he can confirm or deny the rumors that the Kid is anywhere near Sumner.
Early July 1881---Garrett receives a response letter from Brazil, telling him that while he personally has not seen Billy, others have and it's a certainty he's in the area. Brazil goes on to say that he has been hiding at his ranch, fearful that the Kid will arrive at any moment to kill him for aiding in his arrest and the deaths of Tom Folliard and Charlie Bowdre.
July 5, 1881---Tom Pickett's brother-in-law and a friend post $300 bond for him. Thereafter, Pickett immediately flees the area.
July 8, 1881 (approx.)---In Lincoln, Pat Garrett meets with John W. Poe, the cattle detective for the Canadian River Cattlemen's Association who has replaced Frank Stewart. Poe, who Garrett has recently deputized, has been in the area for a while, staying at White Oaks to investigate Pat Coghlan's dealings with stolen Panhandle cattle. According to Poe, he has heard from a drunken friend in White Oaks that Billy is indeed at Sumner. Faced with this, Garrett writes another letter to Manuel Brazil, requesting that he meet with him near Taiban Arroyo, about five miles south of Sumner, on the evening of July 13.
July 11, 1881---Garrett, accompanied by Poe, rides out of Lincoln towards Roswell. Upon their arrival, they pick up another deputy, Tom 'Kip' McKinney. The trio then begin riding towards Sumner, taking back roads so that they'll not be noticed.
July 13, 1881---Garrett, Poe, and McKinney arrive at Taiban Arroyo in the late afternoon, but Brazel has not yet arrived. They wait a few hours, until after dark, but Brazel never shows. They then ride two more miles and make camp for the night.
July 14, 1881---Waking early in the morning, Garrett decides to send Poe into Sumner to act as scout and try to get information about the Kid's whereabouts. Poe is a stranger around Sumner, so it's likely he won't be met with as much resistance if Garrett or McKinney went instead. If he is unable to acquire any information, Garrett instructs Poe to move on to Sunnyside, seven miles north of Sumner, and talk with post-master Milnor Rudulph. From there, Poe is to ride to Punta de la Glorieta, four miles north of Sumner, and there rendezvous with Garrett and McKinney. The plan explained, Poe rides into Sumner. He poses as a White Oaks cattleman on his way to Texas, but nevertheless is met with suspicion by the townsfolk. He goes to the saloon of Beaver Smith, has a meal, and begins conversing with the local patrons, but whenever he brings up the topic of Billy the Kid, they go silent. Realizing he'll be getting nothing from the townsfolk, Poe rides north to the post-office in Sunnyside to talk to Rudulph. Unfortunately for Poe, Rudulph also acts very timid and tight-lipped in regards to the topic of Billy the Kid. Faced with this, Poe leaves Sunnyside and rides to Punta de la Glorieta, where he meets back up with Garrett and McKinney shortly after sunset. After hearing Poe's account, Garrett decides that he and his men should go into Sumner and stake out a house of one of Billy's friends. Leaving their horses at a nearby camp of a friend of Poe's, the three lawmen enter Sumner on foot and take up positions in a peach orchard. By midnight, Garrett decides they should give up and return to Roswell, but Poe says they should visit the home of Pete Maxwell first. Reluctantly, Garrett agrees and they proceed to Maxwell's. While Poe and McKinney remain outside on the porch, Garrett walks into Maxwell's bedroom, where Maxwell is sleeping. While Garrett is inside, Poe and McKinney notice a figure walking towards them with a butcher knife (and possibly a pistol). Once the figure sees Poe and McKinney he asks in Spanish who they are. Somehow, the figure manages to get on the porch behind the two deputies and begins backing into Maxwell's room. Back inside the room, Garrett has awakened Maxwell and now sits at the head of his bed, asking him if he knows where the Kid is. Garrett then sees the figure enter the room and asks Maxwell, once again in Spanish, who the men on the porch are. Recognizing the voice as that of Billy's, Garrett draws his pistol and fires two quick shots before he and Maxwell flee out the door. One shot hits Billy in the chest, killing him nearly instantly, while the second goes into the wall. Outside, Garrett tells his deputies that he has killed the Kid, but Poe remains dubious. Maxwell then fetches a candle, holds it to his bedroom window, and sees Billy laying dead on the floor. Shortly thereafter, a crowd of townsfolk, awakened by the shots, begins to gather. One of those in the crowd, Paco Anaya, later claims that he and several others were approached by Justice of the Peace Alejandro Segura and asked to be part of a coroner's jury. Anaya agrees, but before the jury views the body, they are handed a report already written by Garrett, which they all sign and return to Garrett. Afterwards, fearing they could possibly be met with violence by Billy's friends, Garrett and his men decide to remain in the bedroom, with the corpse, for the night. However, Poe later claims that the body is removed immediately after the shooting by Billy's friends, carried to a carpenter shop, prepared for burial, and that a wake is held.
July 15, 1881---According to Garrett, Milnor Rudulph rides into Sumner in the early morning and J. P. Segura forms another coroner's jury, with Rudulph acting as foreman. The jury views the body in the Maxwell bedroom and writes a report, completely in Spanish, saying that Billy the Kid was shot and killed by Pat Garrett. The report is then given to Garrett so that he may properly file it. However, according to Paco Anaya, the report is a complete fake, written by Pete Maxwell. Regardless, the body of the dead man is buried in the afternoon in the old military cemetery besides Charlie Bowdre and Tom Folliard.
July 20, 1881---Pat Garrett arrives in Santa Fe and, accompanied by Tom Catron, meets with Acting Governor W. G. Ritch about the $500 reward for Billy the Kid's capture. Ritch says he will first look over the records regarding the reward offer before paying it. Also of note is that although Garrett is in Santa Fe, he does not file either report of the coroner's juries that he reportedly has.
July 23, 1881---Ritch announces his refusal to pay Garrett the $500 reward, stating that it was a personal offer made by former Gov. Wallace, and does not bind the territory to follow through.
July 28, 1881---Garrett leaves Santa Fe for Las Vegas on horseback.
July 30, 1881---The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that the various counties in New Mexico are gathering a private reward for Garrett for killing the Kid.