I first saw Billy the Kid when I was about five years old. He was up on the screen in a park in my home town. Billy the Kid was one of the most popular heroes of the free movies shown each Tuesday night. Buster Crabbe, ex-Olympic swimming champion, played Billy the Kid. He was a handsome, dashing figure on a white horse. His comic sidekick, "Fuzzy" did slapstick humor as Billy got the bad guy.
Some years later I was in Lincoln county, New Mexico, the land of the real Billy the Kid. I hiked in the hills and slept out under the stars lulled by the howl of a distant coyote. That was a long time ago. Now I'm nearsighted and find the ground hard sleeping. When I returned to New Mexico I slept in soft beds, but I did pay a visit to Billy the Kid's grave in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. I also started reading some serious histories of Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, and the Lincoln County War. The story is more complex and violent than any movie. What follows is my attempt to use the research of serious historians as the basis for a solo game -- the last gunfight between Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.
We'll look at the environment, the men, the weapons and the shootout; then I'll suggest solo rules.
The Environment
It's hard to imagine that men fought over Lincoln County, New Mexico. It's a dry, rocky area with rugged hills. Most of the plants have thorns, and most of the animals have fangs. A cow that survives in such an environment must be very hardy indeed.
In the nineteenth century the population was sparse, but included three cultures. The Apache Indians had lived in the region for centuries. Mexican settlers had come later and built their churches, towns and ranches. The Anglos, from the United States, moved in last building forts, towns, and new ranches. They dominated the political and economic life of the territory.
In the United States, the years 1865 to 1900 were a time of political corruption and no holds barred economic competition. Lincoln County, New Mexico fit the pattern. A few Anglos with good political connections controlled the economic life of the county. This consisted of selling cattle -- often stolen cattle-- to the army, selling over-priced supplies to the Indians and running stores -- often monopolies. The Lincoln County War was fought over the control of these profitable activities. Although both sides used officers of the law to attack their enemies, both sides also broke the law or bent it to their advantage. Cattle were confiscated on the authority of questionable court orders. Men who opposed this were shot while "resisting arrest" and prisoners were shot while "trying to escape." Some men were simply shot. The climax was a five-day battle involving about one hundred men.
Billy the Kid seems to have been a minor figure in the Lincoln County War, but it shaped his future. John Tunstall, who was the Kid's employer, was shot by a posse while "resisting arrest." The murder of his employer hit the Kid hard. When Tunstall's side lost the war and the Kid found himself an outlaw, he stayed in Lincoln County to avenge his employer. He could have just as easily drifted to Colorado and gotten a fresh start, but he remained and became the target of a manhunt.
The Men
Billy the Kid was a killer. He had killed eight men that modern researchers can verify. One of them was a sheriff killed in ambush. Two of them were deputies killed when Billy escaped jail. He knew Pat Garrett was after him and had no intention of being taken. He practiced for hours with his "little 41s" pistols and his 1873 Winchester Rifle. He was a very good shot with either.
His background is hard to trace. Even his name is hard to pin down. He went by Henry McCarty, Henry Antrim, Kid Antrim, William Bonney and Billy the Kid. He looked like a kid, five feet seven inches tall, one hundred thirty five to one hundred forty pounds. He was slim with sloping shoulders. His hands were small and looked delicate. He was a cheerful, sociable person, liked to sing, and danced well. He spoke Spanish like a native and charmed many a young senorita. He did not drink or smoke, but he gambled and was good at it. He had many friends especially among the Hispanic population. He was right-handed. The picture showing him as left-handed was a nineteenth century photo that produced mirror images. Most people who describe him say he was good looking. To me, at least, the picture does not support that claim. He had two crooked front teeth. Apparently his charm more than made up for lack of looks. He was not a fancy dresser. He wore ordinary black pants and a coat. His education was pretty good for the place and time. He could read, and he composed letters to the Governor that are clear and direct. His handwriting was full of flourishes, but that was the style at the time.
He had a temper. Anyone who got him mad was likely to be shot. He was loyal to John Tunstall, his employer, and may have decided to stay in New Mexico to avenge his murder. Later he would break his word to some associates and testify against them in court. He stole cattle for a living at one time. When he took a horse after escaping jail he arranged its return to its owner. At age twenty-one he was the veteran of a harsh and violent life.
Pat Garrett's family came from the old South. They were impoverished by the war. Pat moved West and became a buffalo hunter and later bartender. Somewhere in there he may have stolen a cow or two. He knew Billy the Kid and the outlaw trails and hideouts very well. When John Chisum, powerful cattleman in New Mexico, was looking for a man to get Billy the Kid, Garrett was selected. He was duly elected sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico. Garrett was tall, well built and looks serious in his pictures. He captured Billy the Kid; brought him in.
After the Kid was convicted and sentenced, Garrett left him in the care of two deputies. The Kid escaped, killing the two deputies. Garrett set out to catch him again. He had no illusions. He knew the Kid was a killer, and he had no intention of giving him an even break. He thought he was at least as good with a gun as the Kid. He put in a lot of effort to locate the Kid and capture or kill him. He was thirty-one years old, a respected man, and a capable one.
The Weapons
Billy the Kid was carrying in his hand a Colt Double Action Revolver in 41 calibre. (See drawing.) This revolver fit his small hands well. It would have five cartridges in it with one empty chamber. This revolver could be fired by simply pulling the trigger. This made it a very fast gun to get off the second, third etc. shots. The harder pull needed to fire double action hurt accuracy a bit, but an experienced double action shooter can get good accuracy with it. The Kid was an expert. He shot well in all situations. In his other hand he carried a butcher knife.
Pat Garrett carried a Colt Single Action Army with a 7 1/2-inch barrel firing 44-40 cartridges. It too had five rounds plus an empty chamber. It was in his holster and he was sitting on it as he sat on Pete Maxwell's bed. This gun is the classic Colt of all western stories. It must be cocked before each shot. An expert can do this quite rapidly. When the pistol is cocked slowly it has four audible clicks "spelling COLT." Any experienced person would recognize the sound of a Colt being cocked. It has a reputation for pointing at the target naturally. The long barrel would aid pointing but slow the draw.
In comparison, the Kid's gun was better for a faster first shot and faster follow-up shots. It was in his hand. Garrett's gun was slower out of the holster and slower with following shots, but a more natural point and shoot gun. Both guns had plenty of knock-down power and killing power. It was not the type guns that gave Garrett the edge. It was the fact that he was in the darker part of the room.
The Shootout
After Billy the Kid broke jail, he lived in Lincoln County. From time-to-time he attended dances and visited the town of Fort Sumner. The Kid had enough friends that Sheriff Pat Garrett could not just ride in and arrest him. The Kid would be warned and long gone.
On the night of July 14, 1881, Sheriff Garrett and two deputies rode into Fort Sumner after dark. Only one man recognized them and he was a friend of one of the deputies. Garrett decided to visit Pete Maxwell and "have a talk." The two deputies were left standing outside Maxwell's house talking with their friend. Garrett made his way to Pete Maxwell's bedroom and sat on his bed as they talked.
Meanwhile Billy the Kid was in town just about a block away. He was hungry and his host told him there was a quarter of beef hanging near Pete Maxwell's house. The Kid took a butcher knife and set out to "get some beef." As he walked along hatless and in stocking feet, he noticed men near Maxwell's house. Then he noticed that they were armed. He pulled his gun and called out, "Who is there?" in Spanish. He backed toward Pete Maxwell's bedroom.
He came into the room with the knife in one hand and the gun in the other. He approached the bed and asked, "Pete, who are those men?" Then he noticed somebody sitting on the bed. He stepped back and called, "Who is there?" in Spanish. Pat Garrett shot twice. He says the first shot hit and the second missed. The Kid went down, and both Garrett and Maxwell rushed out of the room. Garrett met his deputies near the door and told them he had shot the Kid. He recognized the Kid's voice. Understandably nobody was very eager to return to the bedroom. A wounded Kid would be as deadly as an angry rattlesnake. When they did enter, the Kid was dead.
Telling the story later, Garrett said, "Scared? Well I should say so. The Kid got a very much better show than I had intended to give him."
Solo Bill the Kid Refight -- Rules
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