LINCOLN, NEW MEXICO
Now, the story doesn't end here. The governor of New Mexico, Lew Wallace, pardoned all the survivors of the Lincoln County War. All except Billy, it seems. After that, Billy was a hunted man. Running from the law, he often lived with villagers in Lincoln, Fort Sumner and other towns and with ranchers. They fed and sheltered him and treated him as a hero. Indeed, he was a hero to those who opposed the Murphy-Dolan faction. (Incidentally, Lew Wallace was preoccupied with writing Ben Hur at this time and so, even though he met with Billy and promised him his pardon, he never came through with it.)
So Billy was caught and tried for the murder of Sheriff Brady during the war. Found guilty, he was sentenced to hang. But the resourceful Billy escaped by killing two deputies. He rode the hills of Lincoln County once again and resumed his life of running and hiding.
Sierra Blanca
And he fell in love with the daughter of a wealthy Lincoln County family, Paulita Maxwell. Although a friend of Billy, Paulita's brother feared this relationship. It was Pete Maxwell who turned Billy in to Sheriff Pat Garrett. And it was in Pete's darkened bedroom in Fort Sumner, NM on the night of July 14, 1881 that Pat shot and killed Billy the Kid.
Billy rests in Fort Sumner now alongside two of his pals who were killed during the war, Tom O'Folliard and Charlie Bowdre. His grave is below, fenced to prevent the theft of his gravestone.
The Maxwell clan - Lucien, Paulita, and Pete - also rest in the Fort Sumner cemetery.
Of course, there's more to this story than this. There are some excellent books written about the Lincoln County War and the life of Billy the Kid, one by Pat Garrett. And there are web sites devoted to the subject. The Billy the Kid Outlaw Gang has a great site. You can visit them at here.
