History - Western

This book is a review of the life and times of the infamous outlaw known today as Billy the Kid, but in my book I call him Kidd. An explanation is in the book on why I chose Kidd, spelled with two d’s. What makes my version of the Kidd’s life span different from others is that it includes views of history as seen by the Mexican people that knew him at the time; including my great-grandmother. My research indicates that the Kidd died in his nineties in the early 1950s; I have firsthand accounts of people that knew him at the time, including a story of a man who is still alive that met him in l949. Also included is an account of how Pat Garrett met his demise.

I show the connection between my great-grandmother and her husband and the Kidd. I also give an insight on the Lincoln County War correspondence between Fort Stanton and Fort Craig, and Santa Fe; and Colonel Dudley’s exit from Lincoln when higher command shipped him out to Fort Union because of his involvement in the Alexander McSween debacle during the Lincoln County War. The historical value of this book, during the turbulent times in the Territory of New Mexico, will be appreciated by countless western history buffs.