Robert W. Beckwith
Bob Beckwith was born to Henry M. (Hugh) Beckwith and Refugia Rascon y Pino Beckwith on October 16, 1850 in New Mexico. He became a Seven Rivers Warrior when he grew up and became a deputy sheriff in Lincoln County during the Lincoln County War. He was in the posse of Seven Rivers Warriors and Jesse Evans Gang members that ambushed Frank McNab, Frank Coe, and Ab Saunders and the next day fought in the Battle of Lincoln. He was with Sheriff Peppin's posses as they tracked the Regulators all over Lincoln County. On July 14, 1878 the Five-Day Battle at Lincoln had started. Beckwith was involved in the battle. On July 19, the McSween house, where about fifteen of the Regulators were, was set on fire. About nine o'clock that night, the Regulators made a break. Accounts differ as to what happened during the break, but by the time the smoke cleared, Bob Beckwith had a bullet in his wrist and in his left eye and lay dead, along with McSween, two Regulators named Francisco Zamora and Vincente Romero, and a law student that had been in the McSween house named Harvey Morris. Possibly the most accurate account is that after Harvey Morris was killed, one of Billy the Kid's random shots killed Beckwith. Another is that Beckwith was the first killed, but that is unlikely. Another is that one of his own men killed him. A lot of people believe it was Billy who fired the fatal bullet and it may very well be true since of all the McSween men that participated in the break, his aim was the most true.
John Marmaduke Beckwith
John Beckwith was born to Henry M. (Hugh) Beckwith and Refugia Rascon y Pino Beckwith on January 14, 1853 in New Mexico. His older brother was Bob Beckwith. Both brothers (as well as father Hugh) were members of the Seven River Warriors. During the Lincoln County War, John Beckwith fought for the Murphy-Dolan-Riley side. He was in the large posse of Seven Rivers Warriors and Jesse Evans Gang members that ambushed Frank McNab, Frank Coe, and Ab Saunders and he fought in the Battle of Lincoln on the next day. He also fought in the Five-Day Battle at Lincoln. After the war, Beckwith became a rustling partner with fellow Seven Rivers Warrior, John Jones. When they got into an argument over stolen cattle on August 26, 1879, both Beckwith and Jones pulled their pistols. Each fired one shot, only one found it's mark. John Beckwith crumpled to the ground, dead.
