Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

Chronology of the Life of Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War, Part 7

Dec. 1, 1878---Huston Chapman posts a notice in Lincoln requesting a town meeting to discuss the county's current state of affairs.
Dec. 7, 1878---Chapman's town meeting is held, but no record exists of what was discussed therein. On the same day, Gov. Wallace writes to Gen. Edward Hatch, commanding officer of New Mexico Territory, and asks him to remove Col. Dudley from his position as Fort Stanton's commanding officer. For some reason though, Hatch does not.
Dec. 11, 1878---The bodies of Selman's Scouts Jack Irvin and Charlie Moore are discovered in the White Sands. They have been shot several times and robbed by two unknown men who are never caught. It's doubtful a full-fledged effort was made to find the killers in the first place.
Dec. 12, 1878---Billy Bonney, Tom Folliard, Jim French, and Doc Scurlock ride into Lincoln, probably with the intent to partake of Wallace's amnesty. What Billy and Doc apparently don't realize is that since they are already under indictment, the amnesty is null to them.
Dec. 13, 1878---Sheriff Peppin, still at Fort Stanton, hears of the four former Regulators' presence in Lincoln. Normally, he would just ignore this, but unfortunately for him, he must be present at Lincoln today to attend probate court. Fearing what would happen to him if he were to enter town alone, Peppin requests a military escourt to accompany him to Lincoln and guard him while he's there. Lt. James H. French is given this duty, along with two noncommissioned officers and fifteen soldiers. Peppin, French, and the soldiers arrive in Lincoln around noon and, when Peppin goes to the courthouse, French and the soldiers stand guard outside. When court adjourns around five o'clock, Peppin asks French to stay the night in Lincoln, to guard him again tomorrow. French complies and, after quartering his men, joins Peppin for a few drinks at the Montano store and saloon. Around nine o'clock, Peppin and French, the latter very drunk, hear that the ex-Regulators are hiding out in the western end of town. When Peppin refuses to go after them, French says he will go if he is deputized. Peppin immediately deputizes French, who then takes three men with him and goes to the house of Maximiano de Guevara, a known Regulator hangout. After harassing the house owner, French realizes that there are no Regulators here and proceeds onto the house of former sheriff John Copeland. At Copeland's, French discovers and arrests a young boy carrying a pistol and takes him to the Baca house. At the Baca house, French encounters Susan McSween and Huston Chapman. French, no doubt knowing who Chapman is, becomes increasingly hostile, threatens him with his pistol, and ends up challenging Chapman to a fight. Chapman, however, wisely declines. Furious, French leaves the Baca house and retires for the night. Later on, John Copeland gets into an argument with nineteen-year-old Juan Mes. The argument comes to an abrupt end when Copeland shoots Mes in the stomach. While Mes is only wounded, Copeland immediately turns himself in to Deputy James Tomlinson. Tomlinson then wakes Lt. French so that he can give Copeland military protection.
Dec. 14 , 1878---In the morning, Huston Chapman and fellow lawyer Sidney Wilson, who has recently set up practice in Lincoln, travel to Montano's where Lt. French is holding Copeland. When Chapman and Wilson requests to see Copeland, French (again drunk) refuses to allow them to do so. After some more insults, French finally relents and the two lawyers meet with Copeland. Later in the day, Chapman and Wilson reprsent Copeland at his hearing for shooting Juan Mes. Copeland pleads self-defense and is quickly acquitted. Following the hearing, Chapman and French once again get into an argument, one that again involves French challenging the one-armed lawyer to a fight. Following this incident, Chapman avoids French for the rest of the day. What French is unaware of is that later this afternoon, Chapman, Mrs. McSween, and Maximiano de Guevara swear out warrants for his arrest for felonious entry and assault with intent to kill. When French returns to Fort Stanton this evening, Col. Dudley promptly places him under military arrest and meanwhile, assembles a board of inquiry to convene the next day to investigate French's actions in Lincoln.
Dec. 15, 1878---In the morning, the board of inquiry travels from Stanton from Lincoln. In Lincoln, the board gathers statements regarding French's actions from Chapman, Mrs. McSween, Guevara, Sebrian Bates, Bonnie Baca, Sidney Wilson, Justice of the Peace John Wilson, Juan Patron, Jose Montano, Sheriff Peppin, and George Barber. When the board returns to Stanton that evening, French gives his own account of the events.
Dec. 16, 1878---A civil warrant for the arrest of Lt. French is served on Col. Dudley, who refuses to turn him over to the civil authorities in Lincoln. Lt. Appel is sent to Lincoln to investigate and upon his return to Stanton, Dudley changes his mind and sends French to Lincoln under the escort of Lt. Byron Dawson. Meanwhile, Will Hudgens rides into Stanton from Lincoln and informs Dudley that a mob (believed to be Billy Bonney and the other ex-Regulators) is gathering with the intent to kill the wounded Juan Mes, as well as Johnny Hurley, who is guarding him. Dudley sends Lt. Appel back to Lincoln to bring Mes and Hurley to the fort for protection. On the same day, Gen. Hatch forwards Wallace's letter to him requesting the removal of Dudley to the assistant adjutant general, Philip Sheridan, Department of the Missouri. Also on this day, Charles Fritz requests Dudley give military protection to his ranch, which he fears will be plagued by rustlers again. Dudley refuses.
Dec. 20, 1878---Dudley rules Lincoln off-limits to all soldiers at Stanton, and at the same time declares Stanton off-limits to anyone from Lincoln who does not arrive at the fort accompanied by a military escort. Dudley goes one step further to specifically forbid Billy Bonney, Tom Folliard, Doc Scurlock, Jim French, and ''all other parties recognized as the murderers of Roberts, Brady, Tunstall, Beckwith, and Bernstein'' from seeking sanctuary at the fort.
Dec. 21, 1878---At Fort Stanton, the board of officers investigating Lt. French rule that ''no further action'' should be taken against him and the case is dropped. On the same day in Grant County, John Kinney is acquitted of the murder of Ysabel Barela. He quickly reunites with his gang and they continue their depredations in Dona Ana County, while Kinney also finds a job as an army scout.
Dec. 22, 1878---Allegedly, Billy Bonney and Tom Folliard, still hoping to partake in Wallace's amnesty proclamation, ride into Lincoln, surrender, and are placed in Lincoln's jail/pit. After a couple of hours though, the pair lose their nerve and easily escape.
Dec. 27, 1878---With Peppin back at Stanton, Billy Bonney, Tom Folliard, Doc Scurlock, and probably others such as Charlie Bowdre, Yginio Salazar, George Bowers, and Jose Chavez y Chavez (Jim French is not present because he recently left New Mexico Territory for Indian Territory) , again ride into Lincoln and take over the town. Jimmy Dolan, John Long, and Billy Mathews all flee Lincoln in fear for their lives and take refuge at Stanton, despite Dudley's recent proclamation forbidding civilians from seeking sanctuary at the fort.
Late Dec. 1878---George Peppin officially resigns as sheriff and decides to remain at Stanton working as a butcher. With his resignation, the status of all his deputies is now null as well.
Dec. 31, 1878---Gen. Sheridan forwards Wallace's request that Dudley be removed to his superior, Gen. William Sherman. Sherman then passes the request onto the Secrtary of War, with his own recommendation that Dudley not be removed. Meanwhile, at Fort Stanton, a party is held to celebrate the new year.
Jan. 1, 1879---Lincoln resident George Kimbrell is appointed as the new sheriff to replace Peppin.
Jan. 3, 1879---John Truesdale, Acting Chief Clerk of the War Department, issues a statement stating that the Secretary of War is declining to remove Col. Dudley.
Jan. 11, 1879---Justice Wilson writes to the Mesilla Valley Independent, stating that Lincoln County is currently peaceful.
Jan. 13, 1879---With the help of Huston Chapman, Susan McSween gets appointed as the administratix of the estates of her late husband, John Tunstall, and Dick Brewer. Shortly thereafter, Chapman goes before Justice Wilson and swears out a warrant against Col. Dudley for arson and complicity in the murder of Alex McSween.
Jan. 18, 1879---According to the Mesilla News, Mrs. McSween and Jimmy Dolan strike a peace treaty, but judging from later events and the lack of details, this seems to be an unfounded rumor.
Jan. 20, 1879---In a buggy owned by Mrs. McSween, Chapman leaves Lincoln for his offices in Las Vegas.
Feb. 7, 1879---Upon hearing of George Peppin's resignation as Lincoln County's sheriff, U. S. Marshal John Sherman rescinds Peppin's appointment as a deputy marshal as well.
Feb. 10, 1879---From Las Vegas, Chapman writes a letter to John Tunstall, Sr., in London. In the letter, Chapman informs the elder Tunstall that his son's estate is now being handled by Mrs. McSween. Also in the letter, Chapman tells of how the Regulators have been indicted for murder and have no money to defend themselves. It is Chapman's hope that Tunstall, Sr. will send some money to pay the Regulators for their service in avenging his son's death.
Feb. 11, 1879---Chapman, along with David Shield, travel to Santa Fe to meet with Gov. Wallace himself. The two wish to inspect the affidavits Dudley has acquired charging Mrs. McSween as a dishonorable woman, but when they ask Wallace to allow them to do this, he refuses. Although Chapman is angry over this, Wallace does promise him that he now intends to visit Lincoln himself in the near future to better investigate. After this, Chapman decides to return to Lincoln alone. Before he leaves, his friends Ira Leonard, a fellow attorney, and J. H. Koogler, the Las Vegas Gazette's editor, beg him not to go, telling him he'll surely be killed if he does. Chapman tells them that he agrees there's a chance he could be harmed, but that, no matter what, he must continue his case against Col. Dudley. With that, Chapman departs Vegas, once again in Mrs. McSween's buggy. On the same day, Mrs. McSween hears that Tunstall cattle are being held in Seven Rivers by Bob Speakes, Seven Rivers Warrior and former member of Selman's Scouts. She quickly writes a letter to Col. Dudley requesting military assistance in reacquiring the cattle.
Feb. 12, 1879---Dudley, not wanting to look partisan, writes a response to Mrs. McSween, assuring her he'll help in the retrieval of the cattle. He also writes letters to the commanding officer of Fort Bliss and the Texas Rangers, asking them to make sure the Tunstall cattle are not moved over the Mexico border. Meanwhile, Capt. Henry Carroll and a detachment of troops, who have been in the Seven Rivers area with Sheriff Kimbrell, locate and recover 275 head of stolen cattle, about which half are Tunstall's. Carroll and most of his men then begin herding the animals to Roswell, while six of the troops are sent to the nearby Tom Catron cow camp (formerly Dolan & Co.'s) to help herd 2,100 head of cattle to the Mescalero-Apache Reservation Agency. What Carroll is unaware of is that the cattle are actually being herded to Catron's Carrizozo ranch (formerly Murphy's Longview Ranch), and that Jimmy Dolan and several outlaws, including Jessie Evans and several of his gang, are doing the herding. One of the new additions to Jessie's gang who is also present is Billy Campbell, the same man who has some past with Col. Dudley and had a private meeting with him back in November.

Feb. 15, 1879---The herd of 2,100 cattle reaches Fort Stanton. Word of this quickly reaches Lincoln, where Billy Bonney currently is. Tired of running and fighting Dolan men, Billy writes a letter to Jessie Evans conveying this and expressing a wish to meet and make peace. Billy then has someone from town carry the note over to Stanton and deliver it to Evans. Evans reads the note and shows it to Dolan and the other men with him, all of whom would also like to cease the fighting once and for all. It's decided that a meeting will be held in Lincoln on the night of the 18th to discuss the terms of the peace.
Feb. 18, 1879---In the afternoon, Huston Chapman, suffering from a case of neuralgia, returns to Lincoln and visits Mrs. McSween, informing her of Gov. Wallace�s impending visit to Lincoln. Shortly after dark on the first anniversary of the murder of John Tunstall, Billy Bonney, Tom O�Folliard, Doc Scurlock, George Bowers, Yginio Salazar, and maybe Jose Chavez y Chavez, hide behind an adobe wall on one side of Lincoln�s only street. On the other side of the street, behind their own adobe wall, hide Jimmy Dolan, Jessie Evans, Billy Campbell, Billy Mathews, and Edgar Walz (Tom Catron�s brother-in-law). No one on either side is stepping into the open, for fear they�ll be shot. Finally, Jessie Evans yells out that his party should kill Billy on site, to which Billy responds ��I would prefer not to open negotiations with a fight, but if you come at me three at a time, I�ll whip the whole damned bunch of you!�� Walz then bravely steps out into the middle of the street and manages to calm both parties down and convince them all to come out in the open. All the men shake hands and elect to go to one of the town�s saloons to formally discuss the terms of the treaty. In the saloon, a written treaty is made, with six conditions. First, no one from either party may kill someone from the other party without first giving notice of his withdrawal from the treaty. Second, anyone who has acted as an ally to either side is not to be harmed. Third, no harm is to come to any military personnel who aided either side in the war. Fourth, no member of either side is to testify against someone from the other side in court. Fifth, if any member from either side is to be arrested, other members from both sides must do all they can to aid in his resistance, or even his release if he does get arrested and jailed. Sixth, if anyone partaking in the treaty fails to live up to its conditions, he must be killed. With the treaty completed, all participants decide to celebrate and order several drinks in the saloon. Meanwhile, Sheriff Kimbrell rides to Fort Stanton and requests that Col. Dudley grant him military assistance in arresting Billy Bonney and Yginio Salazar. Dudley does this and sends Lt. Byron Dawson and twenty troops with Kimbrell to Lincoln. Back in town, the Billy-Dolan party, most of the members of which are now drunk, head over the house of Juan Patron, recently arrived from a trip to Las Vegas. Upon entering the house, Billy Campbell, who is very drunk and quite dangerous when sober, pulls his pistol on Patron. Luckily, Patron jumps behind other members of the group and Campbell holsters his gun. Shortly thereafter, the party leaves Patron�s and heads to Frank McCullum�s Oyster House and saloon, which was recently built adjacent to the McSween house ruins. On their way to McCullm�s, the party runs into Huston Chapman in the street. Campbell stops Chapman and begins antagonizing him, until at one point Campbell pulls his pistol and sticks it into the lawyer�s chest, ordering him to dance. Chapman refuses to dance however, and asks Campbell if he is Jimmy Dolan, to which Jessie Evans interrupts that Campbell is not Dolan, but a ��damned good friend of his.�� Suddenly and without provocation, Dolan fires his Winchester rifle (either into the ground or into Chapman) and Campbell simultaneously fires his pistol. The bullet from Campbell�s gun strikes Chapman in the chest and the close proximity of the muzzle flash sparks his clothes on fire. The lawyer cries out that he has been killed, staggers a few feet, and falls dead in the street. Thinking nothing of it, Dolan and his men continue to McCullum�s. Billy and his men, probably shocked at what has just happened, are also forced to go along. In the saloon, Campbell boasts ��I promised my God and Gen. Dudley I would kill Chapman and now it�s done!�� During the feast of oysters and alcohol, Dolan states aloud that Chapman didn�t have a gun on him and gives Walz a pistol to go place on the corpse. When Walz demurs though, Billy says that he�ll do it. Taking the pistol, Billy, along with his men, leave the saloon and immediately head for their horses, which are corralled at the Ellis house. They then quickly ride out of Lincoln for San Patricio. Shortly thereafter, the Dolan men return to their homes and are apparently too drunk to realize that Billy didn�t plant the gun on Chapman. Around 11:30, Sheriff Kimbrell, Lt. Dawson, and the twenty troops enter Lincoln and search several homes for Billy and Salazar, and although they do not find them, they do discover the body of Chapman, still lying in the street. When Kimbrell and Dawson located Justice Wilson and inform him of this, he says he already knows, but could find no one to help him move the body. Dawson and his men then carry the body into the courthouse.
Feb. 19, 1879---Fearing the murder of Chapman will respark a shooting war, Sheriff Kimbrell sends a note to Fort Stanton requesting that troops be stationed in town. Accompanying the note is a petition signed by every citizen of Lincoln. Upon receiving the note, Dudley sends Lt. Millard Goodwin, twelve troops, and a Gatling gun to Lincoln. Mrs. McSween, saddened and angered over the murder of her lawyer, allows the soldiers to use the Tunstall store as barracks while they stay in town. No attempt is made to arrest the murderers of Chapman.
Feb. 20, 1879---The body of Chapman is buried besides the Tunstall store, with the bodies of John Tunstall, Alex McSween, Frank MacNab, and Harvey Morris. On the same day, Justice Wilson drops the lawsuits brought against Dudley by Chapman. Also on the same day, Dudley himself visits Lincoln and attends a town meeting.
Feb. 23, 1879---Sheriff Kimbrell asks Lt. Goodwin to have some of his men accompany him to San Patricio to try to arrest Billy Bonney and Yginio Salazar. Goodwin consents and sends six troops along with Kimbrell, but once again, they fail to locate either former Regulator and return to Lincoln empty-handed.
Feb. 27, 1879---By now having heard of Chapman's murder, Gov. Wallace makes a formal request to Washington to allow him to impose martial law in Lincoln County. His request is denied. Nevertheless, he decides that he must travel to Lincoln quicker than originally planned to investigate the murder himself. Around this same time, Mrs. McSween hires Ira Leonard to replace Chapman as her lawyer. Leonard quickly gets to work and draws up charges against Dudley for having aided and abetted in the murder of Alex McSween, the arson of the McSween house, the looting of the Tunstall store, threatening to place Justice Wilson in irons on July 19, and slandering Mrs. McSween.
Mar. 2, 1879---Wallace and Gen. Edward Hatch leave Santa Fe for Lincoln.
Mar. 4, 1879---Ira Leonard forwards his charges against Dudley to the secretary of war.
Mar. 5, 1879---Wallace and Hatch arrive in Lincoln. Hatch continues on to Stanton, while Wallace makes his quarters in the Montano house. The governor then interviews several town citizens and learns that Dolan, Evans, Campbell, and Mathews are hiding out at the Carrizozo ranch of Tom Catron. Wallace hastily sends a letter to Stanton, requesting that the military arrest the Chapman murderers at the Catron ranch.
Mar. 6, 1879---A detachment of troops arrives at the Carrizozo ranch and arrest Jessie Evans, Billy Campbell, and Billy Mathews; Jimmy Dolan is left behind. The three men are then taken to Fort Stanton and kept in the guardhouse. Sidney Wilson of Lincoln is appointed as the trio's lawyer. On the same day, Wallace hears that Billy Bonney and Tom Folliard are at the house of Yginio Salazar, near Las Tablas. The rumor going around is that Billy and Tom plan to flee New Mexico and are only resting at Salazar's. Not wanting the pair to escape his jurisdiction, Wallace sends another letter to Stanton, this time requesting that troops be sent to arrest the ex-Regulators. A small detachment is soon sent to Salazar's home, but neither Billy nor Tom are there. That evening in Lincoln, Wallace holds a town meeting and announces that he plans to again request Col. Dudley's removal.
Mar. 7, 1879---Wallace travels to Fort Stanton and once again asks Gen. Hatch to remove Dudley, this time giving Dudley's apparent connection to the Chapman murder as a reason. Hatch consents and Dudley is stripped of his status as Stanton's commanding officer; Capt. Henry Carroll is now given that responsibility. When Dudley, who is currently in La Mesilla, hears of this, he demands a court of inquiry (which is meant to investigate his case to see whether a court martial is warranted).
Mar. 8, 1879---Jimmy Dolan turns himself in at Fort Stanton. However, unlike Evans, Campbell, and Mathews, he is not placed in the guardhouse and is allowed to travel between the fort and Lincoln.
Mar. 11, 1879---Wallace makes a list of thirty-seven men who have committed crimes in Lincoln County that he wants arrested and sends the list to Capt. Carroll at Stanton. Of the thirty-seven, nine are Regulators and most of the rest are various members of the Jessie Evans Gang, Seven Rivers Warriors, and Selman's Scouts. The first name on the list though, is John Slaughter, a rancher who managed to remain neutral during the war and is wanted on a murder charge predating the conflict.
Mar. 13, 1879---Billy Bonney writes a letter to Wallace. In the letter, Billy states that he was a witness to the murder of Chapman and would have come forward sooner if he weren't already facing indictments. He also says that he would be willing to testify in court against Dolan and the others if the governor could help him with his indictments. On the same day, Wallace forms the Lincoln County Mounted Rifles, a militia group organized for the purpose of arresting the men wanted throughout the county. The group is led by Juan Patron, along with 1st Lt. Ben Ellis and 2nd Lt. Martin Sanches and over two dozen others serving as the troops, nearly all of which are Hispanic. Former Regulators Jose Chavez y Chavez, Yginio Salazar (who himself was on Wallace's wanted list), Fernando Herrera, Jose Maria Sanchez, Martin Chaves, Florencio Chaves, Jesus Rodriguez, and Eusebio Sanchez are among the ranks of the obvious pro-McSween cause group.
Mar. 14, 1879---The secretary of war agrees to allow a court of inquiry into Dudley's actions on July 19, 1878.
Mar. 15, 1879---Wallace writes a response letter to Billy Bonney. In the letter, Wallace tells Billy to come alone to the house of Justice Wilson in Lincoln on the night of the 17th to meet with him. The purpose of their meeting will be to discuss the terms of Billy's testimony against Dolan and his men involved in the Chapman murder.
Mar. 17, 1879---Shortly after dark, Wallace and Justice Wilson hear a knock at the door of the latter�s house. Afterwards, in steps Billy Bonney, with his pistol in his left hand and his Winchester in his right. Wallace stands up and introduces himself and assures Billy that he is in no danger, to which Billy puts away his firearms. The two then sit at a table and discuss the Chapman murder. The governor proposes that if Billy will undergo a faux arrest and testify before a grand jury about what he saw on the night of Chapman�s murder, he will then be allowed to ��go scot free with a pardon in your pocket for all your misdeeds.�� Needless to say, Billy likes the sound of this and even suggests that he should be placed in shackles before he testifies in order to keep Dolan and the others from suspecting anything. With that, Billy stands, saying he will think over the matter more closely and write Wallace a response in a couple days. He then rides out of Lincoln for San Patricio.
Mar. 18, 1879---With the help of a soldier known as Texas Jack, Jessie Evans and Billy Campbell manage to escape from the guardhouse at Fort Stanton and the three take to the hills. The Lincoln County Mounted Rifles go off in pursuit of the escapees. When Billy hears of this, he writes a letter to Wallace, asking him if the deal is still on with Evans and Campbell now running free again.
Mar. 19, 1879---From Stanton, Wallace writes a response to Billy, telling him that if Billy will still follow his end of the bargain, then he will still follow his.
Mar. 20, 1879---Billy writes another letter to the governor, telling him that he will still testify before the grand jury. He instructs Wallace to send Sheriff Kimbrell and his men a mile south of San Pat to arrest him. In the letter, Billy also advises Wallace on where to look for Evans and Campbell.
Mar. 21, 1879---Near San Pat, Sheriff Kimbrell and a small posse find and arrest Billy, along with Doc Scurlock. The pair are brought back to Lincoln and, much to the chagrin of Billy and Doc, are placed in the jail/pit. On the same day, Dudley is transferred from Stanton to Fort Union.
Mar. 22, 1879---In La Mesilla, John Kinney opens up a butcher shop. No doubt, this is a manner for him to dispose of the cattle he and his gang rustle.
Mar. 23, 1879---Billy and Doc are moved from the jail/pit to Juan Patron's house, where they are still kept in shackles and guarded by Deputy T. B. Longworth. While staying in the Patron house over the next few weeks, Billy and Doc are frequently visited by friends, such as Tom Folliard and Dan Dedrick, as well as many of the local Hispanics, who bring them food, drinks, cigars, and play music for them. At some point during his confinement, Billy writes a letter to Wallace detailing to him some of the local rustling operations and naming specific rustlers.
Mar. 28, 1879---Wallace visits Billy and Doc at the Patron house. During the visit, Billy tells the governor of more details regarding the county's rustling activities. Probably also during this visit, Billy takes Wallace to the riverbank and demonstrates his shooting skills, to which the governor is very impressed.

Mar. 31, 1879---Once again, Wallace telegraphs Washington and requests that he be allowed to declare martial law in Lincoln County and, once again, his request is denied.
Apr. 10, 1879---Dudley arrives back at Fort Stanton from Fort Union in order to prepare for his upcoming court of inquiry.
Apr. 12, 1879---A patrol of troops led by a Pvt. Fletcher find and capture Texas Jack at Dowlin's Mill. They also confiscate the horses of Evans and Campbell, who manage to escape into the hills on foot. Texas Jack is taken back to Stanton and placed in the guardhouse with fifteen other outlaws (mostly Dolan men) that have been recently captured.
Apr. 13, 1879---On their way to Lincoln from Mesilla, Judge Warren Bristol, D. A. William Rynerson, and others arrive at Stanton. There, Judge Bristol releases the prisoners in the guardhouse (except Texas Jack), due to petitions of habeas corpus that were brought upon by the prisoners' collective lawyer, Sidney Wilson. Needless to say, Wallace is not pleased with this.
Apr. 14, 1879---The district court convenes in Lincoln, with Judge Bristol presiding. Foreman for the grand jury is Isaac Ellis, and the majority of the jury are old partisans of the McSween faction. Following up on his promise to Wallace, Billy testifies before the grand jury as to what he saw at the scene of the Chapman murder. Tom Folliard also comes in and testifies, as he too was a witness to Chapman's death. After completing his testimony, Billy is taken back to the Patron house.
Apr. 16, 1879---At Fort Stanton, the Dudley Court of Inquiry (DCOI) convenes.
Apr. 18, 1879---Gov. Wallace leaves Lincoln County and returns to Santa Fe. Due to this, the DCOI is post-poned, to allow Wallace to return to Stanton and be present for the preceedings.
Apr. 20, 1879---Before the court in Lincoln, Billy's hearing is held, in regards to the indictments he faces in the murders of Sheriff Brady and Buckshot Roberts. Expecting this to simply be a formality in order for him to receive his pardon from Wallace, he is quite surprised when D. A. Rynerson, one of his mortal enemies, decides to press the charges. Rynerson applies for, and receives, a change of venue for the trial to be held in Dona Ana County, Rynerson's home turf. Rynerson is no fool and knows that if the trial were to be held in Lincoln, Billy would easily be acquitted by a jury made up of his friends, but if it were held in Dona Ana County, where only Billy's reputation was known, he would quickly be found guilty. Nevertheless, Billy remains hopeful that Wallace will still come through for him. Ira Leonard, who has been acting as Billy's counsel of sorts, writes a letter to the governor, detailing him of this and of Rynerson's staunch support of Dolan and his men.
Apr. 25, 1879---Two unidentified outlaws race through Lincoln on horseback and fire two shots through the window of the house where Ira Leonard is staying. Luckily, no one is hit by the bullets, but it's made clear that this was an assassination attempt.
Apr. 30, 1879---The grand jury adjurns and makes no attempt to conceal its biasness when of the 200 indictments that are issued, only two are for Tunstall-McSween men. These two are against Tom Folliard and Sam Smith for the rustling of Charles Fritz's livestock back in September. Smith has fled the area months ago, but Tom simply claims Wallace's amnesty and the charges against him are dropped. Of the other indictments, George Peppin and nineteen others are indicted for the murder of Frank MacNab. Of these men, several are already dead (i.e. Bob Beckwith and William Johnson) and several others have fled the territory (i.e. Charlie Kruling and Tom Cochran). Most of those still remaining in Lincoln County, such as Buck Powell, Billy Mathews, John Long, and Johnny Hurley, claim the amnesty and the charge against them is dropped. Peppin is also indicted, along with John Kinney and Col. Dudley, for the burning of the McSween house. Peppin refuses to take part in the amnesty on either charge though, preferring to be fully exonerated in court. Dudley also shares this sentiment. John Selman and eight of his henchman are indicted for several of the crimes they committed during their reign of terror in September. Seven Rivers Warriors John Jones and Marion Turner are indicted for the actual murder of Alex McSween. In the case of the Chapman murder, Billy Campbell and Jimmy Dolan are indicted as principals, with Jessie Evans indicted as an accessory. Dolan, Mathews (still facing indictment as an accessory to the Tunstall murder), Peppin, and Col. Dudley all apply for, and are granted, a change of venue to Socorro County for their trials.
May 10, 1879---With Gov. Wallace back at Fort Stanton, the DCOI convenes. Presiding over the proceedings is a tribunal consisting of Col. Galusha Pennypacker (one of Dudley's closest friends), Maj. Nathan Osborne, and Capt. Henry Brinkerhoff. Henry Waldo serves as Dudley's counsel and Capt. Henry Humphreys serves as recorder, or prosecutor, along with Ira Leonard.
May 12, 1879---In La Mesilla, John Kinney gets word of the indictment he now faces for the burning of the McSween house. He immediately gathers his belongings and flees for Arizona Territory. On the same day, Gov. Wallace is called as the first witness in the DCOI. The governor tries to justify his removal of Dudley as the commanding officer of Stanton, but nearly everything he says is objected to by Dudley and Waldo.
May 16, 1879---Gov. Wallace finishes his testimony at the DCOI. Shortly thereafter, he returns to Santa Fe, without waiting for the proceedings to be completed.
May 23, 1879---Susan McSween takes the stand at the DCOI and gives her testimony, detailing how, during the end of the Five-Day Battle, she was verbally abused by Col. Dudley and how the colonel obviously supported the Dolan men in their illegal acts.
May 24, 1879---Word spreads that Jessie Evans and Billy Campbell are hiding out at the Pecos ranch of John Slaughter.
May 26, 1879---Former McSween house servants Joe Dixon, Sebrian Bates, and George Washington take the stand at the DCOI and testify against Dudley.
May 28, 1879---Billy Bonney is brought from Lincoln, where he's still being held at the Patron house, to Fort Stanton, where he takes the stand at the DCOI. Billy testifies that three of Dudley's soldiers shot at the Regulators as they fled the burning McSween home. Ex-Regulator Jose Chavez y Chavez, who fled from the McSween house with Billy, also testifies that he was fired on by three soldiers.
May 29, 1879---Billy finishes his testimony and is dismissed from the stand. He is then returned to the Patron house in Lincoln. Over the next few days, Ira Leonard calls more anti-Dudley witnesses to the stand.
June 4, 1879---Evans and Campbell are reported to be at La Cienega, near Tuscon, Arizona.
June 6, 1879---Henry Waldo begins calling witnesses to testify in behalf of Dudley. Over the next few weeks, Jimmy Dolan, Saturnino Baca, George Peppin, Andy Boyle, John Long, Billy Mathews, Buck Powell, Dr. Appel, Bob Olinger, Johnny Hurley, Marion Turner, and others take the stand and praise Dudley for his actions in Lincoln on the final day of the Five-Day Battle.
June 14, 1879---Deputy U.S. Marshal Charles Conklin brings a shackled Frank Coe, who he recently arrested in Colorado, to La Mesilla to stand trial for the murder of Buckshot Roberts. Apparently, Conklin mistook Frank for his cousin George, who was indicted for the Roberts murder, whereas Frank was not. Faced with this, Frank is allowed to go free and returns to Colorado. On the same day, it's announced by the court that since U.S. Marshal John Sherman did not go to Lincoln and bring Billy Bonney and Doc Scurlock down to Mesilla by now, they cannot be tried in this term.
June 17, 1879---Fed up with waiting for Gov. Wallace to come through for him with the pardon he was promised, Billy Bonney, accompanied by Doc Scurlock, walk past their guards and out of the Patron house. Waiting for them outside is Tom Folliard with their horses. The men saddled up and ride out of town, heading north towards the familiar area around Fort Sumner.
June 24, 1879---A rumor begins to spread that ex-Regulator 'Big Jim' French has been shot and killed by unknown rustlers near Lincoln. However, this seems very unlikely.
June 27, 1879---Brought down to La Mesilla for a hearing over the murders of Tunstall and Chapman, Jimmy Dolan is allowed by Judge Bristol to post $3,000 bond and remain free.