June 24, 1878; San Patricio, Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory---The tides have turned drastically in Lincoln County. John Copeland, McSween supporter, has lost his position as sheriff due to a dubious proclamation issued by Santa Fe Ring member Gov. Sam Axtell. In his place has stepped George Peppin, one of Jimmy Dolan's best friends and staunchest supporters. Peppin has deputized Seven Rivers Warriors Marion Turner, Jose Chavez y Baca, and Buck Powell, as well as Jessie Evans Gang member John Long, thereby making their respective gangs official, legal posses. On top of all that, the John Kinney Gang, probably the most feared gang in all the territory, has been hired to come up to Lincoln by D. A. William Rynerson and fight for the Dolan cause. On Dolan's urging, Peppin deputizes Kinney as well, making his gang a posse, too. These three gangs/posses, along with troops from Fort Stanton, have been hunting for the Regulators throughout the county for the past few days. (Luckily for the Regulators, on June 18, Congress passed the Posse Comitatus Act, forbidding military action in civil disturbances.) Due to all these recent developments, the Regulators have been lying low, hiding out at San Patricio, the small community of Picacho, or the Chisum South Spring Ranch.
On this particular rainy day, cousins George and Frank Coe leave San Patricio and head down the Rio Ruidoso towards Picacho, where the majority of the other Regulators are looking for new recruits. About a mile or so below San Pat, a volley of fifteen to twenty shots are fired from a clump of bushes and trees at the Coes. The John Kinney Gang had arrived at this spot earlier, hid their horses, and been watching the road, planning on ambushing any approaching Regulators. Miraculously, neither Frank nor George is hit. They take off on their horses, riding across the Ruidoso, planning to take cover in the nearby Gutieres Canyon. Unfortunately, both their horses trip in a hole in the river, thereby knocking them off their backs. George and Frank scramble as quickly as they can to the riverbank and take cover somewhere out of the sight of the Kinney Gang. Several shots are fired from both parties for a while, but after the Kinney Gang realizes that none of their shots are getting through, they withdraw. After they are sure their assailants are gone, George and Frank cautiously leave their refuge, find their horses, and continue on towards Picacho.
From this point, things will only get worse for the Regulators and the McSween cause as a whole. On this same day, Alex McSween, fearing for his life although he is not wanted on any legal warrants, leaves Lincoln for San Patricio, feeling he'll be safer there. Pretty soon, though, McSween won't be safe anywhere in the county.
Regulators involved
Murphy-Dolan-Riley men involved
