Billy the Kid

NAME: Billy the Kid (also known as William H. Bonney or Henry McCarty)

WHAT FAMOUS FOR: Billy the Kid is infamous as a legendary outlaw of the American Old West, known for his involvement in the Lincoln County War and his exploits as a gunfighter.

BIRTH: The exact birth date of Billy the Kid is uncertain, but he was believed to have been born Henry McCarty in November 23, 1859 (though some sources say September 17), possibly in New York City.

FAMILY BACKGROUND: Henry McCarty was born to parents of Irish Catholic ancestry, Catherine (née Devine) and Patrick McCarty, in New York City. He had a younger brother.

Following the death of her husband, Catherine McCarty and her sons moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where she met William Henry Harrison Antrim, who became Billy. They moved first to Wichita, Kansas then to New Mexico. Shortly before McCarty's mother died of tuberculosis on September 16, 1874, William Antrim abandoned the McCarty boys, leaving them orphan

CHILDHOOD: Billy's childhood was marked by hardship and instability. Orphaned by 15, he drifted from place to place, working as a ranch hand and gambler. He fell in with a rough crowd and soon found himself on the wrong side of the law

EDUCATION: Billy received little formal education, if any, due to the transient nature of his upbringing.

CAREER RECORD: Billy the Kid's career as an outlaw began during the Lincoln County War in New Mexico, where he became embroiled in the conflict between rival factions. He gained notoriety for his skills as a gunman and his daring escapes from law enforcement.

APPEARANCE: Descriptions of Billy the Kid vary, but he was generally described as slight of build with brown hair and blue eyes. He had a youthful appearance, earning him the nickname "The Kid."

Portrait attributed to Ben Wittick, c. 1880

FASHION: As an outlaw of the Wild West, Billy dressed in typical cowboy attire, including a hat, boots, and a revolver strapped to his waist.

CHARACTER: Billy the Kid was characterized as both ruthless and charismatic, with a quick temper. He was fiercely loyal to those he considered friends. 

SENSE OF HUMOUR: Anecdotes portray him as playful and quick with a joke.

RELATIONSHIPS: Billy the Kid's relationships were often tumultuous, marked by loyalty to his allies and fierce vendettas against his enemies.

He had no confirmed romantic relationships. 

MONEY AND FAME: Billy the Kid lived a life on the run, accumulating little wealth. He gained notoriety during the Lincoln County War and became an outlaw legend after his death.

FOOD AND DRINK: As a cowboy and outlaw, Billy likely consumed simple fare such as beans, jerky, and whiskey.

MUSIC AND ARTS: There is little record of Billy's interest in music or the arts, as his life was consumed by the pursuit of survival and outlawry.

LITERATURE: While Billy the Kid himself was not known for literary pursuits, his life and legend have been immortalized in numerous books, films, and folk songs.

NATURE: As a product of the American frontier, Billy would have been intimately familiar with the rugged landscapes and harsh climates of the West.

HOBBIES AND SPORTS: Billy was known to be a skilled gambler and horseman. 

A tintype purchased in 2010 for US$2.00 at a memorabilia shop in Fresno, California, shows Billy the Kid and his gang playing croquet in New Mexico in 1878. 

Detail from a larger photo showing Billy the Kid (left) playing croquet

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY: Billy's philosophy was likely shaped by the lawlessness of the frontier, where survival often depended on one's ability to outgun or outwit their adversaries.

CRIMINAL RECORD;  Billy's criminal activities began with petty theft and escalated quickly. 

His first known brush with the law involved pilfering a basket of laundry from a Chinese laundry in Silver City, New Mexico? It was September 23, 1875, and Billy, just a sprightly 16, found himself in the clutches of justice after a local lawman recognized him from a wanted poster. This laundry larceny was but a mere prologue to the storied career of one of the West's most notorious outlaws.

Billy's criminal resume soon escalated. His first confirmed kill occurred in August 1877, when he was a tenderfoot 17 or 18. Frank "Windy" Cahill, a notorious bully, found himself on the wrong end of Billy's temper during a saloon spat in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. The outcome? Cahill met his maker, courtesy of Billy's pistol, setting the stage for the Kid's reputation as a gunslinger with a hair-trigger temper.

Yet it was during the Lincoln County War of the late 1870s that Billy truly made his mark. Caught in the crossfire of a conflict over control of the cattle industry, he found himself behind bars for a spell. But true to his nature, he slipped his shackles and earned the distinction of being one of the West's most wanted outlaws.

Over the ensuing years, Billy's rap sheet grew longer than a Texas cattle drive. Murders, robberies, and rustling became his stock in trade, fueled by his legendary quick draw and a magnetic charm that endeared him to some despite his nefarious deeds.

Legend has it that Billy dispatched 21 souls—one for each year of his brief life. Yet historical reckonings paint a more modest picture, with New Mexico's Tourism Department tallying a mere nine victims.

SCANDAL: Billy the Kid's life was filled with scandal and controversy, as he was constantly pursued by law enforcement and vilified by the press.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS: Billy was known for his agility and marksmanship, but the rigors of life as an outlaw likely took a toll on his health.

HOMES: Billy lived a nomadic existence, moving from place to place across the American Southwest to evade capture.

TRAVEL: Billy's travels were dictated by the need to evade law enforcement and seek refuge in remote areas of the frontier.

DEATH: The Kid's luck ran dry in 1881 when, awaiting execution for the murder of a Lincoln County sheriff, he executed a death-defying escape from custody, leaving two deputies in his wake. A prolonged game of cat and mouse ensued, with Billy evading capture despite a relentless manhunt.

But all good things—or in Billy's case, not-so-good things—must come to an end. In a twist straight out of a dime novel, Governor Lew Wallace extended clemency to the Kid in exchange for testimony in a murder trial. Trusting the word of Wallace's emissary, Sheriff Pat Garrett, Billy stepped into the trap. On July 14, 1881, Garrett ambushed and gunned down the Kid, closing the chapter on one of the West's most notorious outlaws.

Yet even in death, Billy's legend endures. In 2010, a bid for a posthumous pardon spearheaded by attorney Randi McGinn fell flat, leaving Billy's slate unexpunged in the eyes of the law. Governor Bill Richardson's verdict? The Kid's crimes outweighed any purported promises of absolution made decades earlier.

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA: Despite his brief and brutal life, Billy the Kid became a larger-than-life figure in the American West. His legend has been romanticized and embroidered upon in countless movies, television shows, books, and other forms of media.

Here are some of the most renowned folms

The Outlaw (1943): Directed by Howard Hughes and starring Jane Russell, this film caused a stir for its daring content.

The Left Handed Gun (1958): Arthur Penn directed this film starring Paul Newman, offering a more introspective look at Billy the Kid.

Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973): Sam Peckinpah's film featured James Coburn as Pat Garrett and Kris Kristofferson as Billy the Kid.

Young Guns (1988) & Young Guns II (1990): These ensemble Westerns boasted an all-star cast, with Emilio Estevez portraying Billy the Kid.

The Kid (2019):This recent take on Billy the Kid stars Ethan Hawke as an aging Pat Garrett reflecting on his pursuit of Billy the Kid, played by Dane DeHaan.

ACHIEVEMENTS: While Billy the Kid's life was marked by violence and lawlessness, his legend endures as a symbol of the untamed frontier and the enduring allure of the outlaw archetype in American folklore.