Feature

June 1998

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PAT GARRETT

1850-1908

Born in Alabama, Patrick Floyd Garrett was raised on a large Louisiana plantation. The lanky teenager went west after the death of his parents in 1869, and for several years he was a Texas cowboy and buffalo hunter.

At a buffalo camp near Fort Griffin, Texas in November 1876, Pat enraged a skinner named Joe Brisco, resulting in a fistfight. The six-foot-four Garrett quickly bested his smaller opponent. Brisco then charged Pat with an ax and Garrett grabbed his Winchester and fired a slug into Brisco's chest. Brisco lasted less than an hour, but before he died, he reduced Pat Garrett to tears by asking, "Won't you come over here and forgive me."

Garrett drifted to Fort Sumner, New Mexico, married and began raising a large family. By 1980, the Lincoln County War had been raging for two years. Pat was elected county sheriff to restore order in general and to halt the crime spree of Billy the Kid in particular.

Pat Garrett tracked the Kid and 3 other gang members to a stone cabin at Stinking Springs. Early morning on December 23, 1880, Garrett and his men opened fire on Charlie Bowdre, who died on Pat's bedroll.

The surviving outlaws surrendered that afternoon and the Kid was quickly tried and sentenced to hang. While Garrett was out of town on April 28, 1881, the Kid killed two guards and escaped. Garrett resumed the manhunt, and on the night of July 14, he led two deputies into Fort Sumner. Leaving his men outside, Pat slipped into the bedroom of Pete Maxwell to ask where the Kid was.

At this point the Kid walked into the unlighted room, hatless and in his stocking feet. Billy was carrying a butcher knife and had a revolver stuck in his waistband. He had pulled his gun before entering Maxwell's bedroom.

When Maxwell identified the Kid, Pat Garrett whipped out his six-gun and pumped a bullet into Billy's chest, killing him instantly.

When Pat Garrett triggered that bullet into the heart of Billy the Kid, he won a permanent niche in the front rank of frontier lawmen.

This success was marred however by unwanted and persistent criticism of the manner of the shooting, and Garrett's life went downhill after this legendary event.

In the ensuing years, Garrett owned or managed several ranches, finally moving his family to a ranch east of Las Cruces. Pat was embroiled in a feud with a neighbor and was murdered on February 28, 1908.