October 6, 2017: Fort Stanton and Lincoln, New Mexico -
Today was a day steeped in US History and legend.
After a breakfast of burritos we were on our way to Fort Stanton. Fort Stanton was established as part of the campaign against the Mescalero Apaches on May 4, 1855. The fort was named after Captain Henry Stanton who had been killed on January 19, 1855 in an ambush by the Mescalero Apaches. The fort’s mission was to protect farmers settling along the Bonita River.
Between 1855 and 1861, the Mescaleros had been brought under control, just before the start of the American Civil War. It was on August 2, 1861 Union soldiers abandoned the fort setting fire to it before departing. The fort a few days later was occupied by Confederate soldiers for about one month when it was again vacated.
In September of 1862, Colonel Christopher “Kit” Carson was dispatched to reopen the Fort. Over the next several years Fort Stanton’s troops were active in the final campaigns against the Mescaleros, when they surrendered to Colonel Carson in 1863.
During the years of 1873 to 1889, peace was rare for the settlers as it was the time of domestic disturbances of which the most noted is the Lincoln County War.
In 1880-1890 Fort Stanton was very active in the campaign to control Geronimo. It was during this time General “Black Jack” Pershing began his active military career. Fort Stanton was also a base of operation for the Buffalo Solders.
In 1896 the need for Fort Stanton was no more and it was closed on August 17, 1896.
In 1899 President McKinley issued an Executive Order setting Fort Stanton aside as a tuberculosis hospital, under the auspices of the Merchant Marines. To qualify for admission one had to have served aboard a US flagged ship for three months.
Then in 1933-1940, Fort Stanton became a Civilian Conservation Corps camp housing 200 men.
In 1939 World War II had started in Europe and the German luxury liner the SS Columbus was unloading it’s passengers in Cuba. The Captain of the SS Columbia feared capture and scuttled his ship off the United States East Coast. The American warship the USS Tuscaloosa rescued the crew. The crew eventually found their way to Fort Stanton where the seamen were classified as “Alien Enemies”. Here they were interred until the end of the war and in 1945 were repatriated back to Germany.
Fort Stanton was then transferred to the State of New Mexico, where it would serve as a prison and a facility for the mentally challenged and later a drug rehabilitation center. Eventually it was designated as a New Mexico State Monument.
We then made our was to Lincoln, New Mexico, where many of the events of the Lincoln County War took place. We explored many of the historical sights of Lincoln via a self guided walking tour. The Museum and displays are very well done, giving the visitor a chance to immerse themselves in the events that had unfolded here.
Interestingly, Billy the Kid’s real name is still in question as well as from where he came. I will attempt to cover the Lincoln County War here as briefly as possible. First the Lincoln County War was really a war between merchants. The two merchants were Murphy and Company and John Tunstall. The Murphy group had controlled much of New Mexico and had a hand in many of the business dealings and government contracts. John Tunstall was from a family of London merchants and had been convinced by an attorney named Alex McSween to bring some competition to Lincoln County.
In November of 1877 Billy was hired on by Tunstall. A clerk of the Murphy’s named Jimmy Dolan had taken control of the business and was not happy with Tunstall taking away his business. As the law and courts could be bought at that time, Dolan engineered charges against McSween in an effort to put McSween and Tunstall out of business. Sheriff Brady took possession of Tunstall’s store and attaching McSween’s residence.
Escape from McSween residence as it burned
When Billy was wounded he was hid in this bedroom’s trap door.
Located in the Tunstall Store
A posse was sent to Tunstall’s ranch to take possession of his cattle, during this event Tunstall became separated and was subsequently murdered. Warrants were sworn out against Sheriff Brady for stealing hay from the Tunstall Store. Some of Tunstall’s men were sworn in as deputy constables to enforce the warrants. So both sides felt the law was on their side.
It was at the McSween residence where Billy and several regulators took shelter. For five days the skirmish ensued. McSween was killed and Billy led a desperate escape from the burning residence.
President Hays learned of these events and replaces Territorial Governor Axtell with Lew Wallace in September of 1887. Billy was offered immunity by Wallace for this testimony in the murder of Huston Chapman. It was thought Billy had violated the terms of this agreement and was subsequently arrested by Sheriff Pat Garrett.
Billy was housed at the Lincoln County court house when on April 28. 1881, he made his final escape, killing Deputy Bell and Ollinger. Sheriff Garrett had been out of town collecting taxes during the escape.
Lincoln County Court House, set of Billy’s last escape.
As Billy ran down these stairs in his escape and there is still a bullet hole in the wall.
There was a room here in the Court House and ut was this room Billy escaped.
Sheriff Garrett tracked Billy to Fort Sumner and on July 14, 1881, he shot Billy in a bedroom of the Pete Maxwell residence. While Billy was dead his legend lives on. Maybe his immortality lives because he was viewed as an avenger of a murder, just thought of mine.
We then made our way back to camp for some time cleaning the camper.
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