History and government of New Mexico . population (about 2,000) nearly allwere native-born New Mexicans. But a new element wasbeginning to drift into the lowlands of the Pecos Valleyfrom the south and east. It was composed of restlesscattlemen from western Texas, accompanied by the usualquota of hard characters. 219. The Lincoln County War. — Between thesenewcomers of the plains and the old time cattlemen in theregion around Lincoln a bloody feud soon developed; and,as Emerson Hough has said, southeastern New Mexico,for twenty years after the Civil War, was without doubt,as dangerous a country
History and government of New Mexico . population (about 2,000) nearly allwere native-born New Mexicans. But a new element wasbeginning to drift into the lowlands of the Pecos Valleyfrom the south and east. It was composed of restlesscattlemen from western Texas, accompanied by the usualquota of hard characters. 219. The Lincoln County War. — Between thesenewcomers of the plains and the old time cattlemen in theregion around Lincoln a bloody feud soon developed; and,as Emerson Hough has said, southeastern New Mexico,for twenty years after the Civil War, was without doubt,as dangerous a country as ever lay out of doors. THE CIVIL WAR 185 In that environment and out of that feud grew the bloodydisorders known as the Lincoln County War (1876-1878). Both factions had large beef contracts with theMescalero Indian Agency ; both were furnishing beef to theUnited States military forces at Fort Stanton; eachaccused the other of stealing cattle; and there is littlereason to believe that either was innocent. Stealing cattle ^MIINMR. The Old Chisum Ranch Near Roswell in that broad, unsettled region with a near-by marketwas easier, quicker, and more profitable than going to thetrouble of raising them. Yet killing was. the punishmentfor cattle stealing; and with a crude desperado like Billythe Kid (William H. Bonney) to promote this outbreakof crime, the whole region was kept in terror for more thantwo years. Territorial officials took no effective measuresto stop it; and some were even suspected of being interestedparties. Finally in 1878 General Lew Wallace, the famous 186 THE HISTORY OF NEW MEXICO author who wrote part of Ben Hur in the Palace of theGovernors at Santa Fe, was appointed governor for thespecific purpose of putting an end to the disturbances inLincoln County and restoring order in the Territory. The most effective single blow, however, was struckby Pat F. Garrett, sheriff of Lincoln County, when heshot and killed Billy the Kid at Fort Sumner in July, d
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