Billy the Kid

Billy the Kid
Portrait by Ben Wittick, c. 1880
Born	Henry McCarty September 17 or (1859-11-23)November 23, 1859 New York City, U.S.
Died	14 July 1881(1881-07-14) (aged 21) Fort Sumner, New Mexico
Cause of death	Gunshot wound
Resting place	Old Fort Sumner Cemetery 34°24′13″N 104°11′37″W
Other names	William H. Bonney Henry Antrim Kid Antrim
Occupations	Cattle rustler cowboy and ranch hand gambler horse thief outlaw

Henry McCarty (1859 – 14 July 1881) was also known as William H. Bonney, and known popularly as Billy the Kid. He was an American gunman who took part in the Lincoln County War.

Legends say that Billy the kid killed 21 men, but history tells us that he murdered at least four men. The first murder was in 1877 (1877). Bonney was born in 1859.

Before he started using the alias "William Bonney", McCarty's first arrest was for stealing food in late 1875 (1875). Within five months he was arrested for stealing clothing and firearms. Two days later, he escaped from jail and fled from New Mexico Territory into the neighboring Arizona Territory, making him an outlaw and a federal fugitive. After murdering a blacksmith during an argument in August 1877 (1877-08), Bonney became a wanted man in Arizona Territory. He returned to New Mexico and joined a group of cattle rustlers. He became a well-known figure in the region when he joined the Regulators and took part in the Lincoln County War. In April of 1878, the Regulators killed three men, including Lincoln County Sheriff William J. Brady and one of his deputies. Bonney and two other Regulators were later charged with killing all three men.