Kenny Rosales Critical Analysis History 343 HISTORY 343 (U.S. Borderlands) Dr.

Sinclair

NAME: _Kenny Rosales_

GUIDELINES FOR HISTORICAL ANALYSIS:

The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid
(Due Tuesday, 26 April)
APPEARANCE/PRESENTATION OF PAPER: All papers must be typed, double-spaced, stapled, and no longer than five (5) pages in length. Please use this guidelines sheet as your cover page. (100 points)

WHAT THE PAPER SHOULD INCLUDE: Your analysis should be presented in a well-planned and well-executed essay. Please do not simply write answers to the following questions in the order in which they are listed below. These questions are only given to help you to read critically Pat Garretts work and to marshal your thoughts for your analysis. (For example, information regarding the author might fit more naturally in your essay when you discuss any possible bias he shows, or when you discuss the time period in which Billy the Kid was written.) * INFORMATION REGARDING THE AUTHOR: Who is the author? Why is this information important? * BRIEF SUMMARY (!) OF BILLY THE KID: What (briefly!) is it about? Why is this work important? * CRITICAL ANALYSIS: This should be the main focus of your paper, with a critical look at Pat Garretts work. It should NOT simply be a retelling of the story. Rather, it should consider: * Why did Pat Garrett write this work? What audience is he writing for? Is there any bias in his work? Any agenda he is pursuing? * What does Billy the Kid tell us about the time period in which the Kids exploits took place? * Strengths and/or weaknesses in the book? Who would benefit from reading this work? Please be sure to give concrete examples from the text to support your major points.

Kenny Rosales Critical Analysis History 343 The author, or rather the voice/perspective, of this book was Patrick Floyd Garrett. Garrett has worked as a cowboy, buffalo hunter, and horse wrangler in Texas and New Mexico. He later moved to Fort Sumner, New Mexico and in 1880 he was elected as sheriff of Lincoln County. His main goal was to capture or kill William H. Bonney, more infamously known as, Billy the Kid. This is where Garrett is most known for, the death of Billy the Kid. There was much controversy of the death of Billy because many criticize Garrett on the count that Billys death was not on fair grounds, square grounds, or an even show. The controversy lies that Garrett killed Billy without any warning and that Billy was not armed. However, Garrett did not write the book himself. His companion, Ash Upson, was the ghostwriter for Garretts account of the death of Billy the Kid. This book was the root of all myths surrounding Billy the Kid. Ash Upson took the unbiased accounts from Garrett and exaggerated the story to make it seem more interesting and to sell a dime novel. Both Garrett and Upson both benefiting of the publication of, The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid. However, the book failed to sell and yet again criticized due to its bias and exaggerations of accounts. Knowing this is key while reading the book. Billy was born on November 23rd, 1859. He was the eldest of his family and lived with his sickly mother who was diagnosed with Tuberculosis. They moved to Silver City, here is where Billy's mother Catherine McCarty dies. He wasn't always a deviant; he was just an ordinary kid who lived an everyday life. It wasn't until the death of his mother, where he had little parental control his deviance began. It started off with petty theft and was caught, but later let go with a warning. He wasn't always a deviant; he was just an ordinary kid who lived an everyday life. It wasn't until the death of his

Kenny Rosales Critical Analysis History 343 mother, where he had little parental control his deviance began. It started off with petty theft and was caught, but later let go with a warning. Bill then fell into a bad crowd especially when he met Sombrero Jack. Billy was easily influenced by him and fell into more trouble. Then he killed his first person in the process of escaping his confinement, so he ran away at 14 years old. To survive, he stole horses and headed to Fort Grant. Billy made a living stealing horses and saddles. He has already been arrested multiple times, got into more trouble, and killed another person, his only choice was to leave Arizona. He later joined an infamous gang known as the "The Boys" ; their leader being Jesse Evans. The gang decides to leave and head to Lincoln County, here is where Billy got his name as the "kid" because he was the youngest among the gang. When Billy and the boys arrived to Lincoln County, they soon entered the middle of a feud between Tunstall and Dolan. The Lincoln County war was all about money and greed. The gang was against Tunstall and began stealing his cattle. A sheriff and his posse caught up with the gang and arrested part of the gang Jesse Evans. To get out of jail, Billy worked for Tunstall. However, Tunstall was later killed and Billy was wrongfully arrested, had his rifle taken away, and his friend was not killed and he would not attend the funeral due to Sheriff Brady. This led to Billy being the leader of Mcsween side. Dolan's party struck back and ambushed McSween's side. In process of the open fire, McSween and a few other men were killed, but Billy managed to escape. Billy then sent a letter to governor saying he would speak up against Dolan to have murder charges dropped, and the governor agreed. So Billy surrender and testified in court, but he knew the results would be bias so he escaped and ran away again. He went back to Fort Summer and got into more trouble that got him noticed. Another death, due to friendly fires, of Carlyle was

Kenny Rosales Critical Analysis History 343 blamed on Billy again. This is when Pat Garrett takes his place. He was elected sheriff and Made US Marshal to hunt for Billy the Kid. Garrett ended up Killing two of Billy's friends, O' Foliard and Charlie Bowdre. Garrett was successful and cornered Billy and His gang, after a short instance, Billy came out and surrendered. He was again put back on trial, put to jail, and escaped yet again. And in the process he ended up killing James Bell. He fled Lincoln once again and went back to Fort Summer. Garrett heard rumors of Billy in Fort Summer, but was given clues by Pete Maxwell. Here Garrett and his men stalked and ambushed Billy in Maxwell's house. Billy walked into Maxwell's house with any intention of any violence, but unfortunately Billy walked into a dark room where Garrett and his men were, here Garrett shot two shots and killed Billy the Kid. Garrett wrote the book as a way to clear his name of the injustice of the death of Billy the Kid and to explain his side of the story to make the homicide justifiable. He wrote it in spite of his discharge as official duty as sheriff and to liberate himself from his ruined reputation that he was unjust. Garrett also wrote this to maybe favor his point of view so he could receive the 500-dollar reward he was promised for catching Billy. There was some obvious bias throughout the book. Framing Billy to be more of a deviant then he was. His intended audience for those who believed his actions was justifiable. Saying that he was in a situation where the only option was to kill Billy in order from him and his two men not being injured or killed. Saying the "fairness" of the situation shouldn't apply due to the Kid's wild bloody thirsty ways. "The Kid had a lurking devil in him, it was good-humored.....cruel and bloody thirsty fiend (pg. 6)." Garretts biggest lie was the actual death of Billy. He purposely leaves out the fact the Garrett claimed that Billy entered the room with a pistol, but no gun was found on his

Kenny Rosales Critical Analysis History 343 body (pg. 174). When in reality, Billy only had a knife in his hand and shot him dead without warning (pg. xv). According to Garrett, Billy came into the dark room, where the men were hiding in the dark, and was aware of the presence of people in the room. Here, Billy thought it was his friend Pete in the room, but kept asking, "who is it?" Garrett framed the situation as if Billy was reaching out for a pistol and that Garrett just reacted to the situation (pg. 176). However, Grey points out that Garrett tied up Paulita (Billy's love interest) in her room, and had his men outside of her room in case Billy tried to escape on his horse, and waited till Billy was visible, he was unarmed and only carried a butcher knife, and killed him without warning (pg. xv) and that Billy was the first to fire in the fight (pg. 176). Also, Garrett fails to point out that it was Pete Maxwell who tipped them versus Garretts claim that it was Brazils hunch that made Garrett to go to Fort Summer (pg. 173). His main agenda was the fame as a sheriff and the fame of bringing down one of most wanted infamous criminal in New Mexico; this led to his upward mobility to his status, and further his career by taking on other outlaws in the area. The time period in which this book takes place is almost picturesque of time period of the, Old West. Here, politics are based on wealth, power, and status. Often rooted in Old Western roots, such as a heavy emphasis on animal trade/care. There was much emphasis on horses and cattle, probably the time periods main resource for food, transportation, and a form of currency. Billy was essence of the American Old West. It's also implied during this time period that it was one of the toughest times in the American west. The American west after the Civil War was an economic free for all, obviously conflicts would arise from this. It seems like most towns are trying to establish

Kenny Rosales Critical Analysis History 343 themselves, however the only back route way to do this, or at least how it's portrayed in the book is through violent approaches. Also, everyone is trying to establish themselves for a better life in this new land. Trying to make their way up, build their own society ground up. Wealth in a way was measured by how many cattle and horses you had. Also keep in mind that this was in the middle of the civil war and "another spark" to the industrial age. It seems that firearms were accessible to any one near the end of the war. The use of firearms made conflicts more intense, such as the Lincoln war. It was completely based off politics and wealth, however it ended up in a blood bash. Some of the weakness in this book is obviously the bias in this book. There are obviously exaggerated claims and frames one character (Pat F. Garrett) to be the hero. While his book didn't sell commercially, it is known for being the root of all the myths about Billy the Kid. Someone benefiting from reading this book would be a historian; who are trying to figure out the actual real events during that time fame. I think it would appeal to historians and people who love reading western history and knowing the truth about the American Old West. Reading this book from the perspective of Pat F. Garrett can help one understand on how Garrett make sense of the situation. Reading Nolan's annotations was comical in contrast to Garrett's perspective. Disproving his claims and even making a note other writers take a note of Garrett's false claims in their writings of Billy the Kid. Some of the weakness of this book was the inconsistence of Nolan's annotations. Throughout the book, he has the tendency to write too much about certain topics (which I found not very helpful) and didn't clarify on certain situations. Reading Garrett's book however can also hurt the real accounts of Billy the Kid's life if one did have the annotations.