Here is a list of frequently asked questions concerning Billy the Kid. For more quick information on Billy the Kid, my other web pages Fact vs. Myth , Did you know...? and Miscellaneous may also interest you.
 

1) Who were Billy the Kid’s parents? What was his real last name - Bonney or McCarty? What was his birth date?

2) How did William H. Bonney get the title of "Billy the Kid?"

3) My last name is Bonney, so I think I may be related to Billy the Kid, so how can I trace my family roots to him? OR  I’m related to Billy the Kid and have never-before-told info on him, but how can I convince historians?

4) Where can I buy pictures or posters of Billy the Kid? Where can I buy Billy the Kid memorabilia?

5) In the famous photograph of Billy the Kid, what kind of firearms is he posing with?

6) To put an end to the controversy of Billy the Kid living to be an old man, why not exhume Billy the Kid’s grave (or even his mother’s grave) for DNA testing?

7) Are the movies Young Guns and Young Guns II accurate on the history of Billy the Kid?

8) I’m taking a trip to New Mexico, any Billy the Kid tourist attractions you can recommend?

9) Were Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett friends? Did Garrett ride with Billy the Kid?

10) Is this photo of Pat Garrett's posse and their prisoner, Billy the Kid, authentic? (includes photo)

11) Was Billy the Kid ever married? Did he have any children?

12) Is Paulita Maxwell's son, Telesfor Jaramillo, the son of Billy the Kid? Who was Telesfor Jaramillo? (includes photos)

13) What’s the Billy the Kid Outlaw Gang Organization and how can I become a member?

14) What's the Billy the Kid Historic Preservation Society and how can I become a member?

15) Is Pat Garrett’s The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid a good book to read for those just learning about Billy the Kid?

16) I want to learn more about Billy the Kid, where should I start?

17) My youngster is doing a report on Billy the Kid, any kid-friendly books or movies you can recommend?

18) If Billy the Kid never existed would the Lincoln County War have turned out any differently?

19) What kind of wounds or injures did Billy the Kid have? Was he ever shot during his gunfights?

20) Other than the famous tintype of Billy the Kid posing with his rifle, are there any other photographs or images of Billy the Kid?

21) Is that Billy the Kid's original grave and/or headstone in Fort Sumner? Is it true someone snuck into the cemetery and chiseled the word "Pals" on the headstone? (includes photo)
 

Question: Who were Billy the Kid’s parents? What was his real last name - Bonney or McCarty? What was his birth date?

Answer: The true answers concerning Billy the Kid’s birth and lineage has yet to be known; historians, biographers and genealogist have been pulling their hair out trying to figure it out for years. Researchers have traveled the globe (England, Ireland, Scotland, and throughout the states), they have researched birth and death records, marriage certificates, baptismal records, hospital records, passenger arrival list, census records, and more, but yet no document has surfaced to shed some light on who Billy the Kid's parents were, and where and what day he was born. All we know is he had a mother named Catherine (maiden name unknown) and a younger brother named Joseph (middle and last name unknown), and absolutely nothing is known of his biological father. It’s not known whether both boys were fathered by the same man, nor is it known whether Catherine was married to their father (or fathers). So in that case it’s not known whether McCarty or Bonney is her married name, or maybe both were. All we know is she first turns up in the pages of history as a single woman named Catherine McCarty, with two sons. As for Billy the Kid’s birth date, it’s estimated he was born anywhere around 1860-62, possibly in New York, Indiana, or maybe even Ireland or England. We simply don’t know. The life of Billy the Kid before the year 1870 is an utmost mystery.  -Menu
 

Question: How did William H. Bonney get the title of "Billy the Kid?"

Answer: The title of "Billy the Kid" was bestowed on William H. Bonney alias Kid, by an editor and publisher of the Las Vegas Gazette named of J.H. Koogler. On December 3, 1880,  William Bonney is mentioned for the first time as "Billy the Kid" in Koogler's article: "There's a powerful gang of outlaws harassing the stockmen of the Pecos and Panhandle country, and terrorizing the people of Fort Sumner and vicinity. The gang includes forty or fifty men, all hard characters, the offscourings of society, fugitives from justice, and desperadoes by profession....the gang is under the leadership of 'Billy the Kid,' a desperate cuss, who is eligible for the post of captain of any crowd, no matter how mean or lawless." Not only did Koogler continue to exaggerate the Kid's outlaw activities and build up a badman reputation that he didn't deserve, but Koogler may have been the one responsible for the name Billy the Kid would be so famously known as. -Menu


Question: My last name is Bonney/McCarty, so I think I may be related to Billy the Kid, so how can I trace my family roots to him? OR  I’m related to Billy the Kid and have never-before-told info on him, but how can I convince historians?

Answer: Well, since experience historians and genealogist can’t pinpoint Billy the Kid’s exact linage and roots and who his parents really were, his real birth name and birth date and etc, I doubt that you’ll be able to. As I just stated above, Billy the Kid’s family tree is an utter mystery and if you are going to tackle the matter I sincerely wish you luck (and I don't mean that sarcastically). The names McCarty, Bonney, and Antrim are common Irish names and which is why countless people are coming forward and saying they are related to the famous outlaw, but it takes more than just having the same last name or because family rumors say you have ties to Billy the Kid. Unless you can prove a direct line and relation to Billy the Kid by official documents or hard evidence that is linked to what is already historical fact, historians and researchers aren’t going to bother with your claim. For instance, it’s a historical fact that Billy the Kid was in Lincoln County, NM in April of 1878 and there is hard evidence to back this up, so if your claim has him in Michigan at that time and having a fling with your great-grandmother I highly doubt historians will be convinced and willing to re-write history based on your claim. I don’t mean to tweak the nose of those who truly believe they are related to Billy the Kid, but the truth of the matter is if you can’t prove it with solid evidence your claim isn’t worth anything. -Menu

Question: Where can I buy pictures or posters of Billy the Kid? Where can I buy Billy the Kid memorabilia?

Answer: My advice would be the Billy the Kid gift shops in New Mexico. You can try contacting the Visitors Center in Historic Lincoln, which has a gift shop at (505) 653-4025 or email:  historiclincoln@pvtnetworks.net  Or try the Billy the Kid Museum in Fort Sumner:  (505) 355-2380 or email: btkmuseum@plateautel.net. There’s also a gift shop at the Old Fort Sumner Museum: (505) 355-2942.  You can also find some Billy the Kid memorabilia on Ebay, there’s always a fair amount of toys, movies, comic books, etc., found there. -Menu

Question: In the famous photograph of Billy the Kid, what kind of firearms is he posing with?

Answer: The rifle is an 1873 Winchester and as for the revolver, it’s hard to tell since it’s hidden out of view in the holster, some researchers think it’s a single action Colt .44. -Menu

 
Question: To put an end to the controversy of Billy the Kid living to be an old man, why not exhume Billy the Kid’s grave (or even his mother’s grave) for DNA testing?

Answer: Unfortunately, DNA testing cannot be done since Billy the Kid's remains were washed away in the Pecos River flood in September of 1904 and the grave was left unmarked for years until a new headstone was placed, and the chances of it being placed in the precise location of Billy the Kid's grave is slim to none. As for Catherine Antrim's grave, that site too is in question since it was moved from its original spot in 1882, and it's not known whether her grave was actually exhumed and relocated to the present day grave site or just the grave marker was replaced. So it would be impossible to do a DNA test (or at least an accurate one) on two unreliable and "iffy" grave sites. So for obvious reasons, to match DNA from the wrong sources can really mess things up and should not be attempted. For more on this, see my web page The Controversy on the Billy the Kid DNA Investigation.  -Menu

Question: Are the movies Young Guns and Young Guns II accurate on the history of Billy the Kid?

Answer: Although the movies are the most popular on Billy the Kid and quite entertaining, just like all the rest, they are not historically accurate. The real life Billy the Kid was not like the Kid portrayed by Emilio Estevez in the movies. To really learn the difference between history and these two films, visit my History vs. Young Guns web page. -Menu

 
Question: I’m taking a trip to New Mexico, any Billy the Kid tourist attractions you can recommend?

Answer: From my own Billy the Kid road trip experience, my favorite place was Historic Lincoln, also know as Old Town Lincoln, about 40 miles northeast of  Ruidoso. This historical town not only consists of the original buildings of Billy the Kid’s day, but also has a visitor's center which has a museum and gift shop, and annual events (for instance, on the first weekend of August there’s a Billy the Kid pageant). For more info call the Lincoln State Monument at: 505-653-4372.  As for places to stay in Lincoln there is a restaurant & hotel right in town called the Wortley Pat Garrett Hotel and only a stone's thrown away there are local historical bed and breakfasts, such as Casa de Patron B&B Inn , which was voted the "Best B&B in the West" by True West magazine and there's Ellis Store Country Inn (1-800-653-6460 or 505-653-4609). The surrounding area of Lincoln has a lot of historical sites to see relating to Billy the Kid, and one way to see it is on the Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway, which will take you on a loop through Billy the Kid country. Also nearby there is White Oaks (which is pretty much a ghost town) and San Patricio, which Billy the Kid frequently visited almost as much or more than Lincoln. Also in the area, there's Ruidoso where the Hubbard Museum is located (the museum is also called the Museum of the Horse, but has a lot on the Old West, Native American and Southwest history). If you like to gamble, you can’t miss the famous Ruidoso Downs Racetrack and the Billy the Kid Casino. If you have an interest in Billy the Kid and the Old West, there’s plenty of stuff to do and see in the beautiful Ruidoso and Lincoln area and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Then of course, there is Fort Sumner (about 84 miles north of Roswell) where Billy the Kid's grave is located. It's a bit of a long drive through the empty plains, but as a Billy the Kid fan you can't visit New Mexico without going to Fort Sumner at least once. Unlike Lincoln, don't expect Fort Sumner to be anything like the village Billy the Kid knew in his day, Old Fort Sumner is long gone and nothing remains of it. The present day Fort Sumner is now a small quiet community which host two museums, the Billy the Kid Museum in town on the main street and the Old Fort Sumner Monument on Billy the Kid Road just east of town where Old Fort Sumner use to be. Don't worry the town is too small to miss either museum. Billy the Kid's grave is located behind the Old Fort Sumner Museum near the Monument on Billy the Kid Road; just follow the sidewalk path from the parking lot and it will lead you right to it. -Menu

Question: Were Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett friends? Did Garrett ride with Billy the Kid?

Answer: They knew each other and were probably more than just merry acquaintances, but they weren’t “pals” or “gang members.” As for the story that Garrett and Billy the Kid concocted a plan to fake the Kid's death, it's not true. Any friendly relationship they had would've gone bad since Garrett was responsible for the deaths of Billy the Kid's closest friends, Tom O'Folliard and Charlie Bowdre. So I just can't believe that the revengeful Kid would just let that go. Let's not forget that the Kid killed two of Garrett's deputies, James Bell and Bob Olinger, during his daring escape from Lincoln. So again, I just can't believe Garrett would let that go either. By the time of July 14, 1881 there was some bad blood between these two. -Menu

Question: Is this photo of Pat Garrett's posse and their prisoner, Billy the Kid, authentic?

Answer: It is said this photo was taken just outside of Las Vegas on December 26, 1881, when Garrett was bringing his prisoners in after capturing the Kid and his gang at Stinking Springs. Well, there's a few things wrong I see with this photo that question it's authenticity and why I don't believe it's legitimate:

1)  Billy the Kid is too husky and round face in this picture.
2)  Where is the Kid’s wide brim sombrero hat he was known to be wearing at this time?
3)  As history says, the Kid and the others were brought into Vegas by wagon –not horseback.
4)  Where are the other posse men and prisoners? Dave Rudabaugh was considered to be just as big of a catch as Billy the Kid, why isn’t he in the photo? Also, there was no photographer in the area to take this photo in the first place (there were only 3 or 4 in all of New Mexico, and I think the nearest one was in Albuquerque).
5)  Billy the Kid at the time of capture had his famous racing bay mare with him, not a gray horse.
6)  Pat Garrett, who was 6’4’’ and ALL legs, is too short in this photo. His legs would be dangling much longer pass the horse’s belly then it is in the photo.
7)  During the pursuit there was a snow storm and the snow on the ground was thick, and after the capture of the outlaws, the posse and their prisoners made the miserable trip through the cold and snow to Las Vegas, but yet, by the looks of this photo, the snow is melting and the ground is exposed. Where's is all the snow due to the bad weather at that time?
8)  I question the age of the photo, because at least two of the horses heads are moving (looking away) and are not blurry. Due to long exposure in photography of that time, subjects had to hold very still to avoid a blurry image. So I believe the photo was taken years after when photography was improved and moving subjects aren’t blurred.
9)  The provenance on this photo is too vague and there's no real proof that this photo is even of a posse and a prisoner, let alone Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. -Menu


Question: Was Billy the Kid ever married? Did he have any children?

Answer: Billy the Kid never married, he didn’t get the chance since he was shot down so early in life. The Kid was indeed a lady’s man and “fooled around,” so it’s quite possible he fathered at least one child. Rumors and hearsay have given the names of several young ladies who may or may not be mothers of Billy the Kid’s child or children (if he even had any). The most common of those names are Paulita Maxwell, Celsa Gutierrez, Abrana Garcia and Nasaria Yerby. One story goes that the Kid fathering two or three girls from different mothers, but none lived to adulthood. Another rumor has Paulita Maxwell bearing Billy the Kid's son, but census records say he was born a few years after the Kid's death. So with no proof or evidence, other than pure gossip and speculation, it's impossible to know if the Kid truly fathered a child. -Menu

Question: Is Paulita Maxwell's son, Telesfor Jaramillo, the son of Billy the Kid? Who was Telesfor Jaramillo?

Answer: In January of 1882, Paulita Maxwell married a wealthy man by the name of Jose Jaramillo. They had three children: Adelina, Luz, and Telesfor. The marriage was a rocky one and Jose ended up leaving Paulita for another woman. Telesfor is believed to had been born in 1882,  but this year is a subject of some debate. Whatever the case, he bares a resemblance to Billy the Kid and so it's believed he "may" have been illegitimately fathered by Billy the Kid. There is nothing that strongly supports this possibility, but there isn't much to discredit it either. So it's entirely up to one's own judgment and opinion.

 
Question: What’s the Billy the Kid Outlaw Gang Organization and how can I become a member?

Answer: The Billy the Kid Outlaw Gang is a non-profit organization that promotes the history of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett. Members will receive an annual newsletter and issue of the Outlaw Gazette, which is chalked full of articles written by members including well-known historians such as Fred Nolan, Leon Metz and Bob Boze Bell. As a member you’ll find out the latest news, information, and meet other people with the same interest at the annual get-together. If you would like to become a member click here to visit the BTKOG website. -Menu
 

Question: What's the Billy the Kid Historic Preservation Society and how can I become a member?

Answer: The goal of this new organization is to preserve and promote Billy the Kid history. Currently, the BTKHPS has formed a coalition that is actively opposing the exhumation of Billy the Kid and his mother for DNA testing and are striving to protect their monuments. Because the society is new and still in the forming process, there is no membership fee. For more info on the BTKHPS, click here to visit their official website. -Menu

Question: Is Pat Garrett’s The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid a good book to read for those just learning about Billy the Kid?

Answer: As they say the first impression is always the most critical and if one is not familiar with Billy the Kid and read Garrett’s book first, their impression of the Kid would be that of a temperamental homicidal maniac. The legend of Billy the Kid was born out of Garrett’s book and the legend is nothing like the real Billy the Kid. The book was written to win public opinion in Garrett’s favor, so Garrett twisted the truth or just out-and-out lied to invent a wicked young man, then at the end of the book when Garrett kills the terrorist he had created readers would be impressed --the bigger the villain, the bigger the hero, right? So I would advise a person not to read Garrett’s book or even Walter Noble Burns The Sage of Billy the Kid, until they learned the facts first. It’s frustrating enough trying to learn the facts without trying to root out the myths at the same time. There is one exception, if you do want to read Garrett's book, read the edition with commentary footnotes by notable Billy the Kid biographer, Frederick Nolan. -Menu
 

Question: I want to learn more about Billy the Kid, where should I start?

Answer:  Well, you've come to the right place, but other than my website, I would recommend reading Frederick Nolan's The West of Billy the Kid and/or Bob Boze Bell's The Illustrated Life and Times of Billy the Kid. If you're not a fan of reading, there is a 60 minute audio book on the life of Billy the Kid from CRT company, Billy the Kid, narrated by Donnie Blanz and scripted by Jimmy Gray (I'm sure it can be ordered from any big name bookstore that sells audio books). The documentary Billy the Kid from the Legends of the West series by Cabin Fever is okay, but the DVD Special Edition of Young Guns has a documentary feature which is very good. -Menu

Question: My youngster is doing a report on Billy the Kid, any kid-friendly books or movies you can recommend?

Answer: The best book for young people would be The Illustrated Life and Times of Billy the Kid, by Bob Boze Bell. It’s got plenty of pictures and drawings and easy to understand information. As for a movie, Vidal Gore’s Billy the Kid starring Val Kilmer is pretty accurate and not too violent for children. Although Young Guns and Young Guns II are the most popular, keep in mind the movies are rated R and has violence, bad language and some nudity, so it may not be suitable for young children. -Menu

Question: If Billy the Kid never existed would the Lincoln County War have turned out any differently?

Answer: The war would have happened exactly as it did if Billy the Kid never got involved, but Billy the Kid did have one affect on the Lincoln County War and that is he made it famous and the Lincoln County War made him famous. How is that you ask? If the Lincoln County War didn't happen or Billy the Kid never got involved we never would've heard of Billy the Kid and if it wasn’t for Billy the Kid, we probably never would've  heard of  the Lincoln County War, or even New Mexico for that matter. -Menu

Question: What kind of wounds or injures did Billy the Kid have? Was he ever shot during his gunfights?

Answer: Billy the Kid never actually took a direct hit from a bullet that penetrated him, other than the one that killed him in Fort Sumner, but he was grazed by bullets at least twice. On the day the Regulators assassinated Sheriff William Brady, the Kid was grazed by a bullet and a good chunk of flesh was ripped from the side of his hip when Deputy Bill Mathews shot at him. During the gunfight at Blazer’s Mill, it was said the Kid had his “arm shaved” by a bullet from Buckshot Roberts. Then there's an account given by a descendant of Yginio Salazar, that Billy the Kid may have been grazed in the lower part of his leg (calf) when running out of McSween’s burning house during the big siege. As far as knife wounds go, there is no record or recollection by anyone that Billy the Kid was stabbed or cut up. Other than the above info, history isn’t aware of any other injures or illnesses Billy the Kid may have had over his life time. -Menu
 

Question: Other than the famous tintype of Billy the Kid posing with his rifle, are there any other photographs or images of Billy the Kid?

Answer: We would like to think so, but as of now, the famous tintype is all we have to go by. There are plenty of purported photographs that exists, but all are highly debatable and some are downright preposterous and don't deserve notice. To view some of those photos, see my Purported Photos web page and click here for a link to the Billy the Kid Outlaw Gang's web page on other purported Billy the Kid photos. -Menu
 

Question: Is that Billy the Kid's original grave and/or headstone in Fort Sumner? Is it true someone snuck into the cemetery and chiseled the word "Pals" on the headstone?

Answer: When the Kid was buried, he had a plain wooden board with the name "Billy the Kid" crudely carved into it to mark his grave. Unlike the monument we see today, the Kid was not buried right next to his friends, Charlie Bowdre and Tom O'Folliard, but a few yards a way (but Bowdre and O'Folliard were indeed buried next to each other). Then in 1904 the Pecos River flood over took the cemetery and all the markers and even some remains of the dead were washed away. Another possibility is that the Kid's original grave marker was stolen or vandalized before the flood. Whatever the case, the Kid's grave was left unmarked for at least two decades, until finally in 1932 Billy the Kid's friends got some money together and purchased a headstone with the inscription of William H. Bonney alias Billy the Kid, Tom O'Folliard, and Charlie Bowdre, along with the word "Pals." Shortly after, another much smaller headstone was placed for Billy the Kid in the same spot, and that one has been stolen twice and fortunately recovered. So in order to protect the headstones from thieves, an iron cage was placed over the grave. It's very unlikely that the "Pals" headstone was placed on the exact location of the Kid's original grave, so it's more like a memorial monument then the actually last resting place of Billy the Kid, and most of all, that of Bowdre and O'Folliard. But the Kid was still buried in that tiny cemetery, so those of you who visited the grave or will someday, shouldn't be too disappointed -Billy the Kid's spirit and memory is still there and it doesn't matter if you're standing "right" over his grave or not. -Menu