Pat Garrett – An Unlucky Lawman

Pat Garrett, a name synonymous with the Wild West, evokes images of dusty plains, tense standoffs, and the ultimate showdown with one of history’s most notorious outlaws. But the life of Patrick Floyd Jarvis Garrett, more commonly known as Pat Garrett, was far more complex than a simple tale of good versus evil. He was a cowboy, rancher, and lawman, a man who navigated the turbulent landscape of the American Southwest, ultimately meeting a violent end himself. While forever linked to the killing of Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett’s story is one of ambition, struggle, and perhaps, ultimately, misfortune.

Born on June 5, 1850, in Chambers County, Alabama, Pat Garrett was one of seven children born to John and Elizabeth Garrett. His early life was rooted in the agrarian South. When he was just three years old, his father, John Garrett, acquired a Louisiana plantation in Claiborne Parish. It was here, amidst the sprawling fields and simmering social tensions of the pre-Civil War South, that young Pat Garrett spent his formative years. This upbringing, far removed from the rugged territories he would later patrol, undoubtedly shaped his character and instilled in him a sense of independence and resilience.

At the age of 19, Garrett sought his fortune westward, leaving behind the familiar landscapes of Louisiana for the burgeoning cattle country of Dallas County, Texas. He found work on the expansive LS Ranch in West Texas, embracing the life of a cowboy. The era was marked by rampant cattle rustling, and Garrett quickly learned to handle a gun, becoming a skilled cattle gunman tasked with protecting the ranch’s valuable livestock. The harsh realities of frontier life, the constant threat of danger, and the need for quick decisions honed his instincts and prepared him for his future role as a lawman.

From cowboy, he transitioned to buffalo hunter, joining W. Skelton Glenn in the pursuit of these magnificent creatures that roamed the plains. However, his time as a buffalo hunter was short-lived. An altercation with a fellow hunter over some hides escalated into a deadly gunfight. When the other man drew his weapon, Garrett reacted swiftly, shooting him dead. This incident, though perhaps justified by the circumstances, likely left an indelible mark on the young man, a grim foreshadowing of the violence that would define his later years.

By 1878, Garrett had drifted further west, arriving in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. This was a pivotal moment in his life. He arrived just as the notorious Lincoln County War was drawing to a close. This bloody feud between rival factions had plunged southeastern New Mexico into a state of lawlessness and violence that would persist for decades. Fort Sumner, a former military post, was a haven for outlaws, gamblers, and drifters, a place where fortunes were made and lives were lost with equal ease.

Initially, Garrett found employment on Peter Maxwell’s ranch, a prominent figure in the region. However, he soon moved on, taking up a position as a bartender at Beaver Smith’s saloon. It was here, amidst the clatter of glasses, the haze of smoke, and the murmur of conversations, that Garrett’s life took another significant turn. He met William Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid. The two men, despite their contrasting paths, struck up an acquaintance, often gambling together and earning the nicknames "Big Casino" and "Little Casino." This friendship, however unlikely, would ultimately lead to Garrett’s most defining moment.

In a twist of fate, on November 7, 1880, Pat Garrett was appointed Sheriff of Lincoln County. Despite his association with Billy the Kid, Garrett’s first and foremost vow was to restore order to the chaotic county. His primary objective was clear: to apprehend Billy the Kid and bring an end to his reign of lawlessness. This appointment placed Garrett in a difficult position, forcing him to choose between friendship and duty.

Governor Wallace placed a $500 bounty on Billy the Kid’s head on December 15, 1880. Garrett relentlessly pursued the young outlaw. He meticulously planned traps and ambushes, but Billy, with his uncanny ability to sense danger, repeatedly evaded capture. Billy’s luck ran out on December 19, 1880. Garrett confronted Billy and his gang as they rode into Fort Sumner. A shootout ensued, resulting in the death of Tom O’Folliard. The rest of the gang managed to escape, but Garrett, undeterred, continued his pursuit.

The determined sheriff and his posse tracked the outlaws to Stinking Springs, surrounding their hideout. After a tense, several-day siege, Charlie Bowdre was killed, and Billy the Kid, along with Dirty Dave Rudabaugh, Tom Pickett, and Billy Wilson, were captured on December 23, 1880. This capture marked a significant victory for Garrett and a temporary respite for the beleaguered citizens of Lincoln County.

Billy the Kid was tried, convicted, and sentenced to hang in Lincoln, New Mexico, on May 13, 1881. However, his story was far from over. On April 18, 1881, the Kid staged a daring escape from jail, killing two guards in the process. This act of defiance cemented his legend and reignited the manhunt, with Pat Garrett once again in the lead.

Garrett resumed his pursuit of the Kid, eventually arriving at Peter Maxwell’s ranch on July 14, 1881, seeking information on the outlaw’s whereabouts. In a dramatic and fateful encounter, Billy unexpectedly entered the room where Garrett and Maxwell were talking in Peter’s darkened bedroom in Old Fort Sumner. The Kid, unable to recognize Garrett in the dim light, reportedly asked in Spanish, "¿Quien es? ¿Quien es?" ("Who is it? Who is it?"). Garrett responded with two shots from his revolver, the first striking Billy’s heart.

The next day, Billy the Kid was buried in Fort Sumner’s cemetery, laid to rest between his fallen comrades, Tom O’Folliard and Charlie Bowdre. The killing of Billy the Kid catapulted Pat Garrett into the national spotlight.

While some hailed Pat Garrett as a hero, others viewed him as a villain for killing a "favorite son" of New Mexico. Despite his efforts to bring law and order to the region, he lost the subsequent election for sheriff of Lincoln County, a clear indication of the divided sentiments surrounding his actions.

After leaving law enforcement, Garrett turned to ranching and writing. In 1882, he published "The Authentic Life of Billy the Kid, the Noted Desperado of the Southwest." Unfortunately, the book failed to achieve commercial success, overshadowed by earlier publications on the same subject. He moved his family to Tascosa, Texas, where he briefly served as captain of the LS Texas Rangers before returning to southeastern New Mexico, settling in Roswell.

Garrett’s political ambitions continued, and in 1884, he ran for New Mexico State Senator, but again lost the election. In 1890, he ran for sheriff of the newly created Chaves County. After another defeat, he left New Mexico once more, residing in Uvalde, Texas, for several years, where he focused on raising and racing horses.

In 1899, Pat Garrett purchased a ranch in the San Andres Mountains of New Mexico, and in October of the same year, he was appointed sheriff of Dona Ana County. While his family remained on the ranch, Garrett worked in Las Cruces, Mesilla, and Dona Ana, once again embracing the life of a lawman.

On December 16, 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt, fascinated by the legendary gunfighters of the West, appointed Garrett as a United States Customs Collector at El Paso, Texas. However, this appointment proved controversial, and when his term expired in 1905, Roosevelt declined to reappoint him. Garrett and his family returned to the ranch, only to face mounting financial difficulties. Burdened by back taxes and liability for a loan he had co-signed for a friend, he found himself in a precarious situation.

Desperate to improve his financial standing, Garrett leased part of his land to Wayne Brazel, a man who intended to graze cattle. However, Brazel instead brought in thousands of goats, an animal despised by cattlemen. In January 1908, Garrett attempted to sell his ranch to Carl Adamson, but the deal was complicated by Brazel’s existing lease and his demands for compensation.

On February 29, 1908, Garrett and Adamson were traveling to Las Cruces to finalize the sale with Brazel. A heated argument erupted, and Brazel rode ahead. A few miles outside of Las Cruces, as Adamson relieved himself, three shots rang out. Pat Garrett fell dead. Adamson claimed he did not see who fired the shots, and Brazel later confessed to the shooting, claiming self-defense.

The circumstances surrounding Garrett’s death were immediately suspicious. Cigarette butts found near the scene suggested that someone had been lying in wait, leading to theories of a conspiracy. Some speculated that Brazel was a pawn in a larger plot to acquire Garrett’s land, possibly involving hired assassin Killin’ Jim Miller.

On March 5, 1908, Pat Garrett was buried in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Brazel was later tried for the murder but was acquitted. The controversy surrounding Garrett’s death persists to this day, with debates continuing over whether it was a simple dispute gone wrong or a calculated conspiracy.

In May 2017, a previously unarchived Coroner’s Jury Report, dated July 9, 1908, was discovered in the Doña Ana County Clerk’s office. The report confirmed Wayne Brazel’s involvement in Garrett’s death.

Pat Garrett’s life was a tapestry of adventure, ambition, and ultimately, tragedy. While forever remembered for his role in the death of Billy the Kid, his story is far more nuanced than that single act. He was a man of his time, navigating the complexities of the Wild West, and his legacy continues to be debated and reinterpreted to this day.