Josiah Gordon "Doc" Scurlock (January 11, 1849 – July 25, 1929) was an American

Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

figure, cowboy, and

gunfighter Gunfighters, also called gunslingers (), or in the 19th and early 20th centuries gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in gunfights and shootouts. Today, the te ...

. A founding member of the

Regulators Regulator may refer to: Technology * Regulator (automatic control), a device that maintains a designated characteristic, as in: ** Battery regulator ** Pressure regulator ** Diving regulator ** Voltage regulator * Regulator (sewer), a control devi ...

during the Lincoln County War in

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

, Scurlock rode alongside such men as

Billy the Kid Billy the Kid (born Henry McCarty; September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), also known by the pseudonym William H. Bonney, was an outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West, who killed eight men before he was shot and killed at t ...

Early life

He was born in

Tallapoosa County Tallapoosa County is located in the east-central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama."ACES Tallapoosa County Office" (links/history), Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES), 2007, webpageACES-Tallapoosa As of the 2020 United States census, ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...

, January 11, 1849, the sixth of 11 children born to Priestly Norman Scurlock (July 3, 1806 – June 22, 1876) and Esther Ann Brown (May 19, 1819 – June 1, 1903). Josiah was said to have studied medicine in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

"Doc". Described as tall, weighing , with brown eyes and dark blond hair, Doc went to

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

in about 1870. While there, he and another man had an argument over a card game and drew their

pistol A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, ...

s. The other man shot first and the bullet went through Doc's mouth, knocking out his front teeth and coming out the back of his neck without any more serious damage. He quickly returned fire and killed the man who shot him.

Cowboy

In 1871, Scurlock went to work as a line rider for

John Chisum John Simpson Chisum (August 16, 1824 – December 23, 1884) was a wealthy cattle baron in the American West in the mid-to-late 19th century. He was born in Hardeman County, Tennessee, and moved with his family to the Republic of Texas in 1837, ...

. He and other riders were also used to defend Chisum and his cattle holdings in the event

cattle rustlers Cattle raiding is the act of stealing cattle. In Australia, such stealing is often referred to as duffing, and the perpetrator as a duffer.Baker, Sidney John (1945) ''The Australian language : an examination of the English language and English ...

attempted to prey on them. Sometime during 1873, he and Jack Holt were surprised by a group of Indians, and Holt was killed. Scurlock found refuge among some rocks and, after a protracted fight, he killed the Indian leader. During the night he slipped away and walked for help. At some time after the fight, Holt's body was presumably partially dismembered, as his right arm was removed at the elbow. In September 1875, Scurlock's riding partner, Newt Higgins, was killed by Indians. Scurlock was so upset over this incident he told Chisum he wanted to quit. Chisum, however, would not hear of it and refused to pay him. Scurlock then made the newspapers when he stole three horses, two saddles, and a rifle and left for

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...

. Chisum sent some of his men after Scurlock and they caught up with him, but when he explained that he took the things because Chisum would not pay him, they agreed with him and let him go. In Arizona, he met

Charlie Bowdre Charles Bowdre (1848 – December 23, 1880) was an American cowboy and outlaw. He was an associate of Billy the Kid and member of his gang. Early life Bowdre was born in Wilkes County, Georgia. When he was three years old, he and his paren ...

and the two men opened a cheese factory on the

Gila River The Gila River (; O'odham ima Keli Akimel or simply Akimel, Quechan: Haa Siʼil, Maricopa language: Xiil) is a tributary of the Colorado River flowing through New Mexico and Arizona in the United States. The river drains an arid watershed of ...

. Some of Scurlock and Bowdre's descendants have said that one of their first employees was

. After they closed the cheese factory in the spring of 1876, Scurlock and his best friend, Bowdre, returned to

Lincoln County, New Mexico Lincoln County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,497. Its county seat is Carrizozo, while its largest community is Ruidoso. History Lincoln County was named in honor of President Abraha ...

, where they bought a ranch on public domain land on the

Rio Ruidoso The Rio Ruidoso is a long river located in the Sierra Blanca and Sacramento Mountains in Lincoln County and Otero County, New Mexico in the United States and is part of the Rio Ruidoso Watershed. The Spanish term, ''río ruidoso'', translated i ...

from L. G. Murphy on credit, which made them victims of the L. G. Murphy & Co.

monopoly A monopoly (from Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situation where a speci ...

. Scurlock, Bowdre, Frank Coe,

George Coe George Coe (born George Julian Cohen; May 10, 1929 – July 18, 2015) was an American actor. He was a cast member for the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'' and voiced the character of Woodhouse in ''Archer''. Early life Coe was born in ...

, and Ab Saunders stormed the very weak Lincoln jail on July 18, 1876, freeing cattle rustler Jesus Largo from the custody of Sheriff Saturnino Baca. They took Largo outside of town and hanged him. Scurlock accidentally shot and killed his friend, Mike G. Harkins, manager of John H. Riley's store at Blazer's Mill, while he was examining a pistol on September 2, 1876. On October 19, 1876, Scurlock and María Antonia Miguela Herrera (June 13, 1860 – November 27, 1912) were married in

Lincoln, New Mexico Lincoln is an unincorporated village in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States. Description The community sits in the Bonito Valley between the Sacramento Mountains and the Capitan Mountains at an elevation of 5,696 feet. The village is ...

. (Around the same time, Antonia's sister, Manuela Herrera, married Charlie Bowdre, which made Bowdre a brother-in-law of Scurlock.) Ten children were eventually born of Scurlock and Antonia's union.

Lincoln County War

For over a year, Scurlock was in several posses to pursue and arrest horse thieves. He, Bowdre, and others

lynched Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged transgressor, punish a convicted transgressor, or intimidate people. It can also be an ex ...

some of the thieves they caught. In January 1877, Scurlock and a neighbor,

, were arrested by Sheriff William J. Brady for suspicion of harboring a murdering fugitive and member of the

Jesse Evans Gang The Jesse Evans Gang, also known as The Boys, was a gang of rustlers and robbers led by outlaw and gunman Jesse Evans, which lasted from 1876 until 1880. The gang was formed after Evans broke with the John Kinney Gang. After breaking away, he b ...

named Frank Freeman. For the next few days, Scurlock and Coe received very harsh treatment from Brady. They were allegedly tortured, but were eventually released. In October 1877, the Evans Gang stole horses belonging to

John Tunstall John Henry Tunstall (6 March 1853 – 18 February 1878) was an English-born rancher and merchant in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States. He competed with the Irish Catholic merchants, lawmen, and politicians who ran the town of Lin ...

Alexander McSween Alexander McSween (June 15, 1837 — July 19, 1878) was a prominent figure during the Lincoln County War of the Old West, and a central character, alongside John Tunstall, in opposing businessmen and gunmen Lawrence Murphy and James Dolan. Ea ...

, and Richard "Dick" Brewer from Brewer's Rio Ruidoso ranch. Scurlock and Bowdre, as well as Brewer, went off in pursuit of the Evans Gang and located them, but were unable to regain possession of the stolen horses. After Tunstall was murdered in February 1878, Scurlock became a founding member of the

and was involved in most of the battles of the Lincoln County War. In the

Gunfight of Blazer's Mills The Gunfight at Blazer's Mill (April 4, 1878) was a shootout between what were known as the Lincoln County Regulators and buffalo hunter Buckshot Roberts. The gunfight The Regulators, including Billy the Kid, Charlie Bowdre, and led by Richar ...

on April 4, Scurlock was shot in the leg by Buckshot Roberts. Scurlock later became the third and final leader of the Regulators, after prior leaders Dick Brewer and

Frank McNab Frank McNab (or MacNab) (died 1878) was a member of the Regulators who fought on behalf of John Tunstall during the Lincoln County War. Of Scottish origin, McNab was a "cattle detective" who worked for Hunter, Evans, & Company, which was manage ...

had been killed. Scurlock served as a deputy sheriff under Sheriff John Copeland, who was a McSween partisan and replaced Sheriff Brady. On May 14, 1878, he led a posse of 18 to 20 men, which included

, Bowdre, George Coe, Brown, and Scroggins, to the Dolan-Riley cattle ranch, ostensibly in search of those implicated in the killing of MacNab and the wounding of Saunders. According to Riley, they drove off 26 horses and two mules, killed a herder named Wair; a Navajo Indian employed at the ranch as a cook; and a 15-year-old boy called Johnny. However, W.T. Thornton, Thomas B. Catron's law partner, reported that the latter two were only wounded. Writer Robert M. Utley says that they captured a man named "Indian" Manuel Segovia, the likely shooter of McNab, but he was shot while allegedly trying to escape.Robert M. Utley, ''Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life'', University of Nebraska Press, 1989, p.82. Since Catron had foreclosed on the property of J. J. Dolan & Co., the horses appear to have been his property. As a result of his strong protest to the governor, Copeland was removed as sheriff due to his refusing to side with the Murphy-Dolan faction. The raid by the Regulators resulted in the removal of one of their partisans from a position of authority and his replacement with George Peppin, who was just as strongly attached to the other side. When Billy attempted to make a deal with Governor

Lew Wallace Lewis Wallace (April 10, 1827February 15, 1905) was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, governor of the New Mexico Territory, politician, diplomat, and author from Indiana. Among his novels and biographies, Wallace is ...

, Scurlock was captured and held in custody with him. He was held on suspicion of the murder of "Buckshot" Roberts. When Wallace's deal fell through, Billy and Scurlock were told they were going to be charged. Faced with extradition for murder, on June 17, 1879, Billy and Scurlock rode out of Lincoln. Sheriff Kimball did nothing to stop them.Robert M. Utley, ''Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life'', University of Nebraska Press, 1989, p.119-23. In August Billy and associates stole a large number of cattle from Chisum. After Chisum sent a posse after them, Scurlock decided to leave the gang.Jon Tuska, ''Billy the Kid: His Life and Legend'', Greenwood Press, Westport, 1994, p.259

Later life

In about October or November 1879, Scurlock moved to Texas, where he settled down and became a highly respected citizen. On the

1880 census The United States census of 1880 conducted by the Census Bureau during June 1880 was the tenth United States census.Potter County, Texas Potter County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, its population was 118,525. Its county seat is Amarillo, Texas, Amarillo. The county was created in 1876 and ...

, he was keeping the mail station. Doc Scurlock died at age 80 from a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which m ...

Eastland, Texas Eastland is a city in Eastland County, Texas, United States. Its population was 3,960 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Eastland County. History During the 1920s, Eastland, like nearby Cisco, Ranger, and Desdemona, was a petroleum boom ...

. He is interred in Eastland City Cemetery, along with his wife and other family members.

Movie portrayals

In the

western film The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referre ...

, '' Young Guns'', Scurlock was portrayed by actor Kiefer Sutherland, as a polite, moral, poetry writing cowboy. At the end of the film, Scurlock left

's posse, fleeing from New Mexico with an Asian woman he fell for earlier in the movie in the hopes of starting a new life in the East. In the

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the sam ...

, ''

Young Guns II ''Young Guns II'' is a 1990 American Western film and a sequel to '' Young Guns'' (1988). It stars Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Christian Slater, and features William Petersen as Pat Garrett. It was written ...

'', Scurlock (again played by Sutherland) is serving as a school teacher in New York City when he is arrested and taken back to New Mexico, where he is saved from hanging by The Kid. He rejoins Billy's posse and is mortally wounded in an ambush led by John W. Poe, played by

Viggo Mortensen Viggo Peter Mortensen Jr. R (; born October 20, 1958) is an American actor, writer, director, producer, musician, and multimedia artist. Born and raised in the State of New York to a Danish father and American mother, he also lived in Argenti ...

, when he steps out of their hideout. Back inside, he staggers out again to be killed in a hail of bullets. This is based on the death of

in an ambush organized by Pat Garrett. In fact, Scurlock was married to a Mexican woman in 1876 and died peacefully in Texas many years after the period of time covered by the movie. The original "Young Guns II" screenplay accurately portrays Scurlock as heading off to Texas with his bride. It has been reported that Kiefer Sutherland, faced with scheduling conflicts, refused to return to the Young Guns franchise unless his character died in the movie's "Stinking Springs Shoot Out". Writer John Fusco fought against this demand, but ultimately rewrote the scene to accommodate Sutherland's schedule. In the John Wayne film, ''

Chisum ''Chisum'' is a 1970 American Western film directed by Andrew McLaglen, starring John Wayne in the titular role, and adapted for the screen by Andrew J. Fenady from his short story "Chisum and the Lincoln County War." The supporting cast featur ...

'', Scurlock is mentioned as one of the people Billy is recruiting in his crusade against Murphy. He appears during the climactic shootout, but it is unclear which out of half-a-dozen gang members (all played by unknown extras) is meant to be Scurlock.

References

External links

Gunmen of the Old West
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Scurlock, Doc 1849 births 1929 deaths Gunslingers of the American Old West American vigilantes People of the New Mexico Territory Cowboys Lincoln County Wars Outlaws of the American Old West People from Tallapoosa County, Alabama