John Middleton (cowboy)
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John Middleton (1854–1885) was a friend of
Billy the Kid Henry McCarty (September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), alias William H. Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid, was an American outlaw and gunfighter of the Old West who was linked to nine murders: four for which he was solely res ...
and a key member of the
Lincoln County Regulators The Lincoln County Regulators, or just the Regulators, were an American Old West deputized posse that fought in the Lincoln County War in New Mexico, during the late 19th century. They are well known for including Billy the Kid as a member ...
, who fought on behalf of
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 Li ...
during the
Lincoln County War The Lincoln County War was an Old West conflict between rival factions which began in 1878 in Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory, the predecessor of the state of New Mexico, and continued until 1881. The feud became famous because of the p ...
.


Background

Born around 1854, Middleton came to Lincoln County in the
New Mexico Territory The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of '' Nuevo México'' becomi ...
from
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
in the mid-1870s and went to work for
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 Li ...
. Described as a heavyset, swarthy man with black hair and eyes and a large handlebar mustache, Middleton was known as a first-rate
cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the ''vaquero'' ...
as well an excellent fistfighter and pistol marksman. Middleton was close enough to John Tunstall to hear his last words just before he was shot down by Dolan gunmen William Morton,
Jesse Evans Jesse Evans (c. 1853 — disappeared 1882) was an American outlaw and gunman of the Old West, and the leader of the Jesse Evans Gang. He received some attention due to his disappearance in 1882, after which he was never seen or heard from again. ...
and Tom Hill on February 18, 1878. After this, Middleton participated in most major
Lincoln County Regulators The Lincoln County Regulators, or just the Regulators, were an American Old West deputized posse that fought in the Lincoln County War in New Mexico, during the late 19th century. They are well known for including Billy the Kid as a member ...
operations of the
Lincoln County War The Lincoln County War was an Old West conflict between rival factions which began in 1878 in Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory, the predecessor of the state of New Mexico, and continued until 1881. The feud became famous because of the p ...
. That included the murder of Sheriff William Brady on April 1, 1878. Three days later, Middleton was seriously wounded in the chest during the gunfight with
Buckshot Roberts Andrew L. "Buckshot" Roberts (c. 1831 – April 5, 1878) was an Americans, American American bison, buffalo hunter, frontiersman and cowboy known for his last stand against the Lincoln County Regulators during the Gunfight at Blazer's Mill near L ...
at the Gunfight at Blazer's Mill. Amazingly, he survived his wound and resumed his place with the Regulators once he recovered. By autumn of 1878, the war was over and Middleton and the last of the Regulators split up. John Middleton's ultimate fate is unclear; some say he remained in the area, dying of
smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...
on November 18, 1882, in San Lorenzo, New Mexico. Other accounts say he moved to
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
, where he married and worked as a cowboy, dying in 1885, either by drowning in a stream or from the effects of his chest wound sustained years earlier at Blazer's Mill.Legends - John Middleton
legendsofamerica.com Retrieved 28 March 2021


References

*''Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life'', by Robert M. Utley, University of Nebraska Press, 1989.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Middleton, John 1854 births 1885 deaths American vigilantes Cowboys Gunslingers of the American Old West Lincoln County Wars Outlaws of the American Old West People from New Mexico Territory