Fred Waite, (September 28, 1853 – September 24, 1895), was a Chickasaw

Chickasaw

The Chickasaw are Native American people originally from the region that would become the Southeastern United States...

 cowboy who joined Billy the Kid

Billy the Kid

William H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier...

's gang. He left the gang to return to his people.

With the Chickasaw Nation, Waite served as a leading politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 before his death at about age 42. He died shortly before he was to start serving as Governor of the Chickasaw.

Early life

Fred Waite was born after Removal in the Chickasaw nation at Fort Arbuckle

Fort Arbuckle

Not to be confused with Old Fort Arbuckle , a site in Tulsa County, Oklahoma.Fort Arbuckle was a United States military fort near Hoover, Oklahoma....

, in what is now Garvin County, Oklahoma

Garvin County, Oklahoma

Garvin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 27,210. Its county seat is Pauls Valley.-History:...

.

Waite found work in New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

 with John Tunstall

John Tunstall

John Henry Tunstall , born in England, became a rancher and merchant in New Mexico, where he became a prominent figure and was the first man killed in the Lincoln County War, an economic and political conflict perhaps compounded by ethnic rivalries.-Early life and education:John Henry Tunstall was...

, who was later to be one of the leaders of the Tunstall-McSween vs. Dolan

James Dolan (Lincoln County War)

James Dolan was an Old West businessman, cattleman, and a key factor in the Lincoln County War, in New Mexico, which launched Billy the Kid to fame.-Early life and Murphy association:...

 war, better known as the Lincoln County War

Lincoln County War

The Lincoln County War was a 19th-century range war between two factions during the Old West period. Numerous notable figures of the American West were involved, including Billy the Kid, aka William Henry McCarty; sheriffs William Brady and Pat Garrett; cattle rancher John Chisum, lawyer and...

. Waite worked as a farm

Farm

A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...

er for Tunstall.

On February 18, 1878, after Tunstall was killed, Waite became a member of the Regulators

Lincoln County Regulators

The Lincoln County Regulators was a deputized posse in Lincoln County, New Mexico during the Lincoln County War, consisting of a dozen or so members who wanted revenge for the killing of their boss, John Tunstall...

. They originally collected as a posse

Posse

Posse may refer to:* Posse comitatus , a group of men assembled to assist in law enforcement* Posse , starring Kirk Douglas* Posse , starring Mario van Peebles...

 led by Dick Brewer

Richard Brewer

Richard M. "Dick" Brewer , was an American cowboy and outlaw. He was the first leader of what historically is referred to as Billy the Kid's band, although Billy never led them.-Early life:...

 to serve arrest warrants on Tunstall's killers. Through the posse, Waite met Billy, American Indian Jose Chavez y Chavez

Jose Chavez y Chavez

Jose Chavez y Chavez was an outlaw from the U.S. state of New Mexico. He was said to be of Mexican-American and Native American ancestry...

, Henry Brown, Jim French

Jim French (cowboy)

Jim French was a New Mexican cowboy.Out of all Regulators, French remains the most mysterious. Not much is known about him, such as where he came from or how he came to work for John Tunstall. He was known to be a large, powerful man, variously reported to be either half-Indian or half-black...

, and Charlie Bowdre

Charlie Bowdre

Charles Bowdre was an American cowboy and outlaw. He was an associate and member of Billy the Kid's gang.-Early life:...

. They later formed what became Billy the Kid's gang.

Fred Waite was allegedly behind a wall with the gang when they killed William J. Brady

William J. Brady

William J. Brady was the sheriff of Lincoln County during the Lincoln County Wars in New Mexico, United States. He was killed in an ambush, aged 48, in which Billy the Kid took part.-Early life:...

, sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico

Lincoln County, New Mexico

-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*85.1% White*0.5% Black*2.4% Native American*0.4% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.5% Two or more races*9.1% Other races*29.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

. He was also present when the gang killed Buckshot Roberts

Buckshot Roberts

Andrew L. "Buckshot" Roberts was an American buffalo hunter and cowboy whose last stand against the Lincoln County Regulators during the Gunfight of Blazer's Mills near Lincoln, New Mexico is a part of frontier legend....

, a suspect in the murder of Tunstall.

Serving the Chickasaw

Split between his Chickasaw culture and his new life, Waite decided to return to life with the Chickasaw, leaving the gang behind. Back in Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

, Waite became a successful politician

Politics

Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...

. He served in several offices in the Chickasaw nation, including senator, speaker of the house of representatives, and others.

It is not known how Waite died in 1895. It was four days before his 42nd birthday, and he was being prepared to become Governor of the Chickasaw Nation.