Hendry Brown
Encyclopedia
Henry Newton Brown was an American Old West
gunman who played the roles of both lawman and outlaw
during his life.
Brown was raised in Cold Springs Township, in Phelps County
, ten miles south of Rolla
, Missouri
. An orphan
, he lived there with his uncle Jasper and aunt Aldamira Richardson until the age of seventeen, when he left home and headed west
. He drifted through various cowboy
jobs in Colorado
and Texas
, supposedly killing a man in a gunfight in the Texas
Panhandle
.
and became embroiled in the Lincoln County War
, a battle of wills for economic domination of the region between two opposing factions. The first was the association of Attorney Alexander McSween
and John H. Tunstall; generally noted as “the good guys.” They had the support of cattle baron John Chisum
and a company of young working cowboys that were to become proficient gunmen known as “The Regulators
.” Brown joined Billy the Kid and others of this group as a cowboy working on Tunstall’s Rio Feliz ranch.
Usually regarded as the “bad guys,” the opposing faction known as “The House” was the partnership of Major Lawrence G. Murphy and James J. Dolan, bolstered by a powerful political machine known as the “Santa Fe Ring.” Lincoln County Sheriff William Brady
, and his deputies as well as a cadre of gunmen were loyal to the “House.”
On April 1, 1878, Brown, Billy the Kid
, Jim French
, Frank McNab
, John Middleton
and Fred Waite
ambushed and murdered Lincoln County
Sheriff
William Brady
, who was indirectly responsible for the death of the Regulators' employer, John Tunstall. Three days later, at the famous Blazer's Mill fight, Brown and the Regulators engaged in a gunfight with Buckshot Roberts
, another man they believed involved in Tunstall's murder. Roberts received a serious gunshot wound from Charlie Bowdre
which later proved to be fatal, but not before he managed to kill the Regulators' nominal leader, Richard Brewer
. Retreating into proprietor Blazer's office, Roberts continued a prolonged firefight with Brown and the Regulators. He died the next day.
The Regulators—fugitives now for the Brady killing—spent the next several months in hiding. Then on July 15, 1878, they became trapped, along with one of Tunstall's partners, Alexander McSween, in McSween's home in Lincoln by members of "The House" and some of Brady's men. Henry Brown was one of three Regulators not actually in McSween's house at the time, but instead was sniping at Brady's men from a grain warehouse behind the Tunstall store. He escaped with Billy the Kid
and the others when the siegers set fire to the house. McSween was shot down while fleeing the blaze, and his death essentially marked the end of the Lincoln County Cattle War.
, and a few of the remaining Regulators trailed a herd of rustled horses to the little town of Tascosa in the Texas Panhandle. After the horses were sold the Regulators returned to their old haunts, but Brown, named in two murder warrants in the state of New Mexico, wisely remained in Texas where he eventually became a lawman. It has not been established whether he was a deputy sheriff of Oldham County, Texas; Marshal of Tascosa or a constable. He had a quick temper and was quickly dismissed because he "was always wanting to fight and get his mane up."
Brown thereafter drifted through the (Oklahoma
) Indian Territory
and into Kansas
, working on ranches. In July, 1882, when about 25 years old, he settled in Caldwell
, Kansas—a rough cattle town comparable to Dodge City
and Abilene
—where he was first appointed Assistant Marshal of the city; then promoted to marshal about five months later. The Chisholm Trail
met the Santa Fe tracks in Caldwell and as the terminus of the trail, it had a long history of violence. Brown, an outlaw turned lawman, and Ben Wheeler, who had been a former Texas lawman turned outlaw, joined forces (with Wheeler as Assistant Marshal) and effectively cleaned up the town.
Brown was described by contemporaries as a "very much undersize" man who didn't smoke, drink, chew, or gamble, and was noted to be in regular attendance at the Methodist Church. Said to be "exceedingly modest and, in fact, bashful," he displayed an introvert presence but "gained the entire confidence of the people . . . and . . . conducted himself in such a manner that the doors of society were always open to him."
But, “he had a square set jaw, not unlike that of a bull dog" and "his face indicated firmness and a lack of physical fear.” “His words were few and parted with reluctantly,” and when duty called, Brown’s demeanor changed immediately. He was easily angered: his temper flared instantly and his outwardly meek manner transformed into one of deadly grave purpose. One contemporary commented that “he was a two-gun man. He could take a six-shooter in each hand and make one think a battle was on.”
From the grateful community, in appreciation for his service, he was given an extensively engraved, gold and silver mounted Winchester rifle. A silver medallion was affixed to the stock inscribed:
"Presented to City Marshal
H. N. Brown
For valuable services rendered
In behalf of the Citizens of
Caldwell Kas
A. N. Colson Mayor Dec 1882"
Brown killed a gambler, Newt Boyce, with the rifle (in the line of duty) on December 16, 1883. Another killing attributed to Brown in Caldwell was that of Spotted Horse, a renegade Indian.
Henry Brown gained status in the higher realms of Caldwell society when he married Alice Maude Levagood, the daughter of a well-to-do Caldwell brick maker. Alice had a college degree―rare for females of that era.
Marshal Brown and his assistant kept the town clean, and by the time they were appointed to their third term, they were lauded by the citizens as the best and most effective team of lawmen the town had ever had.
to hunt a murderer. With two Cherokee Outlet
cowboys, William Smith and John Wesley, they rode to Medicine Lodge
, Kansas
, and attempted to rob the Medicine Valley Bank. Almost immediately, their attempt fell apart in disaster when gunfire erupted and two of the bank officers were shot. Most conventional accounts name Brown as bank president Wylie Payne’s murderer. But T. A. McNeal, author of When Kansas Was Young, sat at his friend Payne’s bedside as he lay dying and reports that Payne named Wesley as his killer. Wheeler (and possibility, Wesley) shot George Geppert, the bank's chief cashier who, just before he died, sealed the vault, preventing the robbers from escaping with any money.
Brown and the outlaws fled under fire, pursued by a posse composed of 12 cowboys that happened to be in a stable directly across the street from the bank. The four fugitives, closely pursued by the posse, unwittingly rode into a box canyon several miles south of the town and were eventually forced to surrender. Later, incarcerated in the town's small jail, they anticipated a lynch mob, and were offered the opportunity to write letters to their loved ones. Brown did write a poignant letter to his wife. It read in part:
"Darling Wife: I am in jail here. Four of us tried to rob the bank here and one man shot one of the men in the bank. I want you to come and see me as soon as you can. I will send you all of my things and you can sell them. But keep the Winchester. It is hard for me to write this letter, but it was all for you, my sweet wife, and for the love I have for you. “Do not go back on me. If you do it will kill me. Be true to me as long as you live, and come to see me if you think enough of me. My love is just the same as it always was. Oh, how I did hate to leave you last Sunday evening. But I did not think this would happen. I thought we could take in the money and not have any trouble with it, but a man’s fondest hopes are sometimes broken with trouble. We would not have been arrested but one of our horses gave out and we could not leave him [the rider] alone. I do not know what to write. Do the best you can with everything. I want you to send me some clothes. Sell all the things you don’t need. Have your picture taken and send it to me. Now, my dear wife, go and see Mr. Witzleben and Mr. Nyce and get the money. If a mob does not kill us we will come out all right after while. Maude, I did not shoot anyone and didn’t want the others to kill anyone. But they did and that is all there is about it. Now, my darling wife, goodbye. H. N. Brown."
Henry Brown was combined with fellow Regulator Jim French
and presented as a composite named Hendry William French. Timid and clumsy, the film's portrayal of French by actor Alan Ruck
bears little actual resemblance to either outlaw.
.
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
gunman who played the roles of both lawman and outlaw
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
during his life.
Brown was raised in Cold Springs Township, in Phelps County
Phelps County, Missouri
Phelps County is a county located in south-central Missouri in the United States.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, it includes the mean center of U.S. population in 2000. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 39,825. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 42,205....
, ten miles south of Rolla
Rolla, Missouri
Rolla is a city in Phelps County, Missouri, United States, midway between the larger cities of St. Louis and Springfield along I-44. The population in the 2010 United States Census was 19,559.It is the county seat of Phelps County...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. An orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
, he lived there with his uncle Jasper and aunt Aldamira Richardson until the age of seventeen, when he left home and headed west
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
. He drifted through various cowboy
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 traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
jobs in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, supposedly killing a man in a gunfight in the Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
Panhandle
Texas Panhandle
The Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a rectangular area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east...
.
Lincoln County War
In 1877, Brown landed in New MexicoNew 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...
and became embroiled in 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...
, a battle of wills for economic domination of the region between two opposing factions. The first was the association of Attorney Alexander McSween
Alexander McSween
Alexander McSween was a prominent figure during the Lincoln County War of the Old West, and a central character, alongside John Tunstall, opposing the "Murphy-Dolan Faction".-Early life:...
and John H. Tunstall; generally noted as “the good guys.” They had the support of cattle baron John Chisum
John Chisum
John Simpson Chisum was a wealthy cattle baron in the American West in the mid-to-late 19th century. Born in Hardeman County, Tennessee, Chisum's family moved to Texas in 1837, with Chisum finding work as a building contractor...
and a company of young working cowboys that were to become proficient gunmen known as “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...
.” Brown joined Billy the Kid and others of this group as a cowboy working on Tunstall’s Rio Feliz ranch.
Usually regarded as the “bad guys,” the opposing faction known as “The House” was the partnership of Major Lawrence G. Murphy and James J. Dolan, bolstered by a powerful political machine known as the “Santa Fe Ring.” Lincoln County Sheriff William 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:...
, and his deputies as well as a cadre of gunmen were loyal to the “House.”
On April 1, 1878, Brown, 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...
, 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...
, Frank McNab
Frank McNab
Frank McNab 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 managed by New Mexico cattleman John Chisum. McNab's job was to track down those who...
, John Middleton
John Middleton (cowboy)
John Middleton was friend of Billy the Kid and a key member of the Regulators, who fought on behalf of John Tunstall during the Lincoln County War....
and Fred Waite
Fred Waite
Fred Waite, , was a Chickasaw cowboy who joined Billy the Kid's gang. He left the gang to return to his people....
ambushed and murdered Lincoln County
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:...
Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
William 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:...
, who was indirectly responsible for the death of the Regulators' employer, John Tunstall. Three days later, at the famous Blazer's Mill fight, Brown and the Regulators engaged in a gunfight with 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....
, another man they believed involved in Tunstall's murder. Roberts received a serious gunshot wound from 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:...
which later proved to be fatal, but not before he managed to kill the Regulators' nominal leader, Richard 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:...
. Retreating into proprietor Blazer's office, Roberts continued a prolonged firefight with Brown and the Regulators. He died the next day.
The Regulators—fugitives now for the Brady killing—spent the next several months in hiding. Then on July 15, 1878, they became trapped, along with one of Tunstall's partners, Alexander McSween, in McSween's home in Lincoln by members of "The House" and some of Brady's men. Henry Brown was one of three Regulators not actually in McSween's house at the time, but instead was sniping at Brady's men from a grain warehouse behind the Tunstall store. He escaped with 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...
and the others when the siegers set fire to the house. McSween was shot down while fleeing the blaze, and his death essentially marked the end of the Lincoln County Cattle War.
Outlaw to Lawman
In the fall of that year, Brown, Billy the KidBilly 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...
, and a few of the remaining Regulators trailed a herd of rustled horses to the little town of Tascosa in the Texas Panhandle. After the horses were sold the Regulators returned to their old haunts, but Brown, named in two murder warrants in the state of New Mexico, wisely remained in Texas where he eventually became a lawman. It has not been established whether he was a deputy sheriff of Oldham County, Texas; Marshal of Tascosa or a constable. He had a quick temper and was quickly dismissed because he "was always wanting to fight and get his mane up."
Brown thereafter drifted through the (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...
) Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
and into Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, working on ranches. In July, 1882, when about 25 years old, he settled in Caldwell
Caldwell, Kansas
Caldwell is a city in Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,068.-19th century:In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a branch line north-south from Herington to Caldwell...
, Kansas—a rough cattle town comparable to Dodge City
Dodge City, Kansas
Dodge City is a city in, and the county seat of, Ford County, Kansas, United States. Named after nearby Fort Dodge, the city is famous in American culture for its history as a wild frontier town of the Old West. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,340.-History:The first settlement of...
and Abilene
Abilene, Kansas
Abilene is a city in and the county seat of Dickinson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 6,844.-History:...
—where he was first appointed Assistant Marshal of the city; then promoted to marshal about five months later. The Chisholm Trail
Chisholm Trail
The Chisholm Trail was a trail used in the late 19th century to drive cattle overland from ranches in Texas to Kansas railheads. The portion of the trail marked by Jesse Chisholm went from his southern trading post near the Red River, to his northern trading post near Kansas City, Kansas...
met the Santa Fe tracks in Caldwell and as the terminus of the trail, it had a long history of violence. Brown, an outlaw turned lawman, and Ben Wheeler, who had been a former Texas lawman turned outlaw, joined forces (with Wheeler as Assistant Marshal) and effectively cleaned up the town.
Brown was described by contemporaries as a "very much undersize" man who didn't smoke, drink, chew, or gamble, and was noted to be in regular attendance at the Methodist Church. Said to be "exceedingly modest and, in fact, bashful," he displayed an introvert presence but "gained the entire confidence of the people . . . and . . . conducted himself in such a manner that the doors of society were always open to him."
But, “he had a square set jaw, not unlike that of a bull dog" and "his face indicated firmness and a lack of physical fear.” “His words were few and parted with reluctantly,” and when duty called, Brown’s demeanor changed immediately. He was easily angered: his temper flared instantly and his outwardly meek manner transformed into one of deadly grave purpose. One contemporary commented that “he was a two-gun man. He could take a six-shooter in each hand and make one think a battle was on.”
From the grateful community, in appreciation for his service, he was given an extensively engraved, gold and silver mounted Winchester rifle. A silver medallion was affixed to the stock inscribed:
"Presented to City Marshal
H. N. Brown
For valuable services rendered
In behalf of the Citizens of
Caldwell Kas
A. N. Colson Mayor Dec 1882"
Brown killed a gambler, Newt Boyce, with the rifle (in the line of duty) on December 16, 1883. Another killing attributed to Brown in Caldwell was that of Spotted Horse, a renegade Indian.
Henry Brown gained status in the higher realms of Caldwell society when he married Alice Maude Levagood, the daughter of a well-to-do Caldwell brick maker. Alice had a college degree―rare for females of that era.
Marshal Brown and his assistant kept the town clean, and by the time they were appointed to their third term, they were lauded by the citizens as the best and most effective team of lawmen the town had ever had.
The Medicine Valley Bank Robbery
In April, 1884, Brown and Wheeler concocted a story convincing the mayor to give them leave to travel into the Indian TerritoryIndian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
to hunt a murderer. With two Cherokee Outlet
Cherokee Outlet
The Cherokee Outlet, often mistakenly referred to as the Cherokee Strip, was located in what is now the state of Oklahoma, in the United States. It was a sixty-mile wide strip of land south of the Oklahoma-Kansas border between the 96th and 100th meridians. It was about 225 miles long and in 1891...
cowboys, William Smith and John Wesley, they rode to Medicine Lodge
Medicine Lodge, Kansas
Medicine Lodge is the most populous city in and the county seat of Barber County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,009.-19th century:...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, and attempted to rob the Medicine Valley Bank. Almost immediately, their attempt fell apart in disaster when gunfire erupted and two of the bank officers were shot. Most conventional accounts name Brown as bank president Wylie Payne’s murderer. But T. A. McNeal, author of When Kansas Was Young, sat at his friend Payne’s bedside as he lay dying and reports that Payne named Wesley as his killer. Wheeler (and possibility, Wesley) shot George Geppert, the bank's chief cashier who, just before he died, sealed the vault, preventing the robbers from escaping with any money.
Brown and the outlaws fled under fire, pursued by a posse composed of 12 cowboys that happened to be in a stable directly across the street from the bank. The four fugitives, closely pursued by the posse, unwittingly rode into a box canyon several miles south of the town and were eventually forced to surrender. Later, incarcerated in the town's small jail, they anticipated a lynch mob, and were offered the opportunity to write letters to their loved ones. Brown did write a poignant letter to his wife. It read in part:
"Darling Wife: I am in jail here. Four of us tried to rob the bank here and one man shot one of the men in the bank. I want you to come and see me as soon as you can. I will send you all of my things and you can sell them. But keep the Winchester. It is hard for me to write this letter, but it was all for you, my sweet wife, and for the love I have for you. “Do not go back on me. If you do it will kill me. Be true to me as long as you live, and come to see me if you think enough of me. My love is just the same as it always was. Oh, how I did hate to leave you last Sunday evening. But I did not think this would happen. I thought we could take in the money and not have any trouble with it, but a man’s fondest hopes are sometimes broken with trouble. We would not have been arrested but one of our horses gave out and we could not leave him [the rider] alone. I do not know what to write. Do the best you can with everything. I want you to send me some clothes. Sell all the things you don’t need. Have your picture taken and send it to me. Now, my dear wife, go and see Mr. Witzleben and Mr. Nyce and get the money. If a mob does not kill us we will come out all right after while. Maude, I did not shoot anyone and didn’t want the others to kill anyone. But they did and that is all there is about it. Now, my darling wife, goodbye. H. N. Brown."
Death
Realizing that a lynching was imminent, Wesley removed his boot and with it, the shackle of the leg-iron with which he had been shackled to Brown. Brown tied the loose end of the leg-iron to his leg with his bandana allowing him to run unencumbered. Smith, handcuffed to Wheeler, was able to slip the handcuff over his small hand resulting, unknown to the gathering mob, in all four being free. When the lynch mob came at 9 pm and opened the door, Brown burst through the startled lynch mob to an alley alongside the jail. As he ran past, he was blasted with both barrels of a shotgun at almost point blank range. He died being nearly torn in half. Wheeler ran about 100 yards before being horribly wounded in a barrage of gunfire but lived long enough to hang with Smith and Wesley shortly afterwards when the three were hung on an elk tree by the mob.Other media
In the film Young Guns IIYoung Guns II
Young Guns II is a 1990 western film, and the sequel to Young Guns . It stars Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Christian Slater, and features William Petersen as Pat Garrett. It was written and produced by John Fusco and directed by Geoff Murphy.It follows the life of...
Henry Brown was combined with fellow Regulator 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 presented as a composite named Hendry William French. Timid and clumsy, the film's portrayal of French by actor Alan Ruck
Alan Ruck
Alan Ruck is an American film, stage and television actor, perhaps best known for his roles as Cameron Frye in Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Stuart Bondek on Spin City.-Early life:...
bears little actual resemblance to either outlaw.
Sources
. See Bill O'NealBill O'Neal
John William O'Neal, known as Bill O'Neal , is an American author who has written some thirty books and more than three hundred articles and book reviews on the American West, including gunfighters, lawmen, and ghost towns; Country music, with emphasis on Texas artists; baseball, such as his study...
.
- Nolan, Frederick, The Lincoln County War, University of Oklahoma Press, 1992
- Graterri, Len; Cook, Rod; Williams, James, William Sherod Robinson alias Ben Wheeler, Eakin Press, 2010