John Middleton (cowboy)
Encyclopedia
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
.
Born around 1854, Middleton came to Lincoln County, New Mexico
from Texas
in the mid-1870's and went to work for John Tunstall
. Described as a heavyset, swarthy man with black hair and eyes and a large handlebar mustache, Middleton was known as a first-rate cowboy 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, and Tom Hill on February 18, 1878. After this, Middleton participated in most major Regulator operations of the Lincoln County War, including the murder of Sheriff William Brady
on April 1, 1878.
Three days later, Middleton would be dangerously wounded in the chest during the gunfight with Buckshot Roberts
at Blazer's Mills. Amazingly, he survived his wound and resumed his place with the Regulators once he recovered. By the fall 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
on November 18, 1882 in San Lorenzo, New Mexico
. Others accounts say he moved to Kansas
, 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 Mills.
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 a key 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...
, who fought on behalf of 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...
during 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...
.
Born around 1854, Middleton came to 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:...
from 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...
in the mid-1870's and went to work for 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...
. Described as a heavyset, swarthy man with black hair and eyes and a large handlebar mustache, Middleton was known as a first-rate cowboy 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, and Tom Hill on February 18, 1878. After this, Middleton participated in most major Regulator operations of the Lincoln County War, including the murder of 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:...
on April 1, 1878.
Three days later, Middleton would be dangerously wounded in the chest during the 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....
at Blazer's Mills. Amazingly, he survived his wound and resumed his place with the Regulators once he recovered. By the fall 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
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
on November 18, 1882 in San Lorenzo, New Mexico
San Lorenzo, New Mexico
San Lorenzo, New Mexico can refer to:*San Lorenzo, Grant County, New Mexico, an unincorporated community in Grant County*San Lorenzo, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, an unincorporated community in Rio Arriba County...
. Others accounts say he moved to 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...
, 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 Mills.