Photo by Tony Valainis
THIS FRAGILE, two-page March 20, 1879, letter is one of eight sent between Lew Wallace and Billy the Kid during the Lincoln County War, an Old West conflict during which rival gangs competed for domination of the dry goods trade in the New Mexico Territory. Billy was a participant, while Wallace was New Mexico’s territorial governor. In a previous letter, Wallace offered Billy a pardon for murder if he’d testify against his allies. This letter expresses Billy’s agreement to surrender, as well as his fear of being killed afterward.
Billy was born Henry McCarty in New York City in 1859, moving with his mother to Massachusetts Avenue in Indianapolis. He eventually landed in New Mexico, where he was orphaned at 15 and took up his brief but notorious life of crime. Wallace was born in Brookville, Indiana, growing up to practice law and have a storied military career before becoming a politician. Wallace’s family donated the letters to the Indiana Historical Society, where they can be viewed digitally.
