Pat Garrett: Wild West Sheriff

Pat Garrett

Pat Garrett is the legendary Wild West sheriff who killed Billy the Kid. There is a lot of controversy regarding whether or not Garrett truly was responsible and, if he was, if the killing was an act of cowardice. Nonetheless, this is what Pat Garrett is best known for and it is highly likely that he did kill Billy the Kid. Much of the derision regarding the death of Billy the Kid may have stemmed from the fact that the lanky lawman was known to have a surly demeanor and a sarcastic sense of humor. He was also known as a drunk, a gambler and a man who often embellished, if not outright lied.

Patrick Floyd Jarvis Garrett was born in Chambers County, Alabama, on June 5, 1850. His parents were John Lumpkin Garrett and Elizabeth Ann Jarvis. He had seven siblings. In 1853 the Garrett family acquired a plantation in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana. The family moved there when Pat was three years old. He spent the rest of his childhood there.

In 1867, Pat Garrett’s mother died followed by his father the next year. The estate of Pat’s deceased father was handled by his brother-in-law. The house and land were sold and there was nothing left to keep Pat and his siblings. So, Pat Garrett left Louisiana for Texas on January 25, 1869. He was eighteen years old.

He found a job in Texas as a cowpuncher and a buffalo herder, among other things. By 1877, he was working as a buffalo hunter with a young man named John Briscoe. One day, when the men were in camp, John got angry at Pat and chased him with an ax. Pat attempted to avoid the man, but was forced to shoot him. By all accounts, Pat was remorseful. He turned himself over to authorities and was not charged with murder.

The next year, Pat Garrett moved to Fort Sumner. There, he began working for a man named Pete Maxwell. He also met William H. Bonney there. William H. Bonney is one of the several aliases used by Billy the Kid. It is known that the two men were acquaintances, but there is debate over whether they were friends or not and if they were, how close they were. Not long after they met, Billy and his gang became some of the most notorious men in the Wild West.

In 1880, Pat Garrett moved to Roswell, New Mexico and ran for sheriff there. He was twenty-nine years old. That same year he married his wife, Apolinaria, with whom he would have nine children. He became the sheriff of Roswell on November 2, 1880 and began searching for Billy the Kid shortly thereafter. He managed to capture Billy and two of his gang members in December, but after spending a few months in jail, Billy escaped.

Pat Garrett quickly arranged for the help of Pete Maxwell, who supposedly agreed to lure Billy to his home. When Billy arrived at the house on July 14, 1881, Pat reportedly shot him twice from the shadows when he opened the door to the darkened room in which Pat had waited for him. Opinions varied as to whether Pat should have fought Billy face to face or if he was a hero for killing the outlaw when he had the chance. Regardless of if it was brave or cowardly, the deed would follow Garrett for the rest of his life.

Pat didn’t return as the sheriff of Lincoln County after that term. In 1896, he went to Dona Ana County to serve as sheriff there. A politician and his son had been murdered and it was thought that the famous Pat Garrett could help solve the case. He was unable to help and the case remains unsolved. He never ran for sheriff anywhere again.

In 1901, Garrett went up for a job as customs collector in El Paso. President Roosevelt caught wind that Pat was a drunk and a gambler. However, Theodore Roosevelt himself recommended him for the position and he got the job on January 6, 1902. After a series of mishaps and possible deceptions, Roosevelt decided not to reappoint Garrett for another term. After the loss of this job, Garrett decided to go stay at his ranch in the San Andreas Mountains.

Soon after Pat returned to his ranch, he was forced to rent it out to a man named Wayne Brazel so that he could afford his mortgage. The men disagreed on what kind of livestock should be kept at the ranch and so Garrett found two other men to rent the property. Brazel refused to leave and so Pat went out to talk to him on February 28, 1908, with the two other men. An argument ensued, during which, Pat turned his back on two of the other men and was shot twice. His wounds were fatal.

Brazel confessed to the murder of Pat Garrett, but was later let off as it was deemed self defense. What exactly happened that day is still unclear and may never be known. Pat Garrett’s final resting place is in the Odd Fellow Cemetery in Los Cruces, New Mexico.

Sources

Perez, Antonio & Villalobos, Angel & Miranda. Jeremiah J., Pat Garrett Enjoyed Controversy, retrieved 10/9/09, epcc.edu/nwlibrary/borderlands/20_garrett.htm

The Alleged Killer of Billy the Kid, retrieved 10/9/09, angelfire.com/mi2/billy