Billy the Kid called himself William H.Bonney, but his original name was probably Henry McCarty. Bonney was his mother Catherine's maiden name, and William was the first name of his mother's longtime companion—William Antrin—who acted as Billy's father after his biological father disappeared.
William Bonney, alias Billy the Kid, has a firm place in American history. Legend has it that before he turned 21, he had killed 21 people - the byproduct of being a major player in a turbulent battle between competing cattle empires in southeast New Mexico Territory.
Was William H. Bonney better known as Billy the Kid?
Henry McCarty (September 17 or November 23, 1859 – July 14, 1881), alias William H. Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid, was an American outlaw and gunfighter of the Old West who is alleged to have killed 21 men before he was shot and killed at the age of 21.
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What were Billy the Kid's last words?
Billy the Kid spoke his last words in Spanish. Calling out “¿Quién es? ¿Quién es?” before he was killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett, the young outlaw's final moments signal his diverse ethnic context.
Yes John Wayne did know Wyatt Earp. John Wayne was gored as an extra and a prop boy. Wayne created his famous walk and talk in Westerns after Earp. It is said that John Wayne was a pallbearer at Wyatt Earps funeral.
The Kid was a charmer; he spoke fluent Spanish and easily befriended Hispanics, especially the señoritas. But the Kid's cheerful disposition only disguised a quick temper that sometimes drove him to commit audacious acts of crime. Contrary to popular folklore of the Old West, Billy the Kid never killed 21 men.
Henry McCarty was normally just called “The Kid” because of his youth. He had a number of aliases though, including Henry Antrim or Kid Antrim, and William H Bonney (sometimes shortened to Billy Bonney). Billy the Kid comes from the time when he began using the name Billy Bonney after murdering “Windy” Francis Cahill.
Billy was a likable young man. He was very popular with the Latino population in New Mexico. He spoke Spanish fluently, was loyal to his friends, liked music and loved attending the bailes and dancing with the pretty girls. On the other hand, he was a notorious livestock thief.
According to Pat Garrett, Billy was “quick as a flash.” While a good shot, he said, Billy “was no better than the majority of men who are constantly handling and using six-shooters. . . .”
The New Mexico range war pitted Irish-born Catholics who controlled Lincoln County vs. English-born Protestants who wanted to break up the political machine. Although he'd been born and raised Catholic, Billy the Kid was under-churched, you might say. In any event, he fought on the side of the Protestants.
He stood 5 foot 9 inches tall and weighed approximately 155 pounds. Billy had blue eyes, dirty blond hair, and had two front teeth that protruded. He wore a high-crowned sombrero with a green hatband and was right-handed. Billy also spoke fluent Spanish, was of above average intelligence, and was a born leader.
The sheriff and two of his deputies slip into Fort Sumner in early evening, after hearing a rumor that the Kid's former lover, Paulita Maxwell, was pregnant with his child. They sneak into the house and the sheriff fires his gun twice at Billy the Kid, killing him.
Furthermore, it's mentioned that he had two siblings, but one disappeared from records, while the other did not maintain a connection with him beyond their childhood. It's safe to conclude that he did not have any offspring, and consequently, there are no living descendants.
His crimes earned him a bounty on his head and he was eventually captured and indicted for killing a sheriff during the Lincoln County War. Billy the Kid was sentenced to hang for his crime; however, a short time later, he managed another jail break, murdering two deputies in the process.
1. He was orphaned as a teen. Little is known about Billy the Kid's early days, but he was most likely born Henry McCarty in the Irish slums of New York City sometime in late 1859. Raised by a single mother, he moved to Wichita, Kansas, as a boy before later migrating west to New Mexico in the early 1870s.
At that time, he also spotted Garrett, sitting near the bed. but due to the darkness, the Kid did not recognize him. Instead, he hoarsely voiced, Quien es?, meaning, "Who are you?" And Garrett, knowing this was a bad time to say, "It's me, Billy!
What is the most historically accurate movie about Billy the Kid?
The title reflects this fact - Gore Vidal's Billy The Kid has been billed with the author's name since it first aired in 1989. Fans of westerns will be quite pleased with Gore Vidal's Billy The Kid. It follows genre conventions closely and is regarded as the most historically accurate movie of the outlaw's life.
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In his final words, he replied: "Of course, I know who you are. "You're my girl. I love you.” While Wayne's final moments were clearly emotional charged, his temper was well known throughout Hollywood during his earlier years.
Truth be told, Wayne wasn't a pallbearer at Earp's funeral (though two silent stars, Tom Mix and William S. Hart, were). In fact, Earp never even appeared in a movie (though other living remnants of the West—lawman William Tilghman and outlaw Al Jennings—did).
