George Washington Coe (1856–1941) was an

Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

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 '' vaquer ...

and a gunman during the

Lincoln County War The Lincoln County War was an Old West conflict between rival factions which began in 1878 in Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory, the predecessor of the state of New Mexico, and continued until 1881. The feud became famous because of the pa ...

Early years

George Washington Coe was born in

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

, in 1856. He moved to

New Mexico Territory The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of ''Santa Fe de Nuevo México ...

with his cousin, Frank Coe, around 1871 to work on a ranch near

Fort Stanton Fort Stanton was a United States Army fort near Lincoln, New Mexico. Army Fort It was built in 1855 by the 1st Dragoon and the 3rd and 8th Infantry Regiments to serve as a base of military operations against the Mescalero Apaches. Numerous ca ...

belonging to another cousin. For a time they lived near

Raton, New Mexico Raton ( ) is a city and the county seat of Colfax County, New Mexico, Colfax County in northeastern New Mexico. The city is located just south of Raton Pass. The city is also located about 6.5 miles south of the New Mexico–Colorado border and 85 ...

. The two often rode in pursuit of cattle rustlers and horse thieves. On July 18, 1876, he and Frank, accompanied by

Doc Scurlock Josiah Gordon "Doc" Scurlock (January 11, 1849 – July 25, 1929) was an American Old West figure, cowboy, and gunfighter. A founding member of the Regulators during the Lincoln County War in New Mexico, Scurlock rode alongside such men as B ...

Charlie Bowdre Charles Bowdre (1848 – December 23, 1880) was an American cowboy and outlaw. He was an associate of Billy the Kid and member of his gang. Early life Bowdre was born in Wilkes County, Georgia. When he was three years old, he and his parent ...

, and

Ab Saunders Ab Saunders (October 14, 1851 – February 5, 1883) was an American cowboy, and at times gunman, best known for his association with Billy the Kid, Charlie Bowdre, Frank McNab, Doc Scurlock, and Saunders's cousins Frank and George Coe, when he ...

, forced their way into the Lincoln County jail and took alleged horse thief Jesus Largo from

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

Saturnino Baca and

lynch Lynch may refer to: Places Australia * Lynch Island, South Orkney Islands, Antarctica * Lynch Point, Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica * Lynch's Crater, Queensland, Australia England * River Lynch, Hertfordshire * The Lynch, an island in the River ...

ed him. By 1878 Coe had leased land in Lincoln County to establish his own ranch. He and his cousin continued to battle rustlers, but now it was often in defense of their own possessions.

Lincoln County War

George Coe was dragged into the Lincoln County War after being arrested by county

William J. Brady. Coe and his cousin aligned themselves with the

Lincoln County Regulators The Lincoln County Regulators, or just the Regulators, were an American Old West deputized posse that fought in the Lincoln County War in New Mexico, during the late 19th century. Members history and friendships The Regulators were formed out ...

, riding with

Billy the Kid Billy the Kid (born Henry McCarty; September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), also known by the pseudonym William H. Bonney, was an outlaw and gunfighter of the American Old West, who killed eight men before he was shot and killed at t ...

, and facing off against the " Murphy-Dolan faction" and their supporters. This included members of the

Jesse Evans Gang The Jesse Evans Gang, also known as The Boys, was a gang of rustlers and robbers led by outlaw and gunman Jesse Evans, which lasted from 1876 until 1880. The gang was formed after Evans broke with the John Kinney Gang. After breaking away, he ...

and the

John Kinney Gang The John Kinney Gang, also known as the Rio Grande Posse, was an outlaw gang of the old West, which operated during the mid-1870s into the mid-1880s. The gang was organized by outlaw John Kinney, in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. From its beginn ...

. Coe figured prominently in the events of the final Battle of Lincoln between the two factions. He was later arrested for the murder of

Buckshot Roberts Andrew L. "Buckshot" Roberts (1831 – April 5, 1878) was an American buffalo hunter, frontiersman 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 fr ...

which had occurred in a shootout known as the

Gunfight of Blazer's Mills The Gunfight at Blazer's Mill (April 4, 1878) was a shootout between what were known as the Lincoln County Regulators and buffalo hunter Buckshot Roberts. The gunfight The Regulators, including Billy the Kid, Charlie Bowdre, and led by Richard ...

. In the gunfight, Coe lost his trigger finger. Coe shot and wounded

Seven Rivers Warriors The Seven Rivers Warriors was an outlaw gang of the Old West known primarily due to its part in the Pecos War and the Lincoln County War. Formation The gang was initially formed during the mid-1870s by disgruntled small ranchers, feeling themse ...

gang member Charles "Dutch Charlie" Kruling in Lincoln on the morning of April 30, 1878, a day after Seven Rivers members had shot and killed the new Regulator leader,

Frank McNab Frank McNab (or MacNab) (died 1878) 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 ...

, and captured Coe's cousin, Frank. Frank escaped shortly thereafter. The two left the area for a time, living in

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

and

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

before they eventually returned to Lincoln County.

Later life and death

Coe was granted

amnesty Amnesty (from the Ancient Greek ἀμνηστία, ''amnestia'', "forgetfulness, passing over") is defined as "A pardon extended by the government to a group or class of people, usually for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power offici ...

from

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Lew Wallace Lewis Wallace (April 10, 1827February 15, 1905) was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, governor of the New Mexico Territory, politician, diplomat, and author from Indiana. Among his novels and biographies, Wallace is ...

. In 1884 he started the "Golden Glow Ranch" in Lincoln County and became a prosperous and respected member of the community. He wrote his

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...

, entitled ''Frontier Fighter'', detailing his association with the Regulators and giving details of certain members' traits and personalities. Coe died November 12, 1941, in

Roswell, New Mexico Roswell () is a city in, and the County seat, seat of, Chaves County, New Mexico, Chaves County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Chaves County forms the entirety of the List of micropolitan areas in New Mexico, Roswell micropolitan area. As of ...

References

External links

George Coe, Gunfighter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coe, George Cowboys Gunslingers of the American Old West Outlaws of the American Old West American vigilantes People of the New Mexico Territory Ranchers from New Mexico 1856 births 1941 deaths