Tom O'Folliard (1858 – December 19, 1880) was the best friend of outlaw William Bonney, a.k.a.

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 th ...

. Both were members of the Regulators 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 ...

. After the war ended, they became cattle rustlers, forming the Bonney gang with fellow outlaws

Dave Rudabaugh David Rudabaugh (July 14, 1854February 18, 1886) was a cowboy, outlaw, and gunfighter in the American Old West. Modern writers often refer to him as "Dirty Dave" because of his alleged aversion to water, though no evidence has emerged to show ...

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 ...

Tom Pickett Thomas Augustus Pickett (August 14, 1906 – June 7, 1980), was a United States representative representing Texas's 7th congressional district. Born in Travis, Texas on August 14, 1906, Pickett lived in Iola before moving to Palestine, Texas w ...

, and Billy Wilson. O'Folliard , a

Texan Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by b ...

, was a participant in the Lincoln County War and survived the famous Five-Day Battle in Lincoln during July 1878. He is said to have been wounded by a gunshot to the shoulder while escaping from the McSween residence, which had been set on fire, with Bonney and three others. He was shot in the chest by sheriff Pat Garrett on December 19, 1880, at Fort Sumner, dying approximately 45 minutes later. He was interred at Old Fort Sumner Cemetery in a plot he later shared with Bonney and

.Utley, Robert M. ''Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life.'' p. 195.

Portrayals in the media

* O'Folliard was portrayed in the 1942 film ''

Apache Trail The Apache Trail in Arizona was a stagecoach trail that ran through the Superstition Mountains. It was named the Apache Trail after the Apache Indians who originally used this trail to move through the Superstition Mountains. The historic A ...

'' by

William Lundigan William Paul Lundigan (June 12, 1914 – December 20, 1975) was an American film actor. His more than 125 films include '' Dodge City'' (1939), ''The Fighting 69th'' (1940), ''The Sea Hawk'' (1940), ''Santa Fe Trail'' (1940), '' Dishonored Lady ...

. * In the 1954 film ''

The Law vs. Billy the Kid ''The Law vs. Billy the Kid'' is a 1954 American western film directed by William Castle and starring Scott Brady, Betta St. John and Paul Cavanagh. It was produced by Sam Katzman for distribution by Columbia Pictures. Plot Cheated out of a h ...

'' O'Folliard was played by actor George Berkeley. * O'Folliard was also portrayed in the 1958 film ''

The Left Handed Gun ''The Left Handed Gun'' is a 1958 American Western film and the film directorial debut of Arthur Penn, starring Paul Newman as Billy the Kid and John Dehner as Pat Garrett. The screenplay was written by Leslie Stevens from a teleplay by Gore V ...

'' by

James Best Jewel Franklin Guy (July 26, 1926 – April 6, 2015), known professionally as James Best, was an American television, film, stage, and voice actor, as well as a writer, director, acting coach, artist, college professor, and musician. Duri ...

alongside

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...

's portrayal of

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 th ...

. *

Christopher Mitchum Christopher Mitchum (born October 16, 1943) is an American film actor, screenwriter, and businessman. He was born in Los Angeles, California, the second son of film star Robert Mitchum and Dorothy Mitchum. He is the younger brother of actor Jam ...

portrays O'Folliard in ''

Chisum ''Chisum'' is a 1970 American Western film directed by Andrew McLaglen, starring John Wayne in the titular role, and adapted for the screen by Andrew J. Fenady from his short story "Chisum and the Lincoln County War." The supporting cast featu ...

'' as a Tunstall cowboy who is friends with Billy the Kid ( Geoffrey Deuel). O'Folliard is a witness, but not an accomplice, to Billy's murder of Tunstall's killers and doesn't fully join Billy until the final act, due to disgust about the large reward that Tunstall's enemies place on Billy's head. Tom survives the Battle of Lincoln, but, unlike in real life, he and Charlie Bowdre decline Billy's offers to accompany him in his subsequent endeavors. * O'Folliard appeared in ''

Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid ''Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid'' is a 1973 American Revisionist Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah, written by Rudy Wurlitzer, and starring James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Richard Jaeckel, Katy Jurado, Chill Wills, Barry Sullivan, Jas ...

'' (1973), played by screenwriter Rudy Wurlitzer. * O'Folliard was portrayed in the 1990 film ''

Young Guns II ''Young Guns II'' is a 1990 American Western film and a sequel to '' Young Guns'' (1988). It stars Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Christian Slater, and features William Petersen as Pat Garrett. It was written ...

'' by

Balthazar Getty Paul Balthazar Getty (; born January 22, 1975) is an American actor and musician. His acting debut was in ''Lord of the Flies'' (1990) as Ralph. He went on to appear in '' Lost Highway'' (1997) and had a recurring role as Richard Montana in ''Cha ...

as a 14-year-old "tenderfoot" orphan from Pennsylvania who begs his way into Billy the Kid's gang. This was inaccurate, as O'Folliard was a Texan, never left the southwest and was in his late teens when he joined the Regulators. * O'Folliard was not depicted in the original '' Young Guns'' film, although in real life he had been present for the majority of the events depicted in the movie and had been one of Billy the Kid's best friends since the two first met.

References

Gunslingers of the American Old West Outlaws of the American Old West People of the New Mexico Territory 1858 births 1880 deaths Lincoln County Wars American vigilantes Deaths by firearm in New Mexico Date of birth unknown Year of birth uncertain People from Uvalde, Texas {{crime-bio-stub