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

Billy the Kid Henry McCarty (September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), alias William H. Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid, was an American outlaw and gunfighter of the Old West who was linked to nine murders: four for which he was solely res ...

. Both were members of the

Regulators Regulator may refer to: Technology * Regulator (automatic control), a device that maintains a designated characteristic, as in: ** Battery regulator ** Pressure regulator ** Diving regulator ** Voltage regulator * Regulator (sewer), a control de ...

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 p ...

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

Charlie Bowdre Charles Bowdre (c. 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 in 1848, the firstborn child of Albert and L ...

, Tom Pickett, and Billy Wilson. Folliard, a

Texan Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous state in the South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, and has an international border wit ...

, was a participant in the Lincoln County War and survived the famous Five-Day Battle in Lincoln in 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 Patrick Floyd Jarvis Garrett (June 5, 1850February 29, 1908) was an American Old West lawman, bartender and U.S. Customs, customs agent known for killing Billy the Kid. He was the Sheriffs in the United States, sheriff of Lincoln County, New Me ...

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. As in the photo's caption, Tom's last name was "Folliard," not "O'Folliard." "O" was his middle initial. This is well documented and supported also by the fact that his papa had the same name.

Portrayals in the media

* Folliard was portrayed in the 1942 film '' Apache Trail'' 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 (film), Dodge City'' (1939), ''The Fighting 69th'' (1940), ''The Sea Hawk (1940 film), The Sea Hawk'' (1940), ' ...

. * In the 1954 film ''

The Law vs. Billy the Kid ''The Law vs. Billy the Kid'' is a 1954 American Western (genre), 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 Che ...

'' O'Folliard was played by actor George Berkeley. * 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 Vi ...

'' 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 activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...

's portrayal of

Billy The Kid Henry McCarty (September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), alias William H. Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid, was an American outlaw and gunfighter of the Old West who was linked to nine murders: four for which he was solely res ...

. *

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 Jame ...

portrays Folliard in ''

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

'' as a Tunstall cowboy who is friends with Billy the Kid (

Geoffrey Deuel Geoffrey Jacob Deuel (January 17, 1943 – December 22, 2024) was an American film and television actor. He was known for playing Dave Campbell in the American soap opera television series '' The Young & the Restless'' from 1973 to 1977. Life an ...

). 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. * Folliard appeared in '' Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid'' (1973), played by screenwriter Rudy Wurlitzer. * Folliard was portrayed in the 1990 film ''

Young Guns II ''Young Guns II'' is a 1990 American Western action 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 writte ...

'' by

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

as a 14-year-old "tenderfoot" orphan from Pennsylvania who begs his way into Billy the Kid's gang. This was inaccurate, as Folliard was a Texan, never left the southwest and was in his late teens when he joined the Regulator

* Folliard was not depicted in the original '' Young Guns (film), 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. *Folliard is portrayed by Pepe Johnson in the ongoing (2022-) television series Billy the Kid (TV series) created by Michael Hirst, first appearing in Season 2.

References

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