Billy the Kid and Regulators in the San Patricion area

Billy arrived in Lincoln while the gang known as "The House" or the "Murphy-Dolan" faction was competing with John Tunstall for beef contracts for Fort Stanton--and also for economic and political control of Lincoln County. Tunstall befriended Billy and other young drifters.

The conflict between the Murphy-Dolan Faction and Tunstall turned ugly and John Tunstall was gunned down in 1878. Angered by the death of their friend, the drifters formed a group known as "The Regulators". As a self-appointed police force, they vowed to avenge Tunstall's death by killing all those involved. So started the year-long Lincoln County War.

In 1878 in Lincoln, informers insisted to Sheriff Peppin that several Regulators were living with friends just over the ridge in San Patricio. The Sheriff sent deputies and some mercenaries to San Patricio.