The Blazer's Mill Complex as photographed in 1881. It was here
that Billy the Kid and the Regulators had their famous gunfight against Buckshot Roberts.
The Regulators killed Buckshot Roberts, but not before he killed their leader
Richard Brewer, wounded John Middleton, and blew off George Coe's finger.

The Billy the Kid Outlaw Gang turned twenty years old in 2007. BTKOG celebrated in a big way at the 2007 July membership meeting and annual campout. That campout offered something for everyone, with several events for the entire family including games, a silent auction, historical discussions, campfire music, and authentic western cooking provided by long time member Bill Allen, ably assisted by his son, member Roger Allen.

The tour to Blazer's Mill, located in the village of Mescalero, was one of the highlights of that year's membership meeting and campout. Attending the tour were longtime members, new members and guests, including several noted historians, researchers, and authors such as Donna Tatting, Don McAlavy, Elizabeth Fackler and Drew Gomber.

Arthur "Butch" Blazer, a direct descendant of Dr. Joseph Blazer who owned the Blazer's Mill property at the time of the famous gunfight between Buckshot Roberts and the Regulators led by Richard Brewer was on hand to make the trip memorable. Butch Blazer generously granted special permission to BTKOG to tour the property and cemetery, still owned today by the Blazer family.

It was an honor to visit this special historic site with a member of the Blazer family available to share valuable family history with everyone.

Nothing now remains of the buildings that stood at the time of the famous gunfight, and a modern highway runs directly through part of what had once been the Blazer's Mill complex. However, it was not hard for BTKOG members to mentally take a trip back in time to that fateful day of April 4, 1878, when the Regulators, fourteen in number, engaged in a bloody gunfight with perhaps one of the deadliest and bravest men to fire a rifle.

There are many different theories regarding the events of that day, but here are the basic facts as they are known. On April 4, 1878 fourteen Regulator members, including Billy the Kid, rode up to Blazer's Mill around lunchtime. Most likely, the Regulators only wanted a good hot meal.

Dr. Blazer had originally bought a two-story house, large enough to provide shelter for several familes. However, after the Mescalero Indian Agency was established, Blazer leased out the building to that agency and retained only one room in the building as his office. The wife of Indian agent Frederick Godfroy served meals to hungry travelers out of this building, and the Regulators were eager to sit down and eat.

Several theories exist to explain the Regulators' presence in the Blazer's Mill area just three days after April first, when they had ambushed Sheriff William Brady and his Deputy George Hindman on the main street of Lincoln.

According to Frank Coe, Regulator Captain Dick Brewer had heard that several of the men they were looking for were in Rinconada. Another theory is that the Regulators had heard some of John Tunstall's cattle were being driven to San Nicolas Spring, most likely en route to the infamous Shedd Ranch.

Coe said the group had camped the previous night at Rinconada, where the Apaches observed them butchering a steer. He also confirmed that the Regulators proceeded to Blazer's Mill the next morning to eat a meal at Mrs. Godfroy's dining room.

Another theory is that the Regulators were at Blazer's Mill to implement a planned ambush on Judge Bristol and District Attorney William Rynerson as they traveled from Mesilla to Lincoln for the April term of court. Whatever the actual reason may have been for the strong Regulator presence in this area, it was most likely simple hunger that took them to Blazer's Mill.

Was it fate that brought the Regulators and Buckshot Roberts together for this violent gunfight, or was it just bad timing on Roberts’ part?

There are several theories as to why Roberts rode into Blazer’s Mill that day. One of the more popular theories is that he was waiting for a check for his Ruidoso property that he had sold to a Santa Fe buyer, to arrive in the mail at the South Fork Post Office. However, there are a few problems with that theory . In a time when most deals were sealed with a handshake and a man’s word was binding, it is doubtful that Roberts would be selling his land through the mail. As author Joel Jacobsen stated in his book, “Such Men As Billy the Kid”, it is doubtful Roberts had worked any land in the Ruidoso area long enough to obtain title to it under the Desert Land Act. There is also no mention of this property in the inventory of Roberts’ estate conducted by David Easton on July 29, 1878.

Regulator George Coe stated in his autobiography that he believed Buckshot Roberts had been trailing them in an attempt to catch the Regulators off guard and kill as many of them as possible. There may be some truth to this theory since county commissioners were offering a $200 reward for the arrest of the men identified as the killers of Sheriff William Brady. However, even if Roberts had officially or unofficially set out to capture or kill the Regulators for reward money, it seems unlikely he would think that he could capture or kill them all by himself. Andrew Roberts might have been brave, but it is doubtful he was that foolish.

It is possible that Roberts had been trailing the Regulators for the reward money. If that were the case, he might not have been working alone. Is it possible that Roberts was trailing the Regulators, intending to meet up with other members of the House at a rendezvous point, such as Blazer’s Mill? Did he arrive early unexpectedly riding into an encampment of fourteen members of the Regulators to find himself severely outnumbered?

According to most accounts of this famous incident, John Middleton, who had been placed outside the agency building as a guard while the other Regulators ate came rushing inside, stating “a might well armed man” had just ridden in from across the river on a bay mule and was currently hitching up down at the corral.

Frank Coe later said that he had just finished his meal, stepped outside into the yard, and saw Roberts walking towards him from the corral with a rifle in his hand. According to Frank Coe, he knew Roberts well and claimed he had stopped at his place on the Ruidoso several times in the past.

Coe greeted Roberts; they shook hands and walked around to the side of the large house where they sat in a doorway to talk. Coe told Roberts that thirteen other members of the Regulators were still inside, finishing their meals, and advised him that they held a warrant for his arrest.

Since Coe and Roberts were on friendly terms, Coe advised him that surrendering was his best option. Buckshot Roberts told Coe that he would surrender to no such group as the Regulators, and reminded him of what had happened to Morton and Baker after they had surrendered back in March.

Frank Coe later said he continued to try and talk Roberts into surrendering, with the promise of protection, but he said Roberts would have no part of it.

Other members of the Regulators began to drift outside after they finished eating. Perhaps Regulator Captain Richard Brewer tried to keep his men from confronting Roberts, hoping Frank Coe could talk him into surrendering peacefully. However, after waiting several minutes, Regulators Charlie Bowdre, Henry Brown, John Middleton, Frank McNab, and George Coe came around the corner of the building to confront Roberts, who was still talking with Frank Coe. At this time, Charlie Bowdre supposedly ordered Roberts to throw up his hands, at the same time drawing down on him with a six-shooter.

According to legend, Roberts calmly replied, “Not much, Mary Ann,” then brought his rifle up to hip level and began firing. Legend says Bowdre and Buckshot Roberts fired at approximately the same time, at point blank range.

Bowdre’s bullet struck Roberts in the middle of his body, and the dust flew from both sides. Roberts’ bullet struck Bowdre’s cartridge belt and glanced off, striking George Coe’s right hand, tearing off part of his trigger finger, causing him to drop his gun.

Buckshot Roberts might have been mortally wounded, but he continued his fight furiously, pumping lead out of his rifle held at hip level. One of his bullets struck John Middleton in the chest area hitting a lung, which he carried until he died, ultimately felled not by a bullet, but by an illness in San Lorenzo on November 19, 1882, according to some historians.


Frank Coe stated in 1926 that Buckshot Roberts was killed in this building.


Another photo of the same building in which Roberts made his last stand


This building has since been torn down and is not the
one story adobe that still stands on the property today.


This photo of the same building shows that it plainly set on a hill
above the mill building seen in the center background, which would
have provided Buckshot with a very good high ground position.


This building still stands on the property today, but is not the same adobe as pictured above.
Butch Blazer told BTKOG members that this house was not standing at the time of the gunfight.

Roberts quickly made his way into a doorway that led to Dr. Blazer’s office. Inside, Roberts, now out of ammunition in his rifle, located Dr. Blazer’s 45-60 single-shot Springfield rifle and several cartridges for it. Roberts loaded the weapon and threw a feather mattress down on the floor near the partially open doorway.

The Regulators continued firing into the doorway, attempting to hit Roberts from various protected positions, with little luck. The Regulators then held a council of war, as Frank Coe called it, trying to decide on a plan of action. According to him, Billy the Kid wanted to rush the front door and some of the other Regulators were in agreement.

Frank Coe talked them out of this by reminding them that Roberts was already mortally wounded and probably dying inside the room. Frank believed it foolish to risk the men’s lives just to finish off Roberts who was most likely dying anyway. Besides, three Regulators had already been wounded in the battle.

Some accounts state that Richard Brewer tried to persuade Dr. Blazer to enter the house to bring Roberts out. When Dr. Blazer refused, Brewer supposedly threatened to burn the house down. Still Dr. Blazer refused, which infuriated Brewer, who was determined to finish off Roberts.

Brewer then crept down the hill past the barn and several outbuildings, keeping behind cover until he reached a pile of logs near the mill building approximately one hundred yards in front of the room where Roberts was fortified. Brewer took careful aim and fired a shot into the room. The shot was too high and slammed into the wall, only knocking off plaster.

Roberts took note of Brewer’s position behind the log pile and waited. When Brewer raised up to take a second shot, Roberts fired a single round from Dr. Blazer’s Springfield rifle, striking Brewer in the forehead, ripping off the top of his head. Brewer, instantly dead, slumped lifelessly behind the pile of logs.

With three of their men wounded and their captain dead, the Regulators decided it was time to retreat. They borrowed a government hack and team from Indian agent Godfroy and headed towards Frank Coe’s place on the Ruidoso.

On the way out, approximately 18 miles from Blazer’s Mill, the Regulators met Dr. Daniel Appel, who was making his way from Fort Stanton to Blazer’s Mill after receiving word from Dr. Blazer that a man named Roberts needed medical attention for a gunshot wound. Dr. Appel did what he could for the three wounded Regulators, then proceeded to Blazer’s Mill.

Dr. Appel pronounced the wound fatal after he arrived at the Mill and examined Roberts. Roberts died just before noon the following day, April 5, 1878. Dr. Blazer instructed his carpenter to build two coffins. Buckshot Roberts and Richard Brewer were buried side by side in the Blazer family cemetery.


Blazer's Mill in 1881, just three years after the gunfight.
Note that in this picture the large two story adobe building has not
yet been built, proving that it was not there during the gunfight.


This photo of Blazer's Mill was taken around 1893
Note that the Adobe Mill (Center) has since been built and stands
directly in front of the old wooden mill,which is now in ruins.


This is the two story adobe that was built sometime after 1881
that you see in the above 1893 photograph. In the 1893 photograph
you can only see the top back portion of the building peeking out
just above the ruins of the wooden mill in the center of the photo.


The same two story adobe in ruins.


The two story adobe ruins today.

Nothing remains today of the original Mill building featured in the gunfight between Roberts and the Regulators. The existing adobe ruins at the site are of the adobe mill building that was built after the gunfight. The original Mill, as seen in early photographs of the Blazer’s Mill complex, was constructed of wood and stood behind the ruins seen today. The single one-story adobe across the street had belonged to Dr. Blazer, but it was not the original home. It was not built until after the famous gunfight on April 4, 1878, according to Arthur “Butch” Blazer during the 2007 BTKOG tour of the historic site.

The only reminder of the famous gunfight of long ago lies on private property on a lonely hillside over-looking a modern divided highway that passes through Mescalero, New Mexico. At the top of this hill are the graves of Richard Brewer and Buckshot Roberts, enemies in life, but destined to forever lie side-by-side.

During the tour to Blazer’s Mill on July 20, 2007, several BTKOG members climbed to the top of the hill and paid their respects to the two fallen warriors of the Lincoln County War who had died there long ago.

On the way back down the hill, several members discussed the gunfight and shared thoughts and opinions about it. The original layout of the Blazer’s Mill complex, now drastically altered, was once the site of one of the most historic gunfight scenes. It’s history lives on long after the buildings and people who witnessed that violent day in 1878 are gone.

The guided tour provided members and their guests a unique opportunity to walk in the footsteps of legends and imaginatively experience history, as the Billy the Kid Outlaw Gang continues to preserve, promote, and protect Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett history in New Mexico!

BTKOG President,
Lucas Speer


"Butch" Blazer sharing his family's history with the Billy the Kid
Outlaw Gang during the 2007 tour to Blazer's Mill.


Billy the Kid Outlaw Gang members climbing the steep hill to the Blazer
Cemetery where Richard Brewer and Buckshot Roberts are buried side by side.
The BTKOG was granted exlusive access to the Blazer family cemetery and property by "Butch" Blazer.


The Blazer family cemetery as seen from the highway below.


The graves of Regulator leader Richard Brewer and Buckshot Roberts.


BTKOG members visiting the graves of two Lincoln County Warriors.


"Butch" Blazer visiting with Don McAlavy, past president and editor of the
BTKOG's Annual Outlaw Gazette near the graves.


Long time BTKOG member Danny Vest posing behind
the graves of Richard Brewer and Buckshot Roberts.


Historian Drew Gomber speaking with Julian Leyba
at the entrance to the Blazer Cemetery.


BTKOG members discussing the details of the gunfight
and trying to figure out the actual layout of the
Blazer's Mill complex by comparing the mountain
range in the background to old photographs of the site.


Ruins of the old adobe mill at the Blazer's Mill site. Photographic
evidence suggests that this building was built sometime after 1880
and was not standing at the time of the famous gunfight.
In 1878 as can be seen in the center of the photograph
above, there was only a long wooden mill located at the site.