Lincoln County Regulators
Complete roster with notes & sources — last updated August 16, 2025
Leaders & Core Members
Widely accepted Regulators who led or consistently rode with the company in major actions — the Brady ambush, Blazer’s Mill, and the Five-Day Battle.
Legend: ● widely accepted ▲ sometimes disputed dates/titles
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Richard “Dick” Brewer — first leader; killed at Blazer’s Mill (Apr 4, 1878)
Leader • Blazer’s Mill -
Josiah “Doc” Scurlock — final leader; commanded during the Five-Day Battle
Leader • Five-Day Battle -
Frank McNab — second leader; killed by Seven Rivers men (Apr 29, 1878)
Leader -
William H. Bonney (“Billy the Kid”) — present at Brady ambush, Blazer’s Mill, and Lincoln siege
Core Member -
Charlie Bowdre — later killed at Stinking Springs (Dec 23, 1880)
Core Member -
Ab Saunders — wounded Apr 29, 1878; early Regulator and McSween ally
Core Member -
George Coe — wounded at Blazer’s Mill (lost trigger finger)
Core Member • Blazer’s Mill -
Frank Coe — indicted after Brady ambush
Core Member -
John Middleton — badly wounded at Blazer’s Mill
Core Member • Blazer’s Mill -
Jim French — led breakout from the burning McSween house (July 19, 1878)
Core Member • Five-Day Battle -
Fred Waite — fought at Brady ambush; later became Chickasaw politician
Core Member -
Henry Newton Brown — early Regulator; present at Brady ambush
Core Member -
José Chavez y Chavez — San Patricio constable; broke out of McSween house with French & Bonney
Core Member • Five-Day Battle -
Yginio Salazar — McSween ally; wounded during Lincoln fighting
Core Member
Additional Documented Members
These names are attested in contemporary accounts or reliable histories. Some served briefly or appear chiefly in specific engagements.
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Heika “Heik” Anena — documented Regulator
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Roscoe “Rustling Bob” Bryant — documented Regulator
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Ignacio Gonzales — documented Regulator
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William McCloskey — killed alongside Morton & Baker; suspected traitor by some Regulators
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Tom O’Folliard — teenage participant at Lincoln; later rode with Bonney post-war
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Tom Peterson — documented Regulator
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Vicente Romero — documented Regulator
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John Scroggins — present at Blazer’s Mill
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“Tiger Sam” Smith — present at Blackwater shootings; later killed by Natives
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Matt “Steiny” Steinmueller — documented Regulator
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“Dirty Steve” Stephens — present at Blazer’s Mill
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Robert A. “Bob” Widenmann — deputy U.S. marshal; allied with Regulators at key moments
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Francisco Zamora — documented Regulator
Key Engagement Notes
Short reference guide. For deeper citations, see detailed articles.
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Brady Ambush — Apr 1, 1878
French, McNab, Middleton, Waite, Brown, Bonney (others likely present); Sheriff Brady and Deputy Hindman killed. -
Blazer’s Mill — Apr 4, 1878
Buckshot Roberts vs. Regulators; Brewer killed, Middleton badly wounded, Bonney grazed, George Coe lost trigger finger. Also present: “Dirty Steve” Stephens, John Scroggins. -
Five-Day Battle / Siege of Lincoln — Jul 15–19, 1878
McSween house set aflame; breakout led by Jim French with Bonney, Tom O’Folliard, and José Chavez y Chavez.
Sources & Notes
This roster compiles names that appear in multiple reputable references; brief or engagement-only appearances are included under “Additional Documented Members.”
Key references:
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Lincoln County Regulators — Wikipedia (Known members & timeline)
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Legends of America — Lincoln County Regulators (updated Mar 2025)
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Genealogy Trails — Blazer’s Mill (participant list)