Complete List of Lincoln County Regulators

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

  • 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

  • Doc Scurlock regulator
  • 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

  • Charlie Bowdre Regulator
  • 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

  • Billy the Kid by George Coe
  • 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.

  • Heika “Heik” Anena — documented Regulator

  • Roscoe “Rustling Bob” Bryant — documented Regulator

  • Ignacio Gonzales — documented Regulator

  • William McCloskey — killed alongside Morton & Baker; suspected traitor by some Regulators

  • Tom O’Folliard — teenage participant at Lincoln; later rode with Bonney post-war

  • Tom Peterson — documented Regulator

  • Vicente Romero — documented Regulator

  • John Scroggins — present at Blazer’s Mill

  • “Tiger Sam” Smith — present at Blackwater shootings; later killed by Natives

  • Matt “Steiny” Steinmueller — documented Regulator

  • “Dirty Steve” Stephens — present at Blazer’s Mill

  • Robert A. “Bob” Widenmann — deputy U.S. marshal; allied with Regulators at key moments

  • Francisco Zamora — documented Regulator


Key Engagement Notes

Short reference guide. For deeper citations, see detailed articles.

  • 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:

  1. Lincoln County Regulators — Wikipedia (Known members & timeline)

  2. Legends of America — Lincoln County Regulators (updated Mar 2025)

  3. Genealogy Trails — Blazer’s Mill (participant list)

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