Key Facts
- Duration
- 5 days (July 15–19, 1878)
- Conflict
- Part of the Lincoln County War
- Intervening force
- U.S. Cavalry from Fort Stanton
- Commanding officer
- Lt. Col. Nathan Dudley
- Notable figure killed afterward
- William 'Billy the Kid' Bonney
Strategic Narrative Overview
Between July 15 and 19, 1878, the Murphy-Dolan Faction and the Regulators exchanged fire in and around Lincoln in what became a five-day firefight. The battle was the most intense episode of the Lincoln County War. It was ultimately interrupted when Lt. Col. Nathan Dudley led a detachment of United States Cavalry from Fort Stanton into town, suppressing the fighting and dispersing the combatants.
01 / The Origins
The Battle of Lincoln grew out of the broader Lincoln County War in New Mexico Territory, a violent commercial and political rivalry between the Murphy-Dolan Faction, which controlled local trade and law enforcement, and the Regulators, a group of fighters aligned with opposing economic interests. Tensions had escalated through earlier killings and retaliatory raids, culminating in both factions converging on the town of Lincoln in July 1878.
03 / The Outcome
Following the battle, many Regulators and fighters drifted away from the conflict or returned to ordinary life. Territorial Governor Lew Wallace, appointed by the president in September 1878, directed Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrett to restore order. Within three years, Garrett and his deputies tracked down and killed Billy the Kid and other remaining outlaws, effectively ending armed resistance stemming from the Lincoln County War.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Nathan Dudley, Pat Garrett.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.