Thorton Uses "the Tool" Wallace

This correspondence shows how "the ring" used Wallace as a tool to get their military support. W.T. Thorton writes a letter informing Lew the regulators plan to steal and run off their cattle. They cant find people to help them, because they are crooks, so they only have the option of hired guns.. Which effects their bottom lines. They need military support to keep their heads above water.. The first set of images is the letter Thorton writes Wallace, followed by images of Wallaces response to that letter.

The following letter was written to Gov Lew Wallace by partisan W. T. Thorton to help gain military support to protect his cattle interest. This letter also shows the regulators traveled to Colorado, (Trinidad where Billys brother first appeared in Colorado).. So it would not be a big jump for that pic of Bowdre in Denver.

October 13, 1878

W. T. Thornton Receiver of Maxwell Land Grant and Railway Company Santa Fe, NM October 13, 1878 Dear Sir: I have just returned from Trinidad, Colorado and while there I saw two men who have been connected with the Lincoln County troubles and from them and other parties I learned upon information I believe to be reliable that a party of ten or twelve outlaws were organizing in the northeastern portion of New Mexico to go to Lincoln County upon a thisairy expedition. I was informed that they had purchased arms and seven thousand round of ammunition and would start in a few days that their great object was to steal and run off cattle and horses. that they did not propose to fight unless attacked. Six of the men are said to have been connected with the late troubles in Lincoln the others are secrents. I only heard the name of two of them, one was Stephen (sir name unknown) he was called “Dirty Steve” the other was George Brown, both have been partisans of A. A. McSween in the late troubles. My informant also stated that the bad elements of both the Lincoln County factions had made peace are now uniting for the purpose of raiding and stock stealing. Respectfully, W. T. Thorton To Governor Wallace

---

***October 14, 1878, As a response of this letter, Governor Lew Wallace sent a telegram to Carl Schurtz, Secretary at the Department of Interior, passing the information up the chain.. I often wonder if Lew realized he was just a tool these crooks used to get what they wanted.

Related Blogs