Tom O'Folliard

Tom O'Folliard

O'Folliard circa 1875
Born Thomas O. Folliard, Jr.
1858
Uvalde, Texas
Died December 19, 1880(1880-12-19) (aged 21–22)
Fort Sumner, New Mexico
Cause of death Gunshot wound from Sheriff Pat Garrett
Resting place Old Fort Sumner Cemetery
34°24′13″N 104°11′37″W / 34.40361°N 104.19361°W / 34.40361; -104.19361 (Billy the Kid's Gravesite)
Other names Tom O'Folliard
Occupation Ranch hand, gunfighter, outlaw
Parent(s)
  • Father: Thomas O. Folliard, Sr.
  • Mother: Sarah Cook

Tom O'Folliard (c. 1858 – December 19, 1880) was the best friend of outlaw William Bonney, a.k.a. Billy the Kid. Both were members of the Regulators during the Lincoln County War. After the war ended, they became cattle rustlers, forming the Bonney's gang with fellow outlaws Dave Rudabaugh and Charlie Bowdre.

O'Folliard, a Texan, was a participant in the Lincoln County War and survived the famous Five-Day Battle in Lincoln during July 1878. He is said to have been wounded by a gunshot to the shoulder while escaping from the McSween residence, which had been set on fire, with Billy and three others.

Death

He was shot in the chest by sheriff Pat Garrett on December 19, 1880, at Fort Sumner, dying approximately 45 minutes later. He was interred at Old Fort Sumner Cemetery in a plot later shared by Bonney and Charlie Bowdre.[1]

Portrayals in the media

References

  1. Utley, Robert M. Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life. p. 195. ISBN 0-8032-4553-X


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