Long before Emilio Estevez and Lou Diamond Phillips lit up movie screens as Billy the Kid and Chavez y Chavez in Young Guns, there was a real group of young men who rode into the chaos of the Old West with guns drawn and vengeance in their hearts. They called themselves The Regulators, and their story is bloodier, messier, and in many ways more fascinating than Hollywood ever let on.
Let’s ride into history and meet the true Regulators — the men who rode with Billy the Kid and left a trail of legend across the New Mexico Territory.
The Origins: A War for Power and Cattle
The Regulators were born out of conflict. In the 1870s, Lincoln County, New Mexico, was ruled by a group of wealthy and corrupt businessmen — most notably James Dolan, who monopolized trade through the Murphy-Dolan faction. Then came John Tunstall, a young Englishman who wanted to start his own cattle operation and business. His arrival threatened the old guard’s grip on power.
Tunstall hired a group of ranch hands and gunmen to protect his property and his interests. These men — mostly young, tough, and loyal — would become the nucleus of what would soon be known as the Regulators.
When Tunstall was ambushed and murdered on February 18, 1878, everything changed. His hired hands didn’t just grieve. They swore revenge.
Who Were the Regulators?
The Regulators weren’t your typical gang of outlaws. In fact, for a short time, they were legal deputies, appointed by a local justice of the peace to arrest those responsible for Tunstall’s murder. But what started as justice quickly spiraled into full-blown violence.
Here are some of the most notable real-life Regulators:
Billy the Kid (Henry McCarty, aka William H. Bonney)
Arguably the most famous outlaw in American history. Fast with a gun and faster with a smile, Billy was young, scrappy, and dangerous. He joined the Regulators to avenge Tunstall — a man he saw as a mentor. Though controversial, Billy was deeply loyal and believed he was on the right side of the law.
Jose Chavez y Chavez
Of Mexican and Native American descent, Chavez was one of the few non-Anglo members of the Regulators. Known for his loyalty and quiet intensity, he was involved in several key shootouts. After the Lincoln County War, he continued to drift through the outlaw world, eventually landing in prison before being pardoned.
Dick Brewer
The first leader of the Regulators and a close friend of Tunstall. Brewer was more disciplined than Billy and tried to hold the group together with some sense of order. He was killed in a gunfight with “Buckshot” Roberts during the Battle of Blazer’s Mill.
Doc Scurlock
A former teacher turned gunslinger, Scurlock was intelligent and deadly. He survived the Lincoln County War and later settled down to live a quiet life as a rancher and father — a rare peaceful ending for a Regulator.
Charlie Bowdre
A close friend of both Billy and Scurlock. He fought in several key battles but was eventually killed by Pat Garrett’s posse in 1880 during the chase for Billy the Kid.
George and Frank Coe
Cousins who joined the Regulators after Tunstall’s murder. Both survived the war and later became respected ranchers, though they carried the scars of their violent past.
The Violence Erupts: The Lincoln County War
Between March and July of 1878, the Regulators went from lawmen to outlaws. Armed with warrants, they began rounding up (and often executing) those responsible for Tunstall’s death. Some of these killings were seen as justified — others, not so much.
One of the most infamous events was the Battle of Lincoln, a five-day shootout between the Regulators and the Murphy-Dolan faction. It ended with the death of Alexander McSween (Tunstall’s business partner) and the effective collapse of the Regulator cause.
The war was over, but the blood kept flowing.
What Happened to the Regulators?
The Lincoln County War didn’t end with a clean victory for either side. Many Regulators were hunted down, killed, or forced to go into hiding. Others tried to resume normal lives.
Billy the Kid famously kept fighting — stealing cattle, breaking out of jail, and dodging the law until Pat Garrett finally caught up with him in 1881.
Chavez y Chavez served time in prison but lived into the 1920s. Doc Scurlock lived to see the 20th century, raising a family in East Texas. The Coe cousins managed to avoid prosecution and went on to become prominent citizens.
Legacy of the Regulators
The Regulators were a rare blend of lawmen, outlaws, and avengers — young men trapped in a corrupt system with few ways out. Their story isn’t black and white. It’s a murky, dusty trail of justice, revenge, and survival.
Hollywood made them legends. History reveals them as something more raw and real.
The Regulators weren’t just gunfighters — they were brothers in arms, fighting a war they didn’t start, with loyalty as their only badge.
