Frontier Fighter: The Autobiography of George W. Coe

by George W. Coe

Billy the Kid became one of the most notorious outlaws in Wild West history.

The murder of his friend and employer, John Tunstall, led to the brutal Lincoln County War in New Mexico.

Fighting with the Lincoln County Regulators, Billy left a trail of bullet holes and bodies. Towns became battlefields.

George W Coe fought alongside Billy the Kid in the gun smoke of the Lincoln County War.

Frontier Fighter tells the story of Coe’s early life, his acquaintance with Billy the Kid, and his role in the infamous Lincoln County War.

Coe’s early life was far from glamorous and riddled with upheaval.

Separated from his siblings and father, his mother dead, decided to follow in his cousin’s footsteps and emigrated to New Mexico.

Their arrival in Lincoln County came at an unsettled time. Competition was high between the only two general stores in the county. However, newcomers Alexander McSween and John H. Tunstall broke down this monopoly.

It was through Tunstall that Coe met William H. Bonney, otherwise known as Billy the Kid. It was to be a doomed friendship.

At the Gunfight of Blazer’s Mills Coe lost a finger.

By the end of the 1881 he had lost his friend.

Through his private knowledge of Billy the author constructs a history of the outlaw. It is personal history. It is Billy the Kid as George W Coe knew him. It is Billy the young man.

First published in 1934, when Coe was the last survivor of the Lincoln County War, Frontier Fighter is detailed first-hand account of one of the Wild West’s most exciting incidents and the men who fought in it.

George Washington Coe (1856 – 1941) was born in Brighton, in Washington County, Iowa to a Civil War veteran. Coe was a cowboy and gunman during the Lincoln County War, alongside Billy the Kid. After the war, Coe settled down peacefully and became a respected member of the community.

Genres: History

148 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1934

Reviews

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

GNA I received a free electronic copy of this autobiography from Netgalley, The late George W. Coe, and Endeavour Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all, for sharing your hard work with me.

I was born and raised in George W. Coe's bailiwick. I travel through Glencoe, New Mexico, the mountain community begun by the Coe families, weekly, on the way to my Mom's house. I first remember visited Glencoe and the sunken church there in about 1953, and still stop often to watch the seasons passing, which we tend to miss in the deserts below. So I was thrilled to be gifted with this autobiography, originally published in 1934. Again, thank you.

George W. Coe first came to Lincoln County as a boy, 13 or 14 years old, traveling with his Coe Uncle and cousins. A friend of William Bonney and employed by Tunstall, he had a role to play in the famed Lincoln County War, and became a major influence in the settling of the Ruidoso and Bonita River valleys. This is a wonderful book, full of the flavor and beauty found in the Sacramento, Capitan and Jicarilla Mountains.

Not available on 11-5-16 on Amazon or B&N

[Mark Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rare old book with first-hand experience with Billy the Kid.

[Dan Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a piece of classic literature. It's simply a great story told by an old man who has had decades to reflect on and polish his tale. I was given a copy and asked to write a review.

George Coe came West where a man with drive could make a fortune. These were the days just after the Indians had left but before regular civilization came along and took all the adventure out of things, so a six-shooter was part of a man's regular work attire. Sure there were sheriffs and soldiers, but they could easily be working for someone who was jealous of your success and was scheming up ways to take it away, up to and including murder. You had to be prepared to defend yourself at any time.

George Coe found himself in just such a situation, eventually riding with Billy the Kid and getting into multiple gunfights while trying to build up a ranch. By the grace of God he managed to outlive his enemies while staying barely inside the law, so he was still around to tell his tale when so many of his contemporaries ended up dead for one reason or another.

It definitely taught him how to handle the kind of banditos who were drawn to the West and made a living with their guns, so the tale stays lively even after the Lincoln County War was over.

So get the book. It's a first-hand account of the real West, and makes for a fascinating adventure that I looked forward to reading each day.

[Robyn Kiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read by a man who rode with Billy the kid. Unfortunately George Coe wrote this memoir at a very advanced age. His account oddly enough is peppered with errors. He has a few names incorrect, relations wrong. The two biggest errors that I found were, he states that Billy the kid served as a pallbearer at John Tunstalls funeral, billy was in jail and was forced to miss this funeral. He later claims that Billy’s best hope was Governor Lou Wallace and he doesn’t understand why Billy wouldn’t except his pardon. That is not at all accurate. I was also disappointed to read that George Coe sang the praises of Governor Wallace at the end of the book. But I guess you have to cut him some slack being this was written in the 1930’s. Still an enjoyable interesting read, but don’t expect total historical accuracy.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

How often do you get to tag along with one of Billy the Kid's gang as he goes from happy farmer to outlaw and back to a contented farmer? Thanks to George Coe's memoir, ably edited by by Doyce B. Nunis, Jr. for The Lakeside Press you can visit 1878 and experience New Mexico's Lincoln County War and all of it's key players as experienced by one of the few survivors.

[D.B. Bray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will put to rest the Lincoln County War

I am researching for a novel I'm writing and found this gem. It's written by one of only two men who didn't die viloently post The Lincoln County War. This book was worth way more than the .99 I paid. Hope you enjoy it too.

[Robert Latchaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perspective (all sides) is key to bigger picture.

I always enjoy first hand accounts- whether embellished purposely, or unconsciously. Coe's ghostwriter was as masterful as could be at making story cohesive- good read.

[Dave Knerler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great first hand account.

[Wayne Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you know anything at all about the Lincoln County War, or if you have any interest in the Billy The Kid legends, this is a must read book. George Coe lived through all that and tells his story in a most unassuming manner. This tells the story of late 19th Century New Mexico from different perspective; that of the ordinary cow puncher who lived through those times. As a bonus, Coe describes the idyllic setting that was once the Hondo Valley area before foolish small landowners sold out to water developers who have since transformed the orchards into today's barren waste. In that respect, he was a forerunner to today's conservationists.

[Calli Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this Era and what happened and what caused these small town wars- in this case the Lincoln County war. it's crazy how much corruption, politics, laws, etc. get involved for good or ill.