Blood on the saddle: The Life of Doc Scurlock by David Garr

[chivato88]

Finaly a book is out on Amazon about the life of Doc Scurlock, this should be nice cause nothing has been writin about him, I heard he was very private about is past even with is family.😀

[Texas Truth Teller]

Jul 12, 2020 11:21:19 GMT -5 chivato88 said:

Finaly a book is out on Amazon about the life of Doc Scurlock, this should be nice cause nothing has been writin about him, I heard he was very private about is past even with is family.😀

From Ancestry.com family tree, Posted 15 May 2019 by sialig

"Josiah Gordon "Doc" Scurlock was the son of Priestly Norman Scurlock and Ester Brown of Alabama. He was born 11 Jan 1850 (1849) in Tallapoosa County, Alabama. He married Antonia Miguella Herrera in Lincoln County, New Mexico in 1876 by Padre Turnbrana. The story of Josiah Gordon "Doc" Scurlock is an intriguing story. Josiah Gordon came by his nick-name "Doc" somewhat honestly having studied some medicine in Louisiana. In fear of catching TB or for any number of other reasons, "Doc" lit out for the Southwest. Here he met Charlie Bowdre, an outlaw who became one of his closest friends. "Doc" was a card-shark of some merit and gun-man. One story is that he was called a "cheat" during a card game. Both men drew guns and the other man was killed by "Doc" but not before a bullet was delivered through "Doc's" front teeth without causing his death. "Doc" recovered and this became a dubious "badge of honor" for him.

One of the most memorable stories is his association with Henry Antrim alias William Bonney alias Billy the Kid during the time he lived in Lincoln County, New Mexico and the advent of the Lincoln County Wars. The character of Doc Scurlock was played by Keith Sutherland in the movie "Young Guns" which was made about The Kid's gang in early Texas and in the Lincoln County New Mexico Wars. The following is an outline of the life and times of one Josiah Gordon "Doc" Scurlock as provided by the descendents of Doc Scurlock, namely Audrey Parker, Harold Stewart, Michael Stewart, Susan Montgomery, and Mica Danesi of Texas and Reagan Scurlock of Kentucky.

During this period, William Bonney or Billy the Kid killed his first man and drifted to Mexico. He later returned to work as a cowhand for John Tunstall, an English nobleman who owned a large ranch on the Rio Ruidoso. Doc Scurlock also became friends and worked for the Englishman who was later killed by a group called the Murphy-Dolan gang, which controlled the area around Lincoln County, New Mexico. This was what started the Lincoln County War in New Mexico and started the group called "The Regulators" of which Billy and Doc were members.

In February 1878 William McCarty (alias William Bonney alias Billy the Kid alis Henry Antrim), was hired by John Tunstall, a cattle baron. Violence broke out. Dolan and Riley, owners of a store in the town of Lincoln, obtained a court order to seize some of Tunstall's horses as payment for an outstanding debt. The posse formed to recover the horses was a gang known as "The Boys", led by Texas outlaw Jesse Evans. On Feb 18, 1878, members of the Dolan posse cornered rancher Tunstall in rural Lincoln County. When the rancher challenged the deputies, he was shot dead by Jesse Evans, William Morton, and Tom Hill. Tunstall's murder was witnesssed from a distance by several men, including Billy the Kid and Doc Scurlock. Tunstall's surviving cowhands were deputized to apprehend his killers. These were known as the Regulators. They sought to avenge Tunstall's murder and further the interests of Tunstall's partners, Alexander McSween, another store owner and John Chisum one of the biggest ranchers in Texas. While the Regulators at various times consisted of dozens of American and Mexican cowboys, the main group were made up of Billy the Kid, Richard Brewer, Frank McNab, Josiah Gordon Scurlock (alias Doc Scurlock), Jim French, John Middleton, George and Frank Coe, Jose Chevez y Chavez, Charlie Bowdre, Tom O"Folliard, Fred Waite, and Henry Borwn. Doc's closest friend was of this group was Charlie Bowdre, who later became his brother-in-law. The Regulators managed to arrest William Morton and during his transport back to Lincoln for trial, he and his friend McCloskey and Baker were killed by the Regulators. On the same day, Jesse Evans and Tom Hill who were wanted in connection with the death of rancher Tungstell were shot while trying to rob a sheepherder near Tularosa, New Mexico. John Hll was killed but Jesse went to Fort Stanton for medical treatment where he was arrested for stealing stock from an Indian reservation. On April 1878 the Regulators ambushed Sheriff William J Brady and his deputies on the main street of Lincoln. Brady died of at least a dozen gunshot wounds and Deputy George Hindman was hit twice, fatally. Deputy Bill Matthews wounded both men with a rifle bullet that passed through each of their legs. French was wounded to the point where he couldn't ride, and had to be hidden temporarily by Sam Corbet in a crawlspace in Corbet's house. Just three days after murders of Brady and Hindman, the Regulators headed southwest from the immediate area around Lincoln, ending up at Ballzer's Mills, a sawmill and trading post that supplied beef to the Maescalero Indians. Here, they blundered into rancher Buckshot Roberts, whose name was on their arrest warrant. In the ensuing gunfight, Roberts was mortally wounded, but not before kiliing Regulator captain Dick Brewer and woundling John Middleton, Doc Scurlock and George Coe. Frank McNab was elected new captain of the Regulators, only to be killed in an ambush by Dolan allies nine miles southeast from Lincoln on 29 April 1878. Upon his death, Doc Sculrock was named the new Captain. The morning after McNab's death, the Regulator "Iron Clad" took up defensive positions in the town of Lincoln, trading shots with Dolan's men as well as U.S. cavalrymen. The only casualty was Dutch Charley Kruling, a Dolan man wounded by a rifle slug fired by George Coe at a distance of 440 yards. By shooting at government troops, the Regulators gained their animosity and a whole new set of enemies. On May 15, 1878, they gained some revenge by storming the area around Seven Rivers and capturing Manuel Segovia, the cowboy who had killed Frank McNab. Segovia was seen trying to escape, only to be gunned down by Billy the Kid and Josefita Chevez. Around the time of Segovia's death, the Regulator "Iron Clad" gained a new member, a young Texas cowpoke named Tom O'Folliard, who would become Billy the Kid's best friend and constant sidekick. The Lincoln County War culminated in Lincoln on the afternoon of July 15, 1878, when the Regulators were surrounded in Lincoln by a force of Donlan/Murphy/Seven Rivers cowboys. Over the next three days, shots and shouts were exchanged but nothing approached an all-out fight. One fatality was one of McSween defenders, Tom Cullens, killed by a stray bullet. The impasse remained until the arrival of U.S. troops under the command of Col. Nathan Dudley. Upon firing cannons at the Ellis store and other positions, Doc Scurlock and his men broke cover leaving those Regulators in McSween house to their fate. Some in the house were killed, arrested by the military and some escaped. The remaining members of the Regulators became fugatives. Some were later killed such as Charlie Bowdres. Doc was arrested but later accepted the Amnesty offered by Governor Lew Wallace.

After this time, Doc fell in love with a dark-eyed beauty named Antonio Herrera who was the daughter of a Basque ranch owner. Although her father didn't care for Doc courting his daughter, Doc finally managed to get Antonia to a Catholic Church in Lincoln on 19 Octber 1876 where they were married. About 1879, then Governor Lew Wallace (author of the novel "Ben-Hur" and a real Civil War General) offered pardons to everyone on both sides of the Lincoln County War except for Billy the Kid who would have to stand trail. All accept Billy accepted the Governor's pardon. Doc Scurlock took his pardon, gave away all his guns except one squirrel rifle and in November of that year sold his Gold Mine for $500 and moved his family to Tascosa, Texas where he looked after horses on a mail line and also hunted wild horses to sell. Around 1880, Bill the Kid was being hunted by the law again and he came to Tascosa to be near Doc, his old friend. This is where Billy met his death at the hand of Sheriff Pat Garret. About a year after the death of Bill the Kid, Doc moved his family to Wilbarger County, Texas near the town of Vernon. During his stay in Vernon, he practed Medicine and took up wheat farming. The property Doc lived on was one of the largest oil producing areas of Texas. Later Doc moved his family to Cleburne where he grew cotton and corn and taught Spanish in Mehan Business College. From 1899 to 1913, he farmed at Granbury Texas. During this period, his wife Antonia died at Acton, Texas. For several years, Doc worked for S.L. Humas Co, a farming concern. In 1919, Doc and his family moved to Eastland County, Texas where he ran a candy store for a few years and then was employed for the State Highway Department. In 1925, Doc retired and lived out his years in Eastland with members of his family. He wrote book reports and reviews for the University of Texas during his last years. He suffered a heart attack on 25 July 1929 and died the same night. He is buried along with his wife Antonia (who was moved from the Acton Texas cemetery) in Eastland TExas. There are many Josiah Gordon "Doc" Scurlock descendents still living today in the area around Eastland And Breckenridge Texas. Josiah and Antonia had ten children: Marie Elena Scurlock; Viola Ines Scurlock; Josiah Gordon Scurlock Jr; John Joshua Scurlock; Amy Antonia Scurlock; Martha Ethlinda Scurlock; Presley Fernando Scurlock; Delores Scurlock; William Andrew Scurlock; and Josephine Gladys Scurlock."

TTT NOTE:  The 1900 and 1910 census records indicate Antonia was the mother of 11 children.  The name of the 11th child is unknown, and may have been stillborn.

[chivato88]

I bought it when it came out, sorry it took so long for me to read it, I wished that Ive read it the moment it came at my door cause its one of the best book out there, learned quite a lot about the LCW and I was not expecting to, its going in my top 5!!!