The melange of works dealing with personalities emerging from the Lincoln County, New Mexico War have treated Fred Waite shabbily. Although many writers have termed him the best friend of Billy the Kid, he has never been properly researched. From the earliest work Waite has been portrayed as a minor character drifting into Lincoln just in time to get hired into a shooting war, and who then faded into obscurity. The truth, as presented in this book, is far different for Waite was a wealthy adventurer drawn into the conflict by circumstance rather than a rogue hireling. It's even probable he...

The melange of works dealing with personalities emerging from the Lincoln County, New Mexico War have treated Fred Waite shabbily. Although many writers have termed him the best friend of Billy the Kid, he has never been properly researched. From the earliest work Waite has been portrayed as a minor character drifting into Lincoln just in time to get hired into a shooting war, and who then faded into obscurity. The truth, as presented in this book, is far different for Waite was a wealthy adventurer drawn into the conflict by circumstance rather than a rogue hireling. It's even probable he...