Historical Marker

Old Fort Sumner Cemetery and Billy the Kid's Grave (1)

Billy the Kid, sometimes known as Henry McCarty, was buried here on July 15, 1881. The cemetery was established by the U.S. Army in 1863 and contained the bodies of 21 soldiers, whose remains were removed to the National Cemetery in Santa Fe in 1906. Civilians buried here include Lucien B. Maxwell, owner of a large land grant, and two of “the Kid’s” friends: Charlie Bowdre and Tom O’Folliard.