Buckshot Roberts - Blazer's Mills

Blazer's Mills

Buckshot Roberts wanted no part of the Lincoln County War and had made plans to leave the area. He had sold his ranch and was waiting for the check from his buyer. On April 4, 1878, Roberts rode his mule into Blazer's Mills, a sawmill and trading post located on the Rio Tularosa in hopes his check had arrived. Instead of the check, he discovered that the entire upper echelon of the Regulators were eating lunch in a nearby building. They had left the area around Lincoln, New Mexico after killing Sheriff William Brady just three days earlier. One of them, Frank Coe, sat with Roberts on the steps of the main house and tried to talk him into surrendering. Roberts refused, believing he would be killed out of hand.

Regulator chief Dick Brewer grew impatient and sent a few more of his men outside to arrest Roberts. At the sight of the heavily armed cowboys approaching him, Roberts stood and aimed his Winchester repeating rifle. He and Charlie Bowdre fired simultaneously: Roberts was struck in the stomach while his shot hit Bowdre’s belt buckle, severing his belt and knocking him down. Severely wounded, Roberts retreated to a doorway while firing shots sideways at the Regulators. John Middleton was seriously wounded in the chest. One slug grazed Doc Scurlock and another struck George Coe in the right hand, destroying his thumb and trigger finger. Coe shifted his rifle to his left hand, and returned fire, hitting Roberts. Roberts continued to return fire until his rifle was empty. Upon hearing the click of Roberts' empty rifle, McCarty rushed from cover to finish him off, however Roberts knocked McCarty unconscious with the heavy rifle barrel.

Barricading himself in the house, Roberts ignored both his wounds and the Regulators' gunshots, and armed himself with a single-shot Springfield rifle. The stymied Regulators tended to their wounded and implored Roberts to surrender. Frustrated that none of his men were willing to approach the house, Dick Brewer circled around the main house, took cover behind some stacked logs and opened fire on the room where Roberts had fortified himself. Roberts, seeing the cloud of gun smoke from the log pile, sighted in and fired when Brewer raised his head, striking the cowboy in the eye and killing him. The Regulators, demoralized by their casualties, retreated and then left town immediately after sending a doctor to check on Roberts. Roberts died the next day and he and Dick Brewer were buried near the big house where the gunfight occurred.