A Confining Winter

A charming young desperado, an angry soiled dove, a reform-minded but treacherous governor, a feisty antediluvian, a filthy career criminal, and a spate of disreputable lawyers are just some of the colorful characters who jump from the pages of Lynn Michelsohn's newest book detailing Santa Fe's fascinating frontier history.

Billy the Kid's three-month incarceration in New Mexico Territory's capital city during the winter of 1881-1882 provides a framework for exploring life--especially lawless life--at the end of the Santa Fe Trail in this second standalone volume of the author's non-fiction trilogy, Billy the Kid in Santa Fe (404 pages in paperback).

~ Billy spent part of his carefree youth in Santa Fe learning Spanish while playing with companions in its ancient streets and singing for tips around its bustling Plaza. Now, seven years later, the legendary young man sits alone, chained and abandoned, in Santa Fe's grim lock-up. Jailmates like "Dirty Dave," "Bull Shit Jack," and "Slap Jack Bill" offer interesting diversions but little solace. Hiring a lawyer seems impossible. Governor Lew Wallace, who once promised Billy a pardon, won't even respond to his increasingly desperate letters. Is a quick murder trial--leading to a short rope and a long drop--the boyish outlaw's only escape?

- Follow Billy's diverse bids for freedom throughout his long cold months in Santa Fe's adobe calaboose. 

- Discover, with Billy, the changes to this ancient city since he left it seven years earlier as a bright-eyed youngster, his whole life ahead of him. 

- Track day-to-day events in this frontier settlement during a year when the railroad, two Presidents, a UFO, and Billy the Kid all came to town. 

A Confining Winter gives you a glimpse of life in the Old West through the eyes of its intriguing characters, including the most famous of all--Billy the Kid!

Recommended for Billy the Kid aficionados, western history buffs, and anyone who loves Santa Fe!

Table of Contents 

Part I. Billy Starts for Santa Fe--Again 

  Chapter 1. The Capture: Hot pursuit across a frigid plain. 

  Chapter 2. A Stopover: Leaving Las Vegas, it ain't easy. 

Part II. Santa Fe Awaits 

  Chapter 3. Santa Fe 1880: 'Dobe or not 'Dobe? 

  Chapter 4. Santa Fe Life: Rings and things. 

  Chapter 5. 1880 Arrivals: The railroad, two presidents, and a UFO.

  Chapter 6. Jailmates: Mail robbers, murderers, and mystery men--but no women. 

Part III. The Confining Winter 

  Chapter 7. Locked Up: The Case of the Missing Meals. 

  Chapter 8. January 1881: Pardon me, Governor Wallace. 

  Chapter 9. February 1881: Comings, goings, and court surprises. 

  Chapter 10. March 1881: Digging for freedom. 

  Chapter 11. Billy Leaves Santa Fe--Again: An end . . . or a beginning?