Charles Bowdre (c. 1848 – December 23, 1880) was an American cowboy and outlaw. He was an associate of Billy the Kid and member of his gang.

Early life

Bowdre was born in Wilkes County, Georgia in 1848, the firstborn child of Albert and Lucy Bowdre. When he was three years old, he and his parents moved to DeSoto County, Mississippi, where they had six more children (Eppie in 1854, Sallie in 1855, Volney and Benjamin in 1857, William in 1863 and Lucy Lee in 1863). By 1854, young Charlie started working on his father's farm, and as he grew up became an adept farmer. Much of what Bowdre did between the year in which his last sister was born (1863) and 1874 remains a mystery.

It is believed, however, that he abandoned the family's farm to become a wanderer. He left home sometime around 1870, and records show that by 1874, he had arrived at Lincoln County, New Mexico.), in 1878. by Ron Soble in the John Wayne film Chisum, and by Charles Martin Smith in Sam Peckinpah's Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973).

In the 1988 film Young Guns, he is portrayed by actor Casey Siemaszko. The circumstances of his death were the basis of a scene in Young Guns II, however, in the movie, Doc Scurlock played by Kiefer Sutherland, is the one who meets his fate outside the hut, and not Bowdre.

Actor Chris Bylsma was cast as Bowdre in the film The Kid directed by Vincent D'Onofrio.

References

Bibliography

  • About Charlie Bowdre
  • Doc Scurlock, Charlie Bowdre
  • Doc Scurlock, Educated Gunman, Friendship and Association with Charlie Bowdre
  • Chronology of Billy the Kid