Abe Saunders owned a ranch in New Mexico Territory with his cousins Frank and George Coe. Billy the Kid worked on the Coe-Saunders ranch in 1877. Later in 1877, Billy the Kid moved to Lincoln County, New Mexico with Doc Scurlock, Brewer, Bowdre, the Coes and Saunders and they were hired as cattle guards by John Tunstall. After Tunstall was murdered, Saunders became a member of the Regulators(essentially pro Tunstall vigilantes) , led by Billy the Kid.
Earlier, Saunders, along with Bowdre, Scurlock, Frank Coe and George Coe, stormed a jail in July 18, 1874 and freed a cattle rustler by the name of Jesus Largo. They took him outside and lynched him. No charges were ever filed.
Saunders and McNab were killed on April 29, 1878 by Deputies Mathews and Pepin(members of the anti Tunstall faction) and a posse of Seven Rivers cowboys during the Lincoln County Wars. Frank Coe was captured.
This is a CDV showing an early image of Ab(Abe) Saunders. One of the few photos known to exist of the friend and associate of the Kid in this historic period.
