Jose Chavez y Chavez[]
Lou Diamond Phillips as Chavez
Chavez is a half Native American, half Mexican man in his mid twenties. His tribe was wiped out by the U.S Army because Lawrence Murphy, who supplied all their food, refused to serve them edible meat. When Chavez and several other men from the village went out to try and trade for food they were fired upon and only Chavez got away unharmed. When he returned to his village Chavez found all of his tribe, including women and children, had been murdered because of his 'big Indian uprising'. Chavez traveled to Lincoln wanting Murphy's blood but John Tunstall found him and showed him a better way to get back at Murphy.
Chavez had a heated dislike for Steve Stephens, a man that constantly teased him about his heritage, but Chavez could deal out as good as he got and the two men eventually found a grudging liking for each other's friendship.
After John's death Chavez became a Regulator and helped with many of the gangs ambushes. During the siege upon the McSween house Chavez slipped out. This made Steve think he had abandoned them but Chavez showed him he was still loyal by returning at just the right moment with horses for all of the remaining Regulators. Without Chavez, escape from the constant gunfire would have been impossible.
Chavez is a stoic man who does not talk much unless he has something to say. He is calm and clear headed in a fight and an expert with knives.
The Truth[]
The real life Chavez
Jose Chavez y Chavez was born in 1851 in Ceboleta, New Mexico. He is suspected of being of Mexican American and Native American ancestry. It was said he was proud of his heritage and respected his tribe's beliefs. He became an outlaw at a fairly young age by petty theft and then cattle rustling, although he also served as justice of the peace in the late 1870's.
In his twenties Chavez decided to join the Tunstall side of the Lincoln County War and became one of the 'Regulators' after Tunstall's death. Chavez was present at the killing of Sheriff Brady and in later years of his life he said it had been his bullet that had put an end to Brady's life. He was present at the McSween house five day siege and escaped the burning building along with Billy.