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IndexDagger, C .N. was commissioned in the Southern District at Paris, Texas, serving under Marshal Sheb Williams. On November 1, 1890, a dispatch was received from Vernon, Texas stating that Dagger had been shot in Kiowa and Comanche country and was in dire need of assistance.
(Ft. Smith Elevator - September 5, 1890)
Dalton, Frank was commissioned as deputy marshal in the Western District of Arkansas under Judge Parker in 1882, serving until his death in 1887. Frank Dalton and fellow officer, James Cole, held warrants of arrest for a horse thief and whiskey runner named Dave Smith. One Sunday morning on November 29, 1887, the two deputies found Smith with his gang, Lee Dixon, his brother-in-law, Dixon’s wife and William Towerly in a tent near the Arkansas River. The outlaws were aware that the lawmen were searching for them, so the element of surprise was gone when the deputy marshals moved toward the tent. The outlaws had the advantage in numbers and firepower so they knew it was to their benefit to stand their ground in a gunfight. Dalton and Cole rushed the tent knowing the outlaws had very little protection from within. The lawmen were surprised when they ran into a heavy barrage of gunfire. Frank Dalton was the first to be hit as a slug tore into his chest driving him to the ground. Towerly, seeing the fallen officer ran directly toward Frank Dalton shooting him several times in the head as he passed over him. Dave Smith concentrated his fire power towards Deputy Cole who was still approaching the tent, firing his weapon as he continued his charge. Cole felt a bullet strike his side which stopped his forward movement, forcing him to shoot from his hip. Miraculously Cole continued firing at his enemies knowing he was in a life or death situation. He knew if he went down he was a dead man. Dave Smith and Dixon’s wife both met their fate as they were shot by Cole’s Winchester. As the smoke cleared, Dixon also lay seriously wounded on the ground with Towerly making his escape. James Cole transported the critically wounded Dixon to Ft. Smith, Arkansas where the outlaw died from his wounds before he could stand trial. Towerly’s escape was brief for the lawmen were on his trail finding him near his home at Atoka, Choctaw Nation. Towerly fought to his death for he knew killing a deputy marshal meant a trip to Judge Parker’s gallows.
Oklahombres shows Frank Dalton’s death date as November 27, 1887 .
Indian Pioneer History interview with Frank Carr reports Frank Dalton’s death different than the above account.
Ft. Smith Elevator - February 4, 1887
Indian Pioneer History - Frank Carr
Indian Pioneer History - George D. Castoe
Indian Pioneer History - Susan Morrison
Indian Pioneer History - Henry Sommers
Indian Pioneer History - Minnie Uto
Indian Pioneer History Charles H. Williams
Encyclopedia of Western Gun-Fighter
Picture-Heck Thomas
Selden Lindsey
Picture -West of Hell’s Fringe
Law West Of Fort Smith
Shoot From the Lip
Outlaws on Horseback
The Dalton Gang Story
Oklahombres
Ft. Smith Federal Court Employee Database
Ft. Smith Oaths of Office
Ft. Smith Historical List
Killed in the line of duty.
Dalton, Gratton “Grat” was commissioned in the Western District at Ft. Smith, Arkansas. He became a deputy marshal in November of 1887, after his brother, Frank Dalton, was killed by the Dave Smith Gang. In 1888, Grat was wounded in the left forearm during an exchange of gunfire when he tried to serve a warrant of arrest to an Indian desperado. Grat was commissioned on August 30, 1889, working out of the Muskogee court. Records in December of 1889, and March of 1890, show Grat making an arrest of Charley Cannon, C. C. Jones and Ferguson Longbone for introducing liquor into Indian Territory and a Marshall Wagoner was arrested for larceny. Marshal Jacob Yoes of the Western District court at Ft. Smith, Arkansas dismissed Grat for the misuse of his authority as a deputy marshal. Grat forced a young Negro boy to place an apple on his head, then Grat shot it off, splitting the apple into two parts. In 1892, Grat and Bob Dalton were killed robbing a bank in Coffeyville, Kansas. Brother, Emmett was seriously wounded in the same robbery but lived long enough to be pardoned for his crimes.
Atoka Indian Citizen -December 21, 1889 & March 22, 1890
Indian Pioneer History - Frank Carr
Indian Pioneer History - George D. Castoe
Indian Pioneer History - David O. Gillis
Indian Pioneer History - John C. Robinson
Indian Pioneer History - Henry Sommers
Indian Pioneer History - John T. Spencer
Indian Pioneer History - William Taylor
Heck Thomas West of Hell’s Fringe
ShootFrom The Lip
Encyclopedia Of Western Gun-Fighters
Outlaws on Horseback
The Dalton Gang Story
Ft. Smith Federal Court Employee Database
Ft. Smith Oaths of Office
Ft. Smith Historical List
Dalton, Robert “Bob” Reddick served as deputy marshal in the Western District at Ft. Smith , Arkansas and the Kansas court in Wichita, Kansas. On November 29, 1887, Bob Dalton was with his brother Frank and James Cole, when Frank Dalton was killed trying to arrest a band of thieves. The warrant of arrest was for horse stealing and liquor violations. On August 26, 1889, Bob was sent to Coffeyville, Kansas to serve a warrant of arrest to Charley Montgomery charged with peddling whiskey and stealing horses in Indian Territory. While trying to serve the warrant, Bob Dalton became involved in a gunfight, leaving the outlaw Montgomery, dead. Bob did not receive any payment for Montgomery when he delivered him to Ft. Smith because there was not any reward on his head or order for Dead or Alive. Montgomery’s partners in crime nor relatives did not claim his body so Bob Dalton was given the honor to pay for his burial. In April of 1890, Bob and Grat Dalton were sent to Claremore to arrest Alex Cochran who had shot and killed Deputy Marshal Cox. The Dalton brothers located a rider that met the description of Alex Cochran whom they followed. As the two brothers closed ground, the rider began to run his horse to distance himself from his pursuers. Bob Dalton, an expert shot with a Winchester and Colt, fired at the rider as he continued to ride away at a very fast rate of speed. At three hundred yards the horse and rider went to the ground, both dead. When the rider was identified it was found not to be Alex Cochran but his son. Shortly after this event Bob was sent to the Southern District of Kansas to serve under Marshal Jones at Wichita, Kansas. Bob worked the Osage Nation transporting prisoners to the Wichita court. While working the Osage Nation he enlisted his brother Emmett to serve as posseyman when suspicion was aroused by rumors reaching the agency that the two brothers were selling whiskey to the Indians. U.S. Commissioner Fitzpatrick received word that the Indians were getting noisy near the mill at Bird Creek an that the Daltons were involved. The report was confirmed by confessions from the Indians. He called the Daltons before him demanding their badges and discharged them from service. Another report was that Bob had resigned claiming the court had beaten him out of money for mileage claims that he had turned in for payment. Bob, Grat and Emmett Dalton traveled to California in 1891, where they robbed an express train and the Southern Pacific Railroad of $60,000 starting their new life in crime. The brothers enlisted several notorious and feared outlaws such as Cole Younger and Bill Doolin to form the Dalton Gang. Peace officers feared the gang, knowing it was best to leave them alone. The Dalton gang came to an end in 1892, at Coffeyville, Kansas where they robbed the town’s bank. A brave group of the town’s citizens banded together to deliver a barrage of gunfire upon the gang. When the last shot was fired, Bob Dalton, Grat Dalton, and Cole Younger lay dead with Emmett Dalton seriously wounded. Many lawmen would like to have taken credit for stopping this gang but credit can only be given to the small group of citizens of Coffeyville, Kansas. Deputy Marshal Heck Thomas remembered Bob Dalton as the most accurate shot he had ever seen. Bob Dalton usually fired his rifle from the hip, very seldom bringing it to his shoulder. Bob was just as accurate with a pistol, being classified as one of the fastest gunmen to ever make a draw. Bob Dalton also served as Chief of Police for the Osage Indian Nation when he worked out of the Kansas court.
Indian Pioneer History - Frank Carr
Indian Pioneer History - George D. Castoe
Indian Pioneer History - David O, Gillis
Indian Pioneer History - Charles Hepner - Clara Clifford
Indian Pioneer History - Susan Morrison
Indian Pioneer History - John C. Robinson
Indian Pioneer History - Henry Sommers
Indian Pioneer History - John T. Spencer
Indian Pioneer History - William Taylor
Indian Pioneer History - Charles H. Williams
West Of Hell’s Fringe
Shoot From The Lip
Outlaws and Peace Officers
Hell on the Border-Harman Outlaws on Horseback
The Dalton Gang Story
Chronicles Of Oklahoma - Volume - 40, 1962
Ft. Smith Federal Court Employee Database
Dalton, T. A. was commissioned in the Western District at Ft. Smith, Arkansas.
Ft. Smith Federal Court Employee Database