Bill Tilghman – Thirty Years a Lawman
By W.R. (Bat) Masterson in 1907
The latter half of the 19th century witnessed a dramatic transformation of the American West. While the discovery of gold in California in 1849 and in Colorado a decade later spurred initial westward migration, the true civilizing of the West began after the conclusion of the Civil War. The decade following the conflict between the North and South saw the establishment of a tangible Western identity, driven by ambitious infrastructure projects and the displacement of existing populations.
This period of rapid change was marked by the construction of three significant transcontinental railroad lines, each originating on the western bank of the Missouri River. The Union Pacific Railroad, stretching from Omaha, Nebraska, to Ogden, Utah, connected the East and West Coasts, facilitating trade and travel. The Kansas Pacific Railroad linked Kansas City to Denver, Colorado, opening up vast stretches of the Great Plains to settlement and commerce. Finally, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway extended from Atchison, Kansas, to Pueblo, Colorado, further solidifying the railroad’s dominance in the region.
Within two decades of the laying of the first Union Pacific railroad tie in Omaha, the Western frontier, as it had been known, had largely disappeared. The expansion of the railroad network effectively eliminated the isolation and remoteness that had characterized the region. Railway trains, equipped with Pullman cars and dining services, reached almost every significant point in the West, fundamentally altering the landscape and the pace of life.
The vast American plains, once the domain of the nomadic Indian tribes, the buffalo, the deer, and the antelope, were transformed into a landscape dotted with thriving communities and the hallmarks of a more advanced civilization. While this remarkable transition occurred in a relatively short period, its accomplishment was not without considerable hardship and conflict.
It is crucial to remember that these two decades were marked by a series of bloody Indian Wars. These conflicts spanned a vast geographical area, from the Dakotas in the north to the lava beds of Oregon in the west, and south to the frontier of Texas. The scale of this undertaking underscores the challenges faced by those who sought to tame the West. This era gave rise to a host of memorable figures, many of whom have now faded into memory but played a significant role in the unfolding drama of the American West.
Among this legendary group of men, James B. "Wild Bill" Hickok was perhaps the first to achieve widespread fame. Before the period, I have described, he had already established a reputation for daring and courage. Hickok brought this reputation with him when he came West after the Civil War, in which he served in southwest Missouri and along the Mississippi River. He maintained this reputation until his untimely death at the hands of Jack McCall in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, in June 1876. However, my intention is not to recount the story of Wild Bill but to focus on another figure whose exploits on the frontier are no less compelling.
This article aims to tell the story of Bill Tilghman, born on July 4, 1854. Bill Tilghman was among the first white men to establish a buffalo-hunting camp on the southwestern border of Barber County, Kansas, just across the Indian Reservation line, as early as 1870. Bill Tilghman stands as one of the few surviving individuals who ventured into this territory before the arrival of the railroads, remaining active and possessing remarkable physical and mental acuity.
Thirty-seven years prior to this writing, a young man, barely seventeen years old, named Bill Tilghman established a camp on the banks of the Medicine Lodge River in southwestern Kansas, a few miles north of the boundary with the Indian Territory. The previous year, General George Custer had suppressed an Indian uprising that had lasted for over a year. As a consequence, the Indians who had participated in the uprising held deep-seated animosity towards the white man.
Like many others in the region at the time, Bill Tilghman became a buffalo hunter, content with his life until conflicts with the local Indian tribes arose. According to the treaties in place, the Indians were prohibited from leaving their reservation without the express permission of their agent.
Therefore, it was as unlawful for an Indian to be found in Kansas without government authorization as it was for a white man to enter the Indian Territory for the purpose of hunting or trading whiskey with the Indians. However, the Indians often disregarded these treaty stipulations, frequently crossing into Kansas to raid and hunt buffalo.
In addition to destroying buffalo hides and stealing provisions and blankets, the Indians were also known to commit acts of violence against the hunters. Consequently, any Indian found off the reservation was viewed with apprehension by the buffalo hunters.
It was understood among the buffalo hunters that any hunter caught off guard by the Indians was likely to be killed, if only to acquire his gun and ammunition. One day, while Tilghman and his companions were away, Indians raided his camp, destroying the hides that had been staked out to dry and setting fire to those that had already been dried and prepared for market.
Upon returning to camp that evening, Tilghman and his two companions found their camp completely devastated. They lost hundreds of dollars worth of hides and discovered that the Indians had stolen all of their food supplies. However, being accustomed to subsisting on buffalo meat alone, they did not go hungry that night.
The day’s hunt had yielded 25 buffalo hides, and the question of what to do with them arose. If they were staked out to dry like the others, there was no reason to believe that the Indians would not return and destroy them as they had done before. Tilghman’s two partners expressed their desire to leave the area immediately.
"We are likely to all be killed," said one of them, "if we stay here any longer."
"I think we ought to go about twenty miles farther north over on Mule Creek," said the other. "Besides, the hunting is as good there as it is here. And the Indians hardly ever get that far away from the Reservation."
"We will move away from here," said Bill Tilghman, in his characteristically deliberate manner, "after I get even with those red thieves for the damage they have done us."
Despite being a mere boy, Bill Tilghman was the leader of the camp, and his word was law.
"Ed," said Billy to one of the partners, "go and hitch up the team and drive to Griffin’s Ranch and get a sack of flour, some coffee and sugar, and a sack of grain for the horses and get back here before daylight in the morning, and Henry and I will unload those hides and peg them out to dry. Don’t forget to feed the team when you get there and let them rest up for an hour or two, as you will have plenty of time to do that and get back here by daybreak."
Griffin’s Ranch, located fifteen miles north of Tilghman’s camp on the Medicine Lodge River, was the nearest place to obtain hunting supplies and provisions, Wichita being located 150 miles further east.
Ed departed for Griffin’s Ranch, a journey of approximately three hours. As Tilghman and Henry were busily engaged in preparing the hides, Billy remarked that if the Indians returned to destroy their camp, there would likely be a major conflict. "For," he said with emphasis, "I don’t intend to stop shooting as long as there is one of them in sight."
"But supposing," said Henry, "that there is a dozen or so of them when they come, what then?"
"Kill the entire outfit," replied Billy, "if they don’t run away."
Little else was said on the subject before bedtime. However, as Henry later recounted, it was evident from Tilghman’s demeanor that his only concern was the possibility that the Indians would not return.
Before daylight the following morning, Ed returned to camp, fulfilling his instructions. After breakfast, Tilghman informed Ed and Henry that they would have to hunt without him that day, as he intended to conceal himself near the camp to await the arrival of the Indians.
To avoid raising suspicion, Billy waited until the others had departed for the hunting grounds, ensuring that the Indians, if they were watching the camp, would not realize that they had all left. Around noon, as Billy was beginning to lose hope, a lone Indian appeared. He rode up to the top of a small knoll, where he could observe the camp, and after carefully surveying the surroundings, he began to make the customary Indian signals, circling his pony in various ways.
Tilghman, hidden in his concealed position, watched the Indian intently, understanding the meaning of the pony’s movements. Soon, six other Indians rode up alongside the first, carefully observing everything in sight.
They concluded that there was no immediate danger and rode down to the camp, dismounting. This was exactly what Billy had been hoping for. "Now, if they will only all dismount," Billy thought to himself, "I will kill the last one in the outfit before they can remount." His wish came true as they all dismounted upon reaching the camp. However, Billy waited to see if they intended any harm before opening fire with his Sharp’s big fifty buffalo gun. No sooner had one of the Indians dismounted than he ran over to the sack of flour, picked it up, and threw it across his pony’s back, while others began to cut up the freshly staked hides.
As the Indian who had taken the flour sack turned around, Tilghman shot him, killing him instantly. This caused panic among the other Indians, who were unaware of the presence of an enemy until they heard the sound of the gunshot. Billy quickly fired another shot, and another Indian fell to the ground. The first Indian to reach his pony was shot down before he could mount. This brought the total to three out of the original seven killed. Unusually, the remaining four abandoned their ponies and fled towards a nearby clump of trees. Billy managed to kill one more of the fleeing Indians before he reached the safety of the woods. The shooting attracted the attention of his partners, who were within two miles and hurried back to camp, expecting to join in a fight with the Indians.
"The scrap is over," said Billy when the boys got close enough to hear him, "and three of the hounds have made their escape. I told you last night, didn’t I, Henry, that I would kill all that came if they stood their ground and didn’t run away. Well," he said, in a rather disconsolate tone of voice, "I fell down somewhat on my calculations, as seven came and I only succeeded in getting four, but then that wasn’t so bad, considering that they left us their ponies."
"What’s to be done now?" inquired Henry, who was not eager for another encounter with the Indians.
"Don’t get frightened," said Billy, "and remember that we are in Kansas and that those dead Indians were nothing more than thieving outlaws who had no right off their reservation, and if any more of them come around before we are ready to leave, we will start right in killing them."
Nevertheless, they wasted no time in leaving the area. They loaded the camp equipment into the wagon and headed north, with Ed driving the team at a brisk pace. Billy brought up the rear, mounted on one of the Indian ponies, driving the others.
"Look here, Billy," said Henry as they were about to leave camp, "don’t you think we ought to bury those dead Indians before leaving?"
"Never mind those dead Indians," replied Tilghman, "the buzzards will attend their funeral; go ahead."
That night, the party reached Mule Creek, twenty-five miles from where they had camped at noon. The Indians reported the incident to their agent at the Cheyenne Agency, but they received no satisfaction and were informed that they were liable to be killed if they left their reservation without permission.
This was Tilghman’s first encounter with the Indians, but not his last. He continued to hunt in the area, and as the Indians persisted in crossing over into Kansas, there were many clashes between them, which invariably resulted in the Indians getting the worst of the encounter.
A Scout for the Government
During the fall and winter of 1873-4, hostilities between the Indians and hunters continued, culminating in an uprising among the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa, and Comanche tribes, which took the government almost a year to suppress. During this Indian war of 1874, Tilghman served as a scout for the government and had to fight his way out of tight situations with the Indians to avoid being captured alive while carrying dispatches from one commander to another.
After the Indian uprising was put down, Tilghman moved to the Arkansas River and established a ranch near Dodge City, where he lived for several years. In 1884, he was appointed City Marshal of Dodge City, proving to be one of the most effective marshals the city had ever seen. He was the ideal man to run a town like Dodge City during those times, possessing a cool head, courage, and excellent leadership skills.
In the summer of 1888, a county-seat war erupted in one of the northern counties of Kansas, and Tilghman was asked to intervene and resolve the issue. Tilghman brought along a young man named Ed Prather, whom he believed he could trust. However, Prather betrayed Tilghman and attempted to assassinate him. Tilghman was too quick for him, and Prather was killed. After resolving the county-seat dispute, Billy returned to Dodge City and remained there until the opening of Oklahoma Territory fifteen years later.
He was among the first to arrive in the territory and claimed land at Chandler, Lincoln County, where he still resides. When he first went to Oklahoma, Tilghman served as a U.S. Deputy Marshal and did as much, if not more, to suppress outlawry in the territory than any other official.
The Capture of Bill Doolin
Tilghman served as Sheriff of Lincoln County for four years and captured and drove more criminals from the country than any other official in Oklahoma or the Indian Territory. His single-handed capture of Bill Doolin in a bathhouse at Eureka Springs, Arkansas, was perhaps the most daring act of his career. Doolin was known as the most dangerous criminal in the Indian Territory and had evaded capture for years. A large reward was offered for his capture, and several U.S. Marshals and their deputies had attempted to arrest him, dead or alive. However, Doolin always managed to escape or resist them with his Winchester rifle.
Doolin was credited with killing several Deputy Marshals. Tilghman pursued him to Eureka Springs, where he found him in a bathhouse. Without seeking assistance from local officials, he captured Doolin alone. Doolin was sitting on a lounge in the bathhouse when Tilghman entered, and before he could react, he was confronted with a .45-caliber Colt pistol and ordered to raise his hands. Doolin hesitated, and Tilghman was forced to approach him and threaten to shoot him unless he surrendered. Doolin had his pistol inside his vest and under his armpit and tried to reach for it before being disarmed. It was a daring feat by Tilghman, and he was fortunate to escape without being killed.
Bill Raidler was another notorious outlaw pursued by Tilghman, but in this instance, the Marshal was compelled to kill him. Tilghman and Raidler encountered each other on the road in the Osage Indian Country. Tilghman ordered Raidler to raise his hands, but instead, he opened fire on the Marshal. Tilghman responded by firing a volley of buckshot into Raidler’s chest, killing him instantly. Raidler had been a companion of Doolin and had been involved in train robberies. He had sent word to the U.S. Marshals that he would be waiting for them, ready to fight. Tilghman proved to be the better shot, and Raidler paid the price for his crimes. [Most sources say Raidler was injured, tried, and sent to prison].
Thomas Calhoun, a black man, was another notorious outlaw and murderer captured by Marshal Tilghman in the Territory, but only after shooting and breaking his leg. Calhoun was accused of murdering a colored woman, and Marshal Tilghman received a warrant for his arrest. Tilghman encountered Calhoun and ordered him to raise his hands, which he refused to do, and promptly opened fire on Tilghman. Tilghman returned fire, breaking Calhoun’s leg. Calhoun surrendered, but died soon afterward.
Dick West, known as "Little Dick," was perhaps the most dangerous criminal in the territory besides Bill Doolin. "Little Dick" was a member of the Doolin Gang of train robbers and the most difficult outlaw to capture in the Territory. He never slept indoors and constantly moved from place to place. Tilghman eventually tracked him down, and a fight ensued. Although shot several times, Tilghman escaped without injury and eventually killed West.
"Little Dick," like his leader, Bill Doolin, had ambushed and murdered U.S. Deputy Marshals in Oklahoma and the Indian Territory for years. The announcement of his death at the hands of Marshal Tilghman brought joy to the law-abiding citizens of the region. It would require a volume to fully recount the remarkable career of William M. Tilghman. His life story has been compared to the memoirs of Davy Crockett or the adventures of Kit Carson on the Kansas frontier in the early 1870s. After a career spanning 37 years, spent on the front lines of civilization and being shot at countless times by the most dangerous outlaws in the land, Tilghman emerged unscathed.
Sheriff for More than Thirty Years
Billy Tilghman was born in Iowa in 1854 and moved to Atchison, Kansas, in 1856. As a boy, he witnessed the reign of terror known as the Kansas and Border War, a fierce conflict between pro-slavery forces from Missouri and abolitionists from Kansas, which ultimately led to the Civil War.
When Alton B. Parker received the Democratic nomination for president in 1904, Billy Tilghman was selected as a delegate to notify Mr. Parker of his nomination. He was last in New York then. He is still a resident of Chandler, Oklahoma, and will likely be elected Sheriff again this fall. He is perhaps the only frontiersman who has been continuously on the job for over a generation and still lives to tell the tale.
By Bat Masterson, 1907.
Note: Bat Masterson could not have foreseen that Bill Tilghman would die from a bullet. At the age of 70, he was serving as marshal of Cromwell, Oklahoma. After surviving decades of dangerous outlaws, he was shot and killed on November 1, 1924, while attempting to arrest a corrupt Prohibition Officer named Wiley Lynn.
