Fort Smith in Sebastian County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)

Executions at Fort Smith

Fort Smith National Historic Site, Arkansas

Photographed by Denise Boose, July 13, 2012

1. Executions at Fort Smith Marker

Inscription.

Executions at Fort Smith. Fort Smith National Historic Site, Arkansas. During the twenty-four years the federal executions took place in Fort Smith, eighty-seven men died on the gallows. While Judge Isaac C. Parker sat on the bench, 160 people, including four women, were sentenced to hang. Just over half received a reprieve from execution through pardons, commutations, reversals or acquittals on appeal, or death in jail. The men listed below were hanged in Fort Smith. , August 15, 1873 John Childers , October 10, 1873 Six Killer, Tunagee alias Tuni Young Wolf , April 3, 1874 John Billy, Isaac Filmore, John Pointer , January 15, 1875 McClish Impson , September 3, 1875 Edmund Campbell, Daniel Evans, Samuel Fooy, Smoker Mankiller, James Moore, William Whittington , April 21, 1876 Gibson Ishtanubbee, William Leach, Orpheus McGee, Isham Seeley, Aaron Wilson , September 8, 1876 Samuel Peters, Osey Sanders, John Valley, Sinker Wilson , December 20, 1878 James Diggs, John Postoak , August 29, 1879 William Elliot Wiley, alias Colorado Bill, Dr. Henri Stewart , September 9, 1881 William Brown, Patrick McGowen, Abler Manley, Amos Manley, George W. Padgett , June 30, 1882 Edward Fulson , April 13, 1883 Robert Massey , June 29, 1883 William Finch, Martin Joseph, Te-o-lit-se , July 11, 1884 John Davis, Thomas Thompson, Jack Womankiller , April 17, 1885 William Phillips , June 26, 1885 James Arcine, William Parchmeal , April 23, 1886 Joseph Jackson, James Wasson , July 23, 1886 Calvin James, Lincoln Sprole , August 6, 1886 Kit Ross , January 14, 1887 John T. Echols, James Lamb, Albert O’Dell, John Stephens , April 8, 1887 Patrick McCarty , October 7, 1887 Seaborn Kalijah, alias Seborn Green, Silas Hampton , April 27, 1888 Jackson Crow, Owen Hill, George Moss , July 6, 1888 Gus Bogles , January 25, 1889 Richard Smith , April 19, 1889 Malachi Allen, James Mills , August 30, 1889 Jack Spaniard, William Walker , January 16, 1890 Harris Austin, John Billy, Jimmon Burris, Sam Goin, Jefferson Jones, Thomas Willis , January 30, 1890 George Tobler , July 9, 1890 John Stansberry , June 30, 1891 Boudinot Crumpton, alias Bood Burris , April 27, 1892 Sheppard Busby , June 28, 1892 John Thornton , July 25, 1894 Lewis Holder , September 24, 1894 John Ponter , March 17, 1896 Crawford Goldsby, alias Cherokee Bill , April 30, 1896 Webber Isaacs, George Pierce, John Pierce , July 1, 1896 Rufus Buck, Lewis Davis, Lucky Davis, Maoma July, Sam Sampson , July 30, 1896 George Wilson, alias James Casherago , First executions under Judge Parker

During the twenty-four years the federal executions took place in Fort Smith, eighty-seven men died on the gallows. While Judge Isaac C. Parker sat on the bench, 160 people, including four women, were sentenced to hang. Just over half received a reprieve from execution through pardons, commutations, reversals or acquittals on appeal, or death in jail. The men listed below were hanged in Fort Smith.

August 15, 1873 John Childers
October 10, 1873 Six Killer, Tunagee alias Tuni Young Wolf
April 3, 1874 John Billy, Isaac Filmore, John Pointer
January 15, 1875 McClish Impson
September 3, 1875* Edmund Campbell, Daniel Evans, Samuel Fooy, Smoker Mankiller, James Moore, William Whittington
April 21, 1876 Gibson Ishtanubbee, William Leach, Orpheus McGee, Isham Seeley, Aaron Wilson
September 8, 1876 Samuel Peters, Osey Sanders, John Valley, Sinker Wilson
December 20, 1878 James Diggs, John Postoak
August 29, 1879 William Elliot Wiley, alias Colorado Bill, Dr. Henri Stewart
September 9, 1881 William Brown, Patrick McGowen, Abler Manley, Amos Manley, George W. Padgett
June 30, 1882 Edward Fulson
April 13, 1883 Robert

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

Massey
June 29, 1883 William Finch, Martin Joseph, Te-o-lit-se
July 11, 1884 John Davis, Thomas Thompson, Jack Womankiller
April 17, 1885 William Phillips
June 26, 1885 James Arcine, William Parchmeal
April 23, 1886 Joseph Jackson, James Wasson
July 23, 1886 Calvin James, Lincoln Sprole
August 6, 1886 Kit Ross
January 14, 1887 John T. Echols, James Lamb, Albert O’Dell, John Stephens
April 8, 1887 Patrick McCarty
October 7, 1887 Seaborn Kalijah, alias Seborn Green, Silas Hampton
April 27, 1888 Jackson Crow, Owen Hill, George Moss
July 6, 1888 Gus Bogles
January 25, 1889 Richard Smith
April 19, 1889 Malachi Allen, James Mills
August 30, 1889 Jack Spaniard, William Walker
January 16, 1890 Harris Austin, John Billy, Jimmon Burris, Sam Goin, Jefferson Jones, Thomas Willis
January 30, 1890 George Tobler
July 9, 1890 John Stansberry
June 30, 1891 Boudinot Crumpton, alias Bood Burris
April 27, 1892 Sheppard Busby
June 28, 1892 John Thornton
July 25, 1894 Lewis Holder
September 24, 1894 John Ponter
March 17, 1896 Crawford Goldsby, alias Cherokee Bill
April 30, 1896 Webber Isaacs, George Pierce, John Pierce
July 1, 1896

Photographed by Denise Boose, July 13, 2012

2. Executions at Fort Smith Marker

Rufus Buck, Lewis Davis, Lucky Davis, Maoma July, Sam Sampson
July 30, 1896 George Wilson, alias James Casherago

*First executions under Judge Parker

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Events. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1893.

Location. 35° 23.261′ N, 94° 25.809′ W. Marker is in Fort Smith, Arkansas, in Sebastian County. It is on Parker Avenue, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 301 Parker Avenue, Fort Smith AR 72901, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Arkansas River Valley,

in the Cherokee Heritage Region,

and in Osage Territory.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At

Photograph courtesy of the Fort Smith Museum of History image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Denise Boose, July 13, 2012

3. Photograph courtesy of the Fort Smith Museum of History

George Maledon, known as the Prince of Hangmen, served as executioner at over half of the Fort Smith hangings.

least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Gallows (here, next to this marker); Defending Freedom (within shouting distance of this marker); The War Begins (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort Wall (within shouting distance of this marker); Confederates Occupy The Fort (within shouting distance of this marker); The Officer’s Quarters (within shouting distance of this marker); Boom! (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Meeting of Nations (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Smith.

Photographed by Denise Boose, July 13, 2012

4. Executions at Fort Smith Marker

Photographed by Denise Boose, July 13, 2012

5. The Gallows

Photographed by Denise Boose, July 13, 2012

6. Photograph courtesy of the Fort Smith Museum of History

A photo of George and John Pierce that hanged April 30, 1896 along with Webber Isaacs.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 12, 2020. It was originally submitted on September 2, 2012, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. This page has been viewed 2,918 times since then and 85 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on September 2, 2012, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.