Gunfighters

Outlaw gangs go as far back in history equally the kickoff of homo, with the word "thug" (Thugz) dating to 1200 A.D. when gangs in India pillaged many of the country's towns. These gangs frequently had manus signs, rituals, symbols, and slang, as they amassed together for means of forcefulness and protection.

During the 1800s, Americans were fascinated by gangs and their members, such as the James Gang, Baton the Kid's Gang, the Doolin-Dalton Gang, the Wild Agglomeration, and dozens of others that ruled the Wild West.

Though the history of these Old West gangs is oft romanticized, it should non be forgotten that they were, in fact, cypher more than thugs.

Outlaws – Produced by Dave Alexander, music by Scott Buckley

Outlaw Gang Listing:

Burton Alvord - Lawman and Outlaw

Burton Alvord – Constable and Outlaw

Alvord-Stiles Gang (1899-1904) – Led past two ex-lawmen, Burton Alvord and Billy Stiles, this gang of train robbers operated in Arizona Territory at the turn of the century.

Archer Gang (the 1880s) – Much similar the Reno Brothers who had operated two decades before, the Archer brothers — Thomas, Mort, John, and Sam, raided Orange and Marion Counties in Indiana for several decades.

Sam Bass Gang (1877-1878) – Led past Sam Bass, this gang robbed trains and banks in Texas. For South Dakota and Nebraska robberies, see the Black Hills Bandits.

Billy the Kid's Gang

Billy the Kid's Gang

Billy the Kid's Gang, aka The Rustlers (1876-1880) – Led by Billy the Kid, this gang formed out of the disharmonize of the Lincoln Canton War in New Mexico.

Black Hills Bandits (1876-1877) – Comprised of Sam Bass, Joel Collins, and four other men, they robbed stagecoaches in the Deadwood, South Dakota area and pulled off the Big Springs train robbery in Nebraska.

Blonger Brothers (1890's-1922) – Louis H. "The Logroller" Blonger led one of the longest-running confidence rings in the American West.

Bummers Gang (1855-1860) – Operating in Denver, Colorado, the Bummers Gang began "raiding" the boondocks in the mid-1850s.

Burrow Gang (1887-1890) – Reuben "Rube" Burrow, his blood brother Jim, and other members began to rob trains later on Rube's crops had failed in Texas.

Ike Clanton

Ike Clanton

Clanton Gang, aka The Cowboys(1870s) – The Clanton family unit and their ranch easily were a loosely organized gang of outlaws who operated along the Mexican border of Arizona, stealing cattle, robbing stagecoaches, ambushing teamsters, and committing murder.

Melt Gang (1894) – Led past Pecker Cook and Cherokee Bill, these outlaws terrorized Indian Territory (Oklahoma) in 1894. Ruthless, they shot anyone who got in their way.

Brack Cornett Gang – See Bill Whitley Gang

Dalton Gang (1891-1892) – Led by brothers Bob and Grat Dalton, the Dalton Gang robbed banks and trains throughout Kansas and Oklahoma until they were killed in the Coffeyville, Kansas Raid.

Daly Gang (1862-1864) – For two years, the Daly Gang terrorized the town of Aurora, Nevada.

Dodge City Gang (1879-1881) – In the summer of 1879, a gang of desperadoes known as the Dodge Urban center Gang masqueraded as lawmen in Las Vegas, New Mexico.

Bill Doolin

Bill Doolin

Doolin-Dalton Gang, aka Oklahombres, the Wild Bunch (1892-1895) – Led by Beak Doolin, the gang specialized in robbing banks, stagecoaches, and trains in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.

Espinosa Gang – Bitter at the killing of 6 family members during the Mexican-American War, the Espinosas took their revenge on Colorado residents and travelers, murdering them viciously.

The V Joaquins (1850-1853) – The V Joaquins were said to be responsible for most cattle rustling, robberies, and murders committed in the Mother Lode area of the Sierra Nevadas between 1850 and 1853.

Fleagle Gang in the Newspaper

Fleagle Gang in the Newspaper

Fleagle Gang (1920s) – The Fleagle Gang robbed banks and murdered in Kansas, Colorado, and California during the 1920s. They were establish, executed, or killed afterward robbing the First National Bank in Lamar, Colorado.

Flores-Daniel Gang (1856-1857) – Led by Juan Flores and Pancho Daniel, the gang raided southern California, stealing horses, cattle and robbing travelers along the roadways, sometimes leaving their victims dead.

High Fives Gang (1890s) – Also referred to equally the Christian Gang, led by "Black Jack" Will Christian and his brother, Bob, from Oklahoma. The gang operated in New United mexican states and Arizona after the Christian brothers escaped from an Oklahoma jail in 1895.

Hole-in-the-Wall-Gang – Active in the 1880s-1890s in the Hole-in-the-Wall Pass of the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming, the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang was not one organized gang of outlaws, but rather, was fabricated up of several separate groups and individuals who made their hideouts inside the pass in Johnson Canton, Wyoming.

Henry Plummer

Henry Plummer

Innocents Gang – The Innocents were an alleged gang of outlaw road agents in Montana Territory who operated during the gilded blitz of the 1860s, preying on shipments and travelers carrying gold between Bannack and Virginia City.

James Gang (1879-1882) – Three years after the demise of the James-Younger Gang, when the Youngers were arrested in Northfield, Minnesota, Jesse James put together another grouping to continue with his criminal career. The James Gang lasted from 1879 to 1882, when Bob Ford killed Jesse on Apr 3, 1882.

James-Younger Gang (1866-1882) – Afterwards the Civil State of war, the James and Younger brothers hooked up, robbing banks, trains, and stagecoaches for x years, becoming the nigh famous outlaw gang in America's history.

Al Jennings

Al Jennings

Jennings Gang (1897) – This short-lived gang operated but a few months making several failed train robbery attempts in Oklahoma in 1897 before all were arrested or killed.

Jesse Evans Gang – The Boys (1872-1879) – Led by Jesse Evans, this gang was actively involved in cattle rustling and armed robbery in New United mexican states in the early on 1870s.

Ketchum Gang (1896-1899) – Made up of a revolving list of members, the Ketchum Gang was led by Black Jack Ketchum. The gang robbed retail businesses, post offices, and trains in New Mexico.

John Kinney at Left

John Kinney at Left

John Kinney Gang (1870s-1883) – As well known as the Rio Grande Posse, the Kinney Gang were successful cattle rustlers, robbers, and hired gunmen in New United mexican states.

Lee Gang (1885) – In the mid-1880s, Cooke Canton, Texas, on the northern border of the Lone Star Country, and the Chickasaw Nation simply north in Indian Territory, were plagued by a gang of horse and livestock thieves led past James Lee and his brothers, Tom and Pink.

David McCanles

David McCanles

McCanles Gang –  Led by David McCanles (or by some accounts, McCandless), this group of men was allegedly wanted for robbing banks and trains, cattle rustling, murder, and equus caballus theft in the early 1860s.

McCarty Gang (1892-1893) – The McCarty Gang was run by Tom McCarty, who was 1 of the first to introduce Butch Cassidy to the life of banditry. The gang robbed banks until several members were killed.

Mes Gang – This agglomeration of primarily Hispanic outlaws and gunmen were a rival of the John Kinney Gang, both operating out of New United mexican states.

Musgrove Gang (1867-1868) – A gang of horse thieves and cattle rustlers who operated throughout Southern Wyoming and Northern Colorado in the tardily 1860s.

Oklahombres – Come across Doolin-Dalton Gang

Henry Plummer Gang – See the Innocents

Red Jack Gang– Led by "Red Jack" Almer, also known equally Jack Averill, this gang preyed on Arizona stagecoaches during the early 1880s, particularly along the San Pedro River.

Reno Gang (1866-1868) – Four of the 5 Reno Brothers terrorized the country of Indiana for two years before they were tracked down and hanged by the Southern Indiana Vigilance Committee in 1868.

Reynolds Gang (1863-1864) – A group of Confederate sympathizers that rampaged the South Park, Colorado, area to heighten money for the Amalgamated regime.

Rogers Brothers Gang (1890s) – The Rogers Brothers Gang, led by Bob Rogers, terrorized Oklahoma and Kansas in the 1890s. The gang was involved in stealing horses, rustling cattle, and robbing stores, postal service offices, banks, and trains.

Rufus Buck Gang (1895-1896) – A gang of ruthless outlaws who preyed on victims in Oklahoma, five of them were hanged at Fort Smith, Arkansas.

John Selman

John Selman

Selman's Scouts (1878) – An outlaw gang in Lincoln County, New Mexico, led by John Selman. For ii months, during September and October 1878, the gang members terrorized the county by rustling cattle and horses, killing innocent men and boys, pillaging businesses and homes, and raping women.

Seven Rivers Warriors – (1870s) – Made up mostly of small-scale-time ranchers from the Vii Rivers area of southeastern Lincoln County, New Mexico. They supported the Tunstall/McSween faction against that of Dolan and Murphy in the Lincoln County War of New Mexico.

Silva Gang

Silva Gang

Silva's White Caps, aka Forty Bandits, Society of Bandits (1879-1893) – Silva's White Caps were a barbarous outlaw gang that operated in Las Vegas, New Mexico, from about 1879 to 1893. They were a mafia-like system that was led by led past Vicente Silva.

Smith-Dixon Gang – A Gang of equus caballus thieves and whiskey peddlers operating in Indian Territory (Oklahoma), its members included Dave Smith, a sometime member of the Belle Starr Gang; his brother-in-law, Leander "Lee" Dixon; and a human being teenager of near 17 years-sometime named William "Baton" Towerly.

Soapy Smith Gang (1879-1898) – Led by Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith, the gang operated in Denver and Creede, Colorado, earlier moving to Skagway, Alaska, running several con games against unsuspecting citizens.

Stockton Gang (1878-1881) – Led by Ike Stockton, this gang of cattle rustlers terrorized the surface area of northern New Mexico while posing as "gentleman cowboys" in Durango, Colorado.

Waldo-Sailors Diggings, Oregon in the 1890s

Waldo-Sailors Diggings, Oregon in the 1890s

Triskitt Gang– Known for having conducted several robberies and killings in Northern California, the gang killed 18 people in Sailor'due south Diggings, Oregon, and stole $75,000 in gilt.

Vasquez Gang (1860s-1875) – Led by Tiburcio Vasquez, the gang committed armed robbery and rustled horses and cattle up and down central and southern California for years.

Bill Whitley or Brack Cornett Gang (1887-1888)Comprised of about 12 outlaws, the gang was led by Texas desperadoes Bill Whitley and Brack Cornett, robbing Texas banks and trains in the late 1880s.

Wild Bunch (1896-1901) – Led by Butch Cassidy, the Wild Bunch terrorized u.s. of Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Nevada for five years.

Wolcott's Regulators (1892) – One of the virtually feared bands of gunfighters and outlaws in Wyoming was Wolcott's Regulators, who preyed on homesteaders in 1892, frequently leaving expressionless bodies in their wake.

"I wasn't the leader of any gang. I was for Billy all the fourth dimension."
— Billy the Kid to a Las Vegas reporter after his capture at Stinking Springs.

Regulators surrendering at the TA Ranch

Wolcott's Regulators surrendering at the T.A. Ranch in Wyoming

© Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated December 2021.

As well Meet:

Frontier Outlaws

The Quondam Westward

Former West Scoundrels

Railroad train Robberies of America

Vigilantes