10 Historical facts about U.S. Marshals by Paty Jager

I found this book, The History of U.S. Marshals by Robin Langley Sommer when I was writing my historical western romance, Improper Pinkerton. I wanted my female Pinkerton to come up against a U.S. Marshal, but I needed to know information about the occupation.  Below are some interesting tidbits about the marshals.

1) The offices of U.S. marshal and deputy marshal were established in 1789 by the Judiciary Act which established the federal judicial system. Their job was to support the federal courts. 

2) Their duties were to serve subpoenas, summonses, writs, warrants, and other processed issued by the courts. As well as arrests and handle prisoners. They disbursed money- paying the fees and expenses of the court clerks, U.S. attorneys, jurors, and witnesses.  Another job was renting courtrooms and jail space, and hiring bailiffs, criers, and janitors. 

3) Before the Civil War, The U.S. Marshals in the North were called upon to capture runaway slaves and return them to the South and the Southern U.S. Marshals tried to stop the slave trade under the realms of piracy. 

4) In the 1800’s before the Civil War, the marshals worked to track down and break up counterfeiting rings.  It was estimated that one-third of the money in circulation by 1860 was counterfeit.

5) During the Civil War the marshals arrested suspected traitors and Confederate sympathizers. They also confiscated property being used to support the rebellion. 

6) 1870-71 the U.S. marshals and deputies supervised all the polling places for Congressional elections to stop the violence against politically active blacks. This was an attempt to defuse the Klan and similar organizations who wore masks or disguises and attacked citizens of different races, colors, and condition of servitude.

7) On the frontier they were the highest ranking law enforcers. 

8) Their duties out west included making sure the mail was delivered and not stolen. They spent many days and months tracking out outlaws who robbed stages and trains taking the mail and currency.  They protected the Indians on reservations, keeping the whites from encroaching on the land the government gave the tribes.  

9) Usually marshals and deputies didn’t shoot to kill and didn’t travel in a large posse.  They usually traveled in groups of four or five along with a wagon for supplies and could be used as a jail. They watched for stolen horses, suspicious travelers, stills, contraband whiskey, and wanted men. 

10) They were paid $.06 per mile traveled and $2 for an arrest. A good year they would make $500.

Paty Jager writes murder mysteries and steamy romance starring cowboys and Indians.

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Wednesday Western- U.S. Lawmen

When you write western fiction books whether they're romance or not you're going to end up with a lawman of some sort in them. Below are a few of the lawmen who helped tame the west.   

U.S. Marshals

Marshals

Sheriffs 

Rangers

Bounty Hunters 

Pinkerton Agents 

Range Detectives 

U.S. Marshals were the first Federal organization created in 1789 but George Washington and the Continental Congress. They were appointed, not elected. U.S. Marshals upheld the law in remote, sparsely, populated unorganized territories. As representatives of the Federal Government they were highest ranking officials, giving them both the cooperation and opposition from other lawmen. Their primary purpose was to support and defend the federal courts. They had wide authority in enforcing all aspects of the law. Handling disputes, delivering the U.S. Mail, protection from Indians, safe guarding government property, disbursing and accounting for monies used in running the courts, and even carrying out death sentences. Before 1896 they worked on a fee system, collecting a certain amount of money for a specific task. After that date they were on a salary. Until 1861 the U.S. Marshals reported directly to the Secretary of State. After the Department of Justice was created they reported there. U.S. Marshals could hire as many deputies as they needed to perform their duties.

Marshals were local law officials chosen by the population of frontier towns to bring order. The town paid for the Marshal and any deputies they might choose to help them keep the town safe.

Sheriffs were elected by the citizens of a town and paid by the local officials. They enforced the law within the county they served. They were to keep the peace, uphold the law, and maintain the jail. They worked with the U.S. Marshals but had less authority. Sheriffs hired deputies and formed posses when they were needed. They were also the tax collectors for the county.

Rangers protected life and property, handled special criminal investigations, quelled disturbances, served as officers of the court at a judge’s request, and suppressed criminal activity in any area where local officials are unable or unwilling to maintain law and order. A ranger has authority throughout the state. They are directly under the governor and can act as an army at times and a police force at other times. The Texas Rangers organized in 1823 when Stephen F. Austin brought together men to protect the frontier. Each ranger had to furnish his own horse and firearm. His pay was $1.25 a day. They were usually called upon for the toughest assignments. The Arizona Rangers formed in 1882 under the territorial governor. They worked the same as the Texas Rangers and were abolished in 1909 and reformed years later.

Bounty Hunters were either the good guy or the bad guy depending on the situation. They started out as law enforcers, serving a capacity much like a Deputy U.S. Marshal. Some worked directly with sheriffs in catching the criminals. They freed up the other lawmen’s time so they could concentrate on their normal duties. A good bounty hunter performed a valuable service. However, there were some rogue bounty hunters who tarnished the occupation.

Pinkerton Agents were a privately owned detective agency founded in 1850 by Allen Pinkerton. They operated nationwide, working for railroad and stage companies as well as the influential. Their logo is the image of an eye and their motto was “We Never Sleep”. They performed the work done these days by the FBI, CIA, and Secret Service. In 1861 while investigating a railroad case they uncovered and foiled a plot to kill Abraham Lincoln on his way to the inauguration. It was a family owned operation. They had main offices in the East, Mid-West, and West. Their operatives went undercover and they took invaluable notes on the criminals starting the process now used to keep track of wrongdoers.

Range Detectives- Were men paid by a rancher with a large spread or by several smaller ranchers to keep their cattle safe by arresting cattle rustlers and sheep herders who cut their fences.