Milton B. Duffield was a lawman and gunfighter in the Old West. Little in known about his early life, except that he had a wife and four children, whom he abandoned to go out West. By 1852, Duffield was in Tuolumne County, California, working in real estate and in the gold mines. Around the same time he came into conflict with a man named James G. Lyons. One day in 1854, while walking down the road, Lyons and two of his friends spotted Duffield and began firing on him with their sidearms. Duffield, with his "raw nerve" immediately pulled out his revolver and shot Lyons dead while the other two ran off.
When the Civil War began, Duffield was sent on an exploratory mission to Nicaragua for the United States government. After he returned, in 1863 the Lincoln administration appointed him to be the first United States Marshal for the new Territory of Arizona, a post he held from March 6, 1863, to November 25, 1865. After spending some time working as a special postal agent, in June 1870 two Mexican men entered Duffield's home and tried to kill him with an axe and a knife as he slept. Waking up to a blow to his shoulder, Duffield fought off both attackers and forced them to flee, all after having been struck thirty-one times and losing his right thumb.
After retiring from law enforcement, in 1873 Duffield acquired ownership of Brunckow's Cabin and the nearby mining claim. However, a man named James T. Holmes also claimed to be the owner. On June 5, 1874, Duffield arrived at Brunckow's Cabin to evict Holmes. As he approached, Duffield began "waving his arms and shouting like a mad-man" in his usual manner. Assuming that Duffield was "armed to the teeth," as he usually was, and knowing of his violent reputation, Holmes grabbed his double-barrelled shotgun, walked out the front door, and without hesitation shot the old lawman dead. It was at this point Holmes realized that his victim was unarmed.
Duffield was buried at the cabin, but his grave is no longer marked. Holmes was arrested, tried for murder, and sentenced to three years in prison, but he escaped before serving any of his time. The authorities did not make an effort in finding him and he was never seen in Arizona again.
∼M.B. Duffield, a former well-known inhabitant of Tuolumne, murdered in Arizona. [History of Tuolumne County, 1888]
When the Civil War began, Duffield was sent on an exploratory mission to Nicaragua for the United States government. After he returned, in 1863 the Lincoln administration appointed him to be the first United States Marshal for the new Territory of Arizona, a post he held from March 6, 1863, to November 25, 1865. After spending some time working as a special postal agent, in June 1870 two Mexican men entered Duffield's home and tried to kill him with an axe and a knife as he slept. Waking up to a blow to his shoulder, Duffield fought off both attackers and forced them to flee, all after having been struck thirty-one times and losing his right thumb.
After retiring from law enforcement, in 1873 Duffield acquired ownership of Brunckow's Cabin and the nearby mining claim. However, a man named James T. Holmes also claimed to be the owner. On June 5, 1874, Duffield arrived at Brunckow's Cabin to evict Holmes. As he approached, Duffield began "waving his arms and shouting like a mad-man" in his usual manner. Assuming that Duffield was "armed to the teeth," as he usually was, and knowing of his violent reputation, Holmes grabbed his double-barrelled shotgun, walked out the front door, and without hesitation shot the old lawman dead. It was at this point Holmes realized that his victim was unarmed.
Duffield was buried at the cabin, but his grave is no longer marked. Holmes was arrested, tried for murder, and sentenced to three years in prison, but he escaped before serving any of his time. The authorities did not make an effort in finding him and he was never seen in Arizona again.
∼M.B. Duffield, a former well-known inhabitant of Tuolumne, murdered in Arizona. [History of Tuolumne County, 1888]
Milton B. Duffield was a lawman and gunfighter in the Old West. Little in known about his early life, except that he had a wife and four children, whom he abandoned to go out West. By 1852, Duffield was in Tuolumne County, California, working in real estate and in the gold mines. Around the same time he came into conflict with a man named James G. Lyons. One day in 1854, while walking down the road, Lyons and two of his friends spotted Duffield and began firing on him with their sidearms. Duffield, with his "raw nerve" immediately pulled out his revolver and shot Lyons dead while the other two ran off.
When the Civil War began, Duffield was sent on an exploratory mission to Nicaragua for the United States government. After he returned, in 1863 the Lincoln administration appointed him to be the first United States Marshal for the new Territory of Arizona, a post he held from March 6, 1863, to November 25, 1865. After spending some time working as a special postal agent, in June 1870 two Mexican men entered Duffield's home and tried to kill him with an axe and a knife as he slept. Waking up to a blow to his shoulder, Duffield fought off both attackers and forced them to flee, all after having been struck thirty-one times and losing his right thumb.
After retiring from law enforcement, in 1873 Duffield acquired ownership of Brunckow's Cabin and the nearby mining claim. However, a man named James T. Holmes also claimed to be the owner. On June 5, 1874, Duffield arrived at Brunckow's Cabin to evict Holmes. As he approached, Duffield began "waving his arms and shouting like a mad-man" in his usual manner. Assuming that Duffield was "armed to the teeth," as he usually was, and knowing of his violent reputation, Holmes grabbed his double-barrelled shotgun, walked out the front door, and without hesitation shot the old lawman dead. It was at this point Holmes realized that his victim was unarmed.
Duffield was buried at the cabin, but his grave is no longer marked. Holmes was arrested, tried for murder, and sentenced to three years in prison, but he escaped before serving any of his time. The authorities did not make an effort in finding him and he was never seen in Arizona again.
∼M.B. Duffield, a former well-known inhabitant of Tuolumne, murdered in Arizona. [History of Tuolumne County, 1888]
When the Civil War began, Duffield was sent on an exploratory mission to Nicaragua for the United States government. After he returned, in 1863 the Lincoln administration appointed him to be the first United States Marshal for the new Territory of Arizona, a post he held from March 6, 1863, to November 25, 1865. After spending some time working as a special postal agent, in June 1870 two Mexican men entered Duffield's home and tried to kill him with an axe and a knife as he slept. Waking up to a blow to his shoulder, Duffield fought off both attackers and forced them to flee, all after having been struck thirty-one times and losing his right thumb.
After retiring from law enforcement, in 1873 Duffield acquired ownership of Brunckow's Cabin and the nearby mining claim. However, a man named James T. Holmes also claimed to be the owner. On June 5, 1874, Duffield arrived at Brunckow's Cabin to evict Holmes. As he approached, Duffield began "waving his arms and shouting like a mad-man" in his usual manner. Assuming that Duffield was "armed to the teeth," as he usually was, and knowing of his violent reputation, Holmes grabbed his double-barrelled shotgun, walked out the front door, and without hesitation shot the old lawman dead. It was at this point Holmes realized that his victim was unarmed.
Duffield was buried at the cabin, but his grave is no longer marked. Holmes was arrested, tried for murder, and sentenced to three years in prison, but he escaped before serving any of his time. The authorities did not make an effort in finding him and he was never seen in Arizona again.
∼M.B. Duffield, a former well-known inhabitant of Tuolumne, murdered in Arizona. [History of Tuolumne County, 1888]
