Charley Pierce (c. 1866 – May 2, 1895) was an American outlaw in the American Old West who rode with both the

Dalton Gang The Dalton Gang was a group of outlaws in the American Old West during 1890–1892. It was also known as The Dalton Brothers because four of its members were brothers. The gang specialized in bank and train robberies. During an attempted double ...

and the Doolin Dalton Gang during the 1890s. He and "Bittercreek" Newcomb were killed by friends, the Dunn brothers, for bounty money.

Early life and career

The younger life of Pierce is little known. He is known to have been born in

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

but raised in Sullivan, Indiana, and was a cowboy at one time, as well as having ridden in horse races for money. His father, William Pierce, was an attorney, and Charley had three brothers, the oldest James, and his younger brother Joe. Joe Pierce was killed in a tragic

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic ...

accident while still a youth, and Willis who was learning the trade with Charley and was part of the Dalton gang for a time. He was not with his brother when he was killed, but came later when he heard of his demise. He was killed on a bridge going toward Pawnee, Oklahoma to identify his brother. He was running from the Texas Rangers on a warrant for his arrest and had a bounty on his head. He was killed by Texas Rangers that knew Charley had been killed. Around early 1892 he joined the Dalton Gang, but after almost the entire gang was wiped out during the failed

bank robbery Bank robbery is the criminal act of stealing from a bank, specifically while bank employees and customers are subjected to force, violence, or a threat of violence. This refers to robbery of a bank branch or teller, as opposed to other bank- ...

attempts in

Coffeyville, Kansas Coffeyville is a city in southeastern Montgomery County, Kansas, United States, located along the Verdigris River in the state's southeastern region. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 8,826. Coffeyville is the most popul ...

, he joined the Doolin-Dalton Gang, which was co-led by

Bill Doolin Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

and Bill Dalton. Pierce is known to have taken part in numerous bank and

train robberies In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often know ...

, and was present at the Battle of Ingalls, a gunfight between the gang and

US Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated ...

s which left three Deputy Marshals dead, two civilians dead, one gang member captured and two (including Pierce) wounded. During the Ingalls gunfight, "Bittercreek" Newcomb and Charley Pierce were wounded, and "Arkansas Tom" Jones was captured. However, Newcomb and Pierce did escape, for a time hiding out to allow themselves to heal. Pierce had known Newcomb longer than any other member of the gang, having met him while working as a ranch hand on the ''Tulsa Stockyard Railhead''. Once healed, the two rode to

Pawnee, Oklahoma Pawnee ( Pawnee: Paári, iow, Páñi Chína) is a city and county seat of Pawnee County, Oklahoma, United States. The town is northeast of Stillwater at the junction of U.S. Route 64 and State Highway 18. It was named for the Pawnee tribe, ...

, to the house of

Rose Dunn Rose Elizabeth Dunn (September 5, 1878 – June 11, 1955) also known as Rose of Cimarron and later Rose of the Cimarron, was best known for her good looks and for her romantic involvement with outlaw George "Bittercreek" Newcomb when she was a ...

, a girlfriend of Newcomb's. Dunn's brothers, known as the Dunn Brothers, were

bounty hunter A bounty hunter is a private agent working for bail bonds who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as bail enforcement agent, or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated outsid ...

s, and by this time there was a significant bounty on both outlaws, believed to have been $5,000 for each. As Newcomb and Pierce dismounted, they were shot and killed by the Dunns. Pierce is buried in Guthrie, Oklahoma, where his body was taken by the Dunns to collect the bounty on him. Many years after his death, someone, though it was never known who, began placing flowers on his grave on the anniversary of his death, and threw hog guts on the grave of the Dunn Brothers who killed him.

External links

Charley Pierce
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pierce, Charley Outlaws of the American Old West People of Indian Territory 1860s births 1895 deaths American bank robbers People from Sullivan, Indiana Cowboys Dalton Gang