Dan Tipton (1844 - February 25, 1898) was an American sailor, miner, gambler, and member of a federal

posse Posse is a shortened form of posse comitatus, a group of people summoned to assist law enforcement. The term is also used colloquially to mean a group of friends or associates. Posse may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Posse'' (1975 ...

led by American Old West lawman

Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman and gambler in the American West, including Dodge City, Deadwood, and Tombstone. Earp took part in the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, during which l ...

. He rode with Earp's

vendetta Vendetta may refer to: * Feud or vendetta, a long-running argument or fight Film * ''Vendetta'' (1919 film), a film featuring Harry Liedtke * ''Vendetta'' (1950 film), an American drama produced by Howard Hughes * ''Vendetta'' (1986 film), a ...

during which four outlaw

Cowboys A cowboy is a professional pastoralist or mounted livestock herder, usually from the Americas or Australia. Cowboy(s) or The Cowboy(s) may also refer to: Film and television * ''Cowboy'' (1958 film), starring Glenn Ford * ''Cowboy'' (1966 film), ...

were killed.

Life in Arizona

Tipton served aboard the USS ''Malvern'' during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

and drifted west afterward. He showed up in Tombstone in March 1881. When

Morgan Earp Morgan Seth Earp (April 24, 1851 – March 18, 1882) was an American sheriff and Marshal, lawman. He served as Tombstone, Arizona, Tombstone, Arizona Territory, Arizona's Special Policeman when he helped his brothers Virgil Earp, Virgil and Wy ...

was assassinated on March 18, 1882, Tipton was present in the billiard parlor where Morgan was killed. Tipton joined Earp's posse after it returned from Prescott. While escorting

Virgil Earp Virgil Walter Earp (July 18, 1843 – October 19, 1905) was both deputy U.S. Marshal and Tombstone, Arizona City Marshal when he led his younger brothers Wyatt and Morgan, and Doc Holliday, in a confrontation with outlaw Cowboys at the Gu ...

and his wife Allie to the train bound for California, Wyatt killed

Frank Stilwell Frank C. Stilwell (1856 – March 20, 1882) was an outlaw Cowboy who killed at least two men in Cochise County during 1877–82. Both killings were considered to have been self-defense. For four months he was a deputy sheriff in Tombstone, A ...

who had been named as a suspect in Morgan's murder. Tipton rode with Wyatt,

Warren Earp Warren Baxter Earp (March 9, 1855 – July 6, 1900) was an American frontiersman and lawman. He was the youngest of Earp brothers, Wyatt, Morgan, Virgil, James, and Newton Earp. Although he was not present during the Gunfight at the O.K. Cor ...

, Doc Holliday,

Texas Jack Vermillion John Wilson Vermillion (1842–1911), also known as "Texas Jack" or later as "Shoot-Your-Eye-Out Vermillion", was a gunfighter of the Old West known for his participation in the Earp Vendetta Ride and his later association with Soapy Smith. Ea ...

, Hairlip Charlie Smith, Turkey Creek Jack Johnson and

Sherman McMaster Sherman McMaster (1853–1892) was an outlaw turned lawman, who was one of the six men involved in the Earp vendetta ride. Early life Sherman W. McMaster was born in 1853 in Rock Island, Illinois, the son of Sylvester W. McMaster. Not much is k ...

as they searched for the other Cowboys thought responsible for attacking the Earps. He was with the Earp posse when it rode out to

Pete Spence Pete Spence (born Elliot Larkin Ferguson; 1852–1914) was a small-time criminal known for his association with outlaw Cowboys Frank and Tom McLaury, and Ike and Billy Clanton, of Tombstone, Arizona Territory. Spence was also a suspect in the ...

's wood camp where they found Florentino Cruz, a.k.a. Indian Charlie, who had been implicated in trying to kill the Earps. He returned to Tombstone to obtain more funds for the Earps and was arrested on trumped up charges by

Cochise County Cochise County () is a county in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is named after the Native American chief Cochise. The population was 125,447 at the 2020 census. The county seat is Bisbee and the most populous city is ...

Sheriff and Earp enemy

Johnny Behan John Harris Behan (October 24, 1844 – June 7, 1912) was an American law enforcement officer and politician who served as Sheriff of Cochise County in the Arizona Territory, during the gunfight at the O.K. Corral and was known for his opposit ...

. While in jail he missed the shootout at Iron Springs on March 24 during which Wyatt Earp killed

Curly Bill Brocius William Brocius (c. 1845 – March 24, 1882), better known as Curly Bill Brocius, was an American gunman, rustler and an outlaw Cowboy in the Cochise County area of the Arizona Territory during the late 1870s and early 1880s. His name is like ...

because he was bringing money to the Earp posse. After Tipton was released on March 25, he was given $1,000 to take to Earp, donated by E.B. Gage, part owner of the Tombstone-based Grand Central Mining Company and superintendent of the Grand Central Mine. Gage was also a prominent Republican and a member of the Citizens Safety Committee. He took the money to the Earp party at

Henry Hooker Henry Clay Hooker (January 10, 1828 – December 5, 1907) was a prominent and wealthy rancher during the American Old West who formed the first and what became the largest American ranch in Arizona Territory. After growing up on the east coast, ...

's Sierra Bonita Ranch north of Willcox. Gage The posse members looked for more members of the outlaw Cowboys for a few more days before leaving Arizona on April 15 to avoid arrest warrants. Tipton remained with the group through New Mexico and into Colorado, where most of the posse stayed to avoid arrest warrants from Cochise County.

Later life

In 1897, Tipton ran afoul of the law. Customs agents arrested him for smuggling forged Chinese immigrant labor certificates. He was convicted in October and sentenced to 20 months in the Ohio Federal Penitentiary. The 53-year-old inmate lived only four months behind bars before dying of

Bright's Disease Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that are described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. It was characterized by swelling and the presence of albumin in the urine, and was frequently accompanied ...

on February 25, 1898. He left no known family. His body was buried in an unmarked grave at the Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus, Ohio. In July, 2006, a government-issued tombstone was placed on the veteran's grave.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tipton, Dan 1844 births 1898 deaths Burials at Green Lawn Cemetery (Columbus, Ohio) American vigilantes