4. Battle of Ingalls (1893)

Battle of Ingalls (1893)

Ingalls, Oklahoma Territory

In the early 1890s, the Dalton-Doolin Gang, notorious for their string of brazen train and bank robberies, were on the run. Led by a mix of seasoned outlaws, the gang needed a place to lie low, when they stumbled upon the small town of Ingalls, Oklahoma. The residents, either out of fear or admiration for the gang’s notoriety, tolerated their presence, turning a blind eye to their criminal activities. This, paired with its remote location, the town of Ingalls became a haven for the bandits.

However, the U.S. Marshals had been tracking the gang’s movements, and it wasn’t long before they discovered the outlaws had holed up in Ingalls. Determined to bring the notorious gang to justice, a posse of 27 U.S. Marshals assembled and set out for the town. The mission was simple—capture or kill the gang members, putting an end to their reign of terror.

On the morning of Sept. 1, 1893, the quiet town awoke to the sound of hooves pounding the dirt streets as the large Marshal posse rode in. What followed was one of the most intense gunfights of the Old West. As the U.S. Marshals closed in on the Dalton-Doolin Gang’s hideout, both sides were ready for a showdown. Shots rang out, echoing as bullets tore through the air in every direction. The well-organized gang, familiar with shootouts, fiercely resisted arrest, turning the town into a battlefield.

By the time the dust settled, three U.S. Deputy Marshals had been killed, along with one citizen who’d been caught in the crossfire. The outlaws managed to escape the immediate clutches of law enforcement—except for one. Despite the chaos of the battle, most of the gang members evaded capture that day.

The victory was short-lived for the rest of the Dalton-Doolin Gang. The remaining gang members were soon tracked down and apprehended by law enforcement in the following days and weeks, bringing an end to their brief reign over Ingalls.