Joseph Alfred Slade
Encyclopedia
Joseph Alfred "Jack" Slade, (January 22, 1831 - March 10, 1864), was a stagecoach
and Pony Express
superintendent, instrumental in the opening of the American West and the archetype
of the Western gunslinger
.
Born in Carlyle, Illinois
, he was the son of Charles W. Slade and Mary Dark (Kain) Slade. He married Maria Virginia around 1857. In the 1850s he was a freighting teamster and wagonmaster along the Overland Trail
, and then became a stagecoach driver in Texas
, c. 1857-58. He subsequently became a stagecoach division superintendent along the Central Overland route for Hockaday & Co., 1858–59, and its successors Jones, Russell & Co. (1859) and Central Overland, California & Pike’s Peak Express Co. (1859–62). With the latter concern, he also helped launch and operate the Pony Express
in 1860-61. All were critical to the communication between the East and California
. As superintendent, he enforced order and assured reliable cross-continental mail service, maintaining contact between Washington and California on the eve of Civil War. While division superintendent he shot and killed one of his subordinates who was hindering the progress of a freight train, in May 1859. At the time, shooting deaths of this kind in the West were rare and the reputation of Jack Slade as a "gunfighter" spread rapidly across the country.
His exploits spawned numerous legends, many of them false. His image (especially via Mark Twain
in Roughing It
) as the vicious killer of up to 26 victims was greatly exaggerated: only one killing by Slade is indisputable (that of an employee of the Hockaday & Co.). But his ferocious reputation, combined with a drinking problem, caused his downfall: during a drunken spree in Virginia City, Montana
, he was lynched by local vigilantes on March 10, 1864, for disturbing the peace. He was buried in Salt Lake City, Utah
, on July 20, 1864.
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
and Pony Express
Pony Express
The Pony Express was a fast mail service crossing the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the High Sierra from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, from April 3, 1860 to October 1861...
superintendent, instrumental in the opening of the American West and the archetype
Archetype
An archetype is a universally understood symbol or term or pattern of behavior, a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated...
of the Western gunslinger
Gunslinger
Gunfighter, also gunslinger , is a 20th century word, used in cinema or literature, referring to men in the American Old West who had gained a reputation as being dangerous with a gun...
.
Born in Carlyle, Illinois
Carlyle, Illinois
Carlyle is a city in Clinton County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,406 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Clinton County.Carlyle is located approximately 50 miles east of St...
, he was the son of Charles W. Slade and Mary Dark (Kain) Slade. He married Maria Virginia around 1857. In the 1850s he was a freighting teamster and wagonmaster along the Overland Trail
Overland Trail
The Overland Trail was a stagecoach and wagon trail in the American West during the 19th century. While portions of the route had been used by explorers and trappers since the 1820s, the Overland Trail was most heavily used in the 1860s as an alternative route to the Oregon, California and Mormon...
, and then became a stagecoach driver in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, c. 1857-58. He subsequently became a stagecoach division superintendent along the Central Overland route for Hockaday & Co., 1858–59, and its successors Jones, Russell & Co. (1859) and Central Overland, California & Pike’s Peak Express Co. (1859–62). With the latter concern, he also helped launch and operate the Pony Express
Pony Express
The Pony Express was a fast mail service crossing the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the High Sierra from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, from April 3, 1860 to October 1861...
in 1860-61. All were critical to the communication between the East and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. As superintendent, he enforced order and assured reliable cross-continental mail service, maintaining contact between Washington and California on the eve of Civil War. While division superintendent he shot and killed one of his subordinates who was hindering the progress of a freight train, in May 1859. At the time, shooting deaths of this kind in the West were rare and the reputation of Jack Slade as a "gunfighter" spread rapidly across the country.
His exploits spawned numerous legends, many of them false. His image (especially via Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
in Roughing It
Roughing It
Roughing It is a book of semi-autobiographical travel literature written by American humorist Mark Twain. It was written during 1870–71 and published in 1872 as a prequel to his first book Innocents Abroad...
) as the vicious killer of up to 26 victims was greatly exaggerated: only one killing by Slade is indisputable (that of an employee of the Hockaday & Co.). But his ferocious reputation, combined with a drinking problem, caused his downfall: during a drunken spree in Virginia City, Montana
Virginia City, Montana
Virginia City is a town in and the county seat of Madison County, Montana, United States. In 1961, the town and the surrounding area was designated a National Historic Landmark District, the Virginia City Historic District...
, he was lynched by local vigilantes on March 10, 1864, for disturbing the peace. He was buried in Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, on July 20, 1864.
See also
- Virginia Dale, ColoradoVirginia Dale, ColoradoVirginia Dale is a tiny unincorporated town located in northwestern Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Virginia Dale is situated in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains on U.S. Highway 287, approximately 45 mi northwest of Ft. Collins and approximately 4 mi south of the Wyoming...
- Julesburg, ColoradoJulesburg, ColoradoThe historic town of Julesburg is a statutory town that is the county seat of Sedgwick County, Colorado, United States. The town is located on the north side of the South Platte River. The population was 1,467 at the U.S. Census 2000...
named after Jules Beni, whom Slade killed in 1861 after Beni ambushed and shot him multiple times in 1860.
Sources
- L.L. Callaway, Two True Tales of the Wild West
- Dan Rottenberg, "The Forgotten Gunfighter”, Civilization magazine, Mar.-Apr. 1996;
- Dan Rottenberg, 2008, Death of a Gunfighter: The Quest for Jack Slade, the West's Most Elusive Legend, Westholme Publishing, Yardley, PA. ISBN: 978-1-59416-070-7 / (ISBN 10: 1-59416-070-8).
- Roy O’Dell and Kenneth Jessen, An Ear in His Pocket.
- History to Go, Here Lies Joseph Slade