Jabez C. Pierson

Bosque County Sheriff's Office — Meridian, TX

Felonious

End of Watch June 9, 1874

The Vigil Panel 4 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 3

Incident

On Tuesday, June 9, 1874, Bosque County Deputy Sheriff Jabez C. Pierson was transporting prisoner M. H. "Bud" Galbreath by horse and wagon from Comanche to Meridian where Galbreath was to be tried for rape. Galbreath was chained. Somehow during the trip along the Bosque River, Galbreath gained possession of Deputy Pierson's pistol, then shot and killed Deputy Sheriff Pierson. Pierson's body was found in the wagon.

M. H. "Bud" Galbreath, 17 years old, AKA: Gelbrath and Galbraith, had been running with the notorious John Wesley Hardin gang when he was arrested by Texas Rangers in Comanche County. Galbreath escaped from the scene where he murdered Deputy Pierson and fled to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma).

Galbreath was arrested in the Indian Territory in 1897. He was brought back to Meridian and tried in 1898, twenty-four years after the murder of Deputy Pierson. The jury gave the following ruling: "We the Jury find the defendant guilty of manslaughter and as the offense was committed more than three years prior to the finding of this indictment we find him not guilty of that offense, signed Ed M. Kisick, Foreman". and "It is therefore considered ordered and adjudged by the court the defendant M. H. Galbreath be immediately discharged from all further liability upon the charge for which he has herein been tried and that he go hence without delay".

Jabez C. Pierson was a Confederate War Veteran. He served in Co. B, 31st Texas Calvary C. S. A. In 1875 Bosque County Sheriff John A. Biffle while writing about Galbreath said...."he killed one of the best men in Texas [J.C. Pierson]". Jabez C. Pierson is buried in Section M, Meridian City Cemetery, Meridian, Texas.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-69161CE6
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

152 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Sheriff Pierson served with the Bosque County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Meridian community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Bosque County Sheriff's Office

Location Meridian, TX

Platform Identity bcso.bosque.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 9, 1874

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Deputy Sheriff Jabez C. Pierson is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In TX, 1,463 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Bosque County Sheriff's Office, 4 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.

Bosque County Sheriff's Office

of 4 officers

100% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,463

of 2,421 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious