R. W. "Dick" Townsend

United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service — Washington, DC

Felonious

End of Watch April 4, 1886

Age 32

The Vigil Panel 8 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 312

Incident

Deputy U.S. Marshal Dick Townsend was shot and killed near Buttermilk Junction at the intersection of E. Morningside Street at Main Street in Forth Worth, Tarrant County, Texas. On April 3, 1886, a group of law enforcement officers attempted to escort a train out of Fort Worth. The train was southbound, where four strikers were seen tampering with a track switch. Special Deputy Townsend and other law enforcement officers stopped the train to arrest the men. Several other strikers were seen with Winchester rifles, reclining in a gully. Deputy Jim “Longhair” Courtwright requested the riflemen lay down their weapons. They opened fire on the lawmen. Deputy Townsend was guarding the prisoners when a rifle bullet struck him just above the heart. Two other Deputies were wounded in the initial gunfire from the strikers. The lawmen returned fire, but the strikers were out of pistol range. A mortally wounded Deputy Townsend emptied one pistol and crawled back to the cab of the train engine. Once in the cab of the train engine, Deputy Townsend turned his pistols over to the train fireman. Deputy Townsend died at 2:13 p.m. the next day, April 4, 1886. Shortly after the battle and amid the threat of escalating violence, Fort Worth's mayor and Sheriff requested two Companies of Texas Rangers or State Militia from the governor of Texas. Deputy U.S. Marshal Townsend also served as a Special Deputy for the Tarrant County, Sheriff's Office.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FED-2A849484
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.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew R.. Claim this record.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

140 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Townsend served with the United States Department of Justice.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Department United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity usms.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 4, 1886

Age 32

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle; Winchester

Offender Not available

Deputy U.S. Marshal R. W. "Dick" Townsend 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 DC, 754 of 1,419 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.1% of this state's fallen. That is 1.1 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service, 251 of 313 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 80.2% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service

251

of 313 officers

80.2% Felonious

DC — Statewide

754

of 1,419 officers

53.1% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious