John H. Dames

Baltimore Police Dept. — Baltimore, MD

Illness

End of Watch January 12, 1872

The Vigil Panel 4 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 150

Incident

Police Officer John Dames contracted smallpox while in the performance of his duty during an epidemic in Baltimore.

Police officers were used by the health department to assist in counting and notifying the health department of cases of smallpox identified during their patrol. Officers frequently came in contact with infected persons which increased their risk of contracting the disease. Officer Dames died of the disease on January 12th, 1872.

Police Officer Francis Fullum and Police Officer James Harvey also died that year of smallpox.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MD-0BEEC242
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

154 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Police Officer Dames served with the Baltimore City Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Baltimore community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Department Baltimore Police Dept.

Location Baltimore, MD

Platform Identity baltpd.baltimore.md.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 12, 1872

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Police Officer John H. Dames is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In MD, 15 of 377 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 4% of this state's fallen. That is 5.1 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.

At Baltimore Police Dept., 10 of 151 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 6.6% of this agency's fallen.

Baltimore Police Dept.

of 151 officers

6.6% Illness

MD — Statewide

of 377 officers

4% Illness

Nationwide

2,974

of 32,508 officers

9.1% Illness