Thomas Calton Smith

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

Felonious

End of Watch November 3, 1892

The Vigil Panel 11 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 312

Incident

Deputy U.S. Marshals Tom C. Smith, Dave Booker and a man named Tucker left Gainesville for the Chickasaw Nation in the Indian Territory. The three lawmen boarded a northbound Santa Fe train. Around 11:00 p.m., just inside Indian Territory, the three deputy marshals entered a passenger car, reserved for African Americans, to walk to the smoking car. One of the African American passengers took offense to white men in the sleeping car, and pulled a pistol and shot Deputy Marshal Smith through the heart killing him. Deputies Booker and Tucker pulled their pistols and killed the assailant. It was reported the killer was Commodore Miller who was wanted in Dallas County and was escaping to the Indian Territory. Smith was survived by his wife, Sallie, and their four children. He is buried in the Taylor Cemetery. Smith’s father was the sheriff of Fort Bend County from 1852-1856. Smith later served as a Fort Bend County deputy sheriff and was involved in the Jaybird-Woodpecker War, Democratic “Jaybirds” were fighting the Republican “Woodpeckers” who had power since Reconstruction, in which Sheriff J.T. Garvey and others were killed on August 16, 1889. Smith also served as the city marshal of Taylor, Texas; a deputy U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Arkansas; and a cattle detective involved in the Johnson County War in New Mexico. He returned to Texas in 1892 and became a deputy U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Texas operating out of Paris, Texas. His territory covered Texas and southern part of the Indian Territory.

Survivors

Smith was survived by his wife, Sallie, and their four children.

In Our Keeping

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Last updated: August 2, 2026

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Tributes

134 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Smith 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

Type Federal Agency

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity usms.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 3, 1892

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Thomas is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1892, 81 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 82nd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

When

November holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Thursdays: 14%.

By month

By day of the week

III

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded