Jim Ward

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

Felonious

End of Watch April 15, 1872

The Vigil Panel 4 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 312

Incident

Special Deputy Marshal Jim Ward and seven other deputy marshals were shot and killed as he a group of ten marshals attempted to arrest a man for murdering a married couple. The suspect was being tried in an Indian court since the murdered woman was Indian. As the deputies approached the courthouse, which was being held in a schoolhouse, several Indians exited and opened fire on them, killing eight of the ten marshals. The incident was named the Going Snake Massacre. Deputy Marshal Owens succumbed to his injuries several hours after the incident. Several Indians were arrested after the incident but all charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence or witnesses refusing to testify.

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Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

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Tributes

154 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Special Deputy Marshal Ward 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 April 15, 1872

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Jim 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 1872, 32 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 154th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

When

April holds 8.4% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Mondays: 13.8%.

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 rifle, in 5.9% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded