Orson Colgrove

1869

Orson Rodolphus Colgrove.

How He Died

Manner Homicide

Cause Gunshot wound

Mechanism Firearm

What Happened

Sheriff Orson Colgrove was shot and killed from ambush by several men hiding behind bushes next to a road near Trenton as he drove by in his carriage.

He was assassinated by members of the Ku Klux Klan who believed that he should not have been appointed sheriff due to not owning land in Jones County and for being a Republican. The same group assassinated the county commissioner a short time later. The Lenoir County sheriff arrested three men believed to be involved with Sheriff Colgrove's murder.

The three were later released by the state's governor in exchange for the the KKK to stop their assassinations in Jones County and Lenoir County.

Sheriff Colgrove had previously served with the United States Army during the Civil War and is buried in New Bern National Cemetery in New Bern, North Carolina.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, brother (a state Senator), and half brother.

Service Record

Also Served

Jones County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff

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Last updated August 2, 2026

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