Our Arklahoma Heritage: Murder in Scott County in 1878 was part of the lawless "Waldron War" conflicts

 In Pleasant Grove Cemetery Number 2, east of Abbott in Scott County, a weathered tombstone stands as a silent accusation: “John L. Davenport, Assassinated by the Waldron Ring, Feb. 6, 1878.”

The grave, just off Highway 71, marks the resting place of a young man whose murder epitomized the violent grip of the Waldron Ring, a notorious gang that terrorized Scott County during the turbulent Waldron War.

This decade-long period of lawlessness, arson, and murder shook the region, and Davenport’s killing became a rallying cry for justice. Drawing on historical records, this feature explores the Waldron Ring’s reign, Davenport’s assassination, and the efforts to bring the gang to account.

In the late 1860s and 1870s, Scott County was a powder keg. The Civil War’s end in 1865 left Waldron, the county seat, scarred by Union troops who burned much of the town in 1864. Reconstruction deepened divisions, with Union and Confederate sympathizers clashing and local Republican Party rivalries fueling personal vendettas.

The Waldron War, as this era became known, was marked by election fraud, arson, and targeted killings, destabilizing the county and prompting Governors Augustus Garland and William Read Miller to deploy state militia multiple times.

At the center of this chaos was the Waldron Ring, a loosely organized gang that operated with impunity in and around Waldron. Blamed for a wave of crimes, the group orchestrated the 1876 arson that leveled Waldron’s business district, the murder of prominent citizen Peter Beam in front of his daughter, and an attack on Judge Frank Fuller’s home.

Their motives blended political power grabs, personal grudges, and a desire to maintain control through fear. The Ring’s shadowy membership, likely including local figures with influence, made them elusive, and their actions left residents in constant dread. It was in this climate that John L. Davenport became their next victim.

Born on March 19, 1855, John L. Davenport, known as “Shabe,” was only 22 when he died. The son of Thomas Davenport (1822–1887) and Louisa Davenport (1831–1880), both buried in Pleasant Grove Cemetery, he came from a prominent family.

His brother, Dr. T.B. Davenport (1858–1910), was a respected physician, and the Davenports were well-known in Waldron’s social and political circles. While details of John’s life are limited, his status as a respected citizen suggests he may have been involved in local affairs, possibly crossing paths with the Waldron Ring’s interests.

Davenport lived in a Scott County still shaped by its frontier roots. The area around Abbott, then called Black Jack, was home to early settlers like the Sorrels and Abbott families, who farmed and established institutions like Pleasant Grove Cemetery around 1858. The Davenports’ prominence in Waldron placed them in the crosshairs of a region plagued by lawlessness, where the Waldron Ring’s influence loomed large.

On February 6, 1878, John L. Davenport was assassinated in Waldron, a deliberate act attributed to the Waldron Ring. Historical records, including the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, provide few specifics on the killing’s circumstances, but its context points to a targeted hit.

The Ring’s pattern of violence--seen in the murders of Peter Beam and the attack on Judge Fuller--—suggests Davenport’s death was tied to his influence, affiliations, or a conflict with the gang’s members. The brutality of the act, carried out at the height of the Waldron War, underscored the Ring’s ruthless control.

The murder ignited outrage across Scott County. News spread to the northern communities, where a mob assembled at Lookout Gap near Hon, determined to march on Waldron and confront the Ring.

Sheriff F.C. “Buck” Gaines

High water levels on the Poteau River blocked their path, preventing a potentially deadly clash. The incident prompted Governor William Miller to position a Franklin County militia nearby, ready to intervene if Sheriff F.C. “Buck” Gaines requested aid.

The presence of two rival local “militias” aligned with opposing factions highlighted the deep divisions fueling the Waldron Ring’s power.

Davenport was laid to rest in Pleasant Grove Cemetery Number 2, his tombstone boldly declaring his assassination by the Waldron Ring--a rare public condemnation of the gang’s crimes.

The Waldron Ring’s reign was not eternal, but dismantling their influence required concerted effort. Davenport’s murder marked a turning point, galvanizing calls for justice and exposing the gang’s atrocities.

Governor aUGISTUS Garland

Sheriff Gaines, overwhelmed by the violence, had already appealed to Governor Garland for support, leading to militia deployments under Adjutant General Carroll D. Wood and General Robert Newton. These interventions, though initially limited, began to curb the Ring’s unchecked power.

Historical accounts suggest the Waldron Ring’s influence waned in the late 1870s as state and local authorities tightened their grip. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas notes that the militia’s presence, combined with community resolve, helped quell the violence.

While specific records of trials or arrests tied to the Ring are scarce, the gang’s members likely faced a mix of outcomes: some were killed in confrontations, others fled, and a few may have been prosecuted as law enforcement regained control.

The failure of the northern mob to reach Waldron, though a missed opportunity for vigilante justice, allowed official channels to take precedence, avoiding further chaos.

By the early 1880s, the Waldron War had largely subsided, and the Waldron Ring’s stranglehold was broken. The restoration of order came too late for Davenport, but his death spurred the resolve to end the gang’s terror.

The militia’s role, alongside Sheriff Gaines’ efforts and community pressure, ensured that the Ring’s crimes, including Davenport’s assassination, were not forgotten.

John L. Davenport’s murder left an indelible mark on Scott County. His grave in Pleasant Grove Cemetery, near his parents and infant niece Annie L. Davenport (1889), stands among the region’s oldest, a reminder of the Waldron War’s toll.

The Davenport family’s continued presence, through Dr. T.B. Davenport and others, reflects their endurance amid tragedy.

Today, Abbott is a quiet community, its economy tied to agriculture and natural gas wells.

The Scott County Museum of History in Waldron, opened in 2022, preserves stories of the Waldron War, including the Waldron Ring’s crimes and Davenport’s assassination.

The broken tombstone in Pleasant Grove Cemetery remains a poignant symbol of a county’s struggle for justice.