Wham Paymaster robbery

Holding Up the Pay Escort by Frederic Remington.

Date	May 11, 1889
Location	Near Fort Thomas, Arizona Territory 32°50′N 110°08′W / 32.833°N 110.133°W / 32.833; -110.133
Result	Bandits steal $28,345.10 in gold and silver coins.

Belligerents

United States

Unknown

Commanders and leaders

Joseph W. Wham

Gilbert Webb (alleged)

Strength

12 infantry

7–13 bandits

Casualties and losses

8 wounded

1–2 killed (suspected)

The Wham Paymaster robbery (/ˈhwɑːm/ WHAHM) was an armed robbery on a United States Army paymaster transporting over US$28,000 in gold and silver coins (about $755,550 in present-day terms) and his escort that occurred on May 11, 1889. Major Joseph W. Wham was transporting a payroll from Fort Grant, Arizona Territory to Fort Thomas when he and his escort of eleven Buffalo Soldiers were ambushed. During the attack, the bandits wounded eight of the soldiers, forced them to retreat to cover, and stole the payroll. As a result of their actions under fire, Sergeant Benjamin Brown and Corporal Isaiah Mays were awarded the Medal of Honor while eight other soldiers received a Certificate of Merit. Eleven men, most from the nearby Mormon community of Pima, were arrested with eight tried on charges of robbery. At trial, all the accused were found not guilty, and the stolen money has never been recovered.

In April 1889, Special Order 37 directed all paymasters in the District of Arizona to pay troops mustered as of April 30. Major Joseph Washington Wham, a U.S. Army paymaster, was assigned Fort Bowie, Fort Grant, Fort Thomas, Fort Apache and Camp San Carlos. Wham and his clerk, William T. Gibbon, met a train carrying the payroll in Willcox on May 8. The paymaster performed his duties at Fort Bowie on May 9 and at Fort Grant on May 10.

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Wikipedia