James R. Barton was the second sheriff of Los Angeles County, California, and the first to die in office in the line of duty.

Barton was born in Howard County, Missouri, in 1810. In 1841, he moved to Mexico and moved again to Los Angeles, California, two years later. There he worked as a carpenter and fought in the Mexican-American War.

Barton was elected sheriff of Los Angeles County, California, in 1851 and filled the position from 1852 to 1855. However, he refused to run for the 1856 term after a vigilante group lynched one of his prisoners. After a year off, he evidently changed his mind, as he was once again filling the role in 1857, a time when the county was rampant with violent crime, averaging one violent death per day.

However, Barton and several other men’s terms would be short. On January 22, 1857, he, along with Deputies William H. Little, Charles K. Baker, Charles T. Daly, and three other men, set out to capture the notorious Flores-Daniels Gang, who had recently raided the town of San Juan Capistrano. The posse headed south, resting for the night, before stopping for breakfast at the main house of the Rancho San Joaquin southwest of present-day Santa Ana. Owned by Don Jose Sepulveda, the ranch owner warned the men that they were significantly outnumbered and should get reinforcements before continuing their pursuit. However, Barton and his men ignored the warning and continued.

After traveling about 12 miles south, they were ambushed by gunshots in a canyon. They tried to return the fire, only to discover that someone (thought to have been a ranch servant) had removed the ammunition from their weapons. Unarmed, the lawmen began to flee, but Sheriff Barton, Constable Charles Baker, Deputy Charles Daly, and Constable William Little were shot and killed, the first lawmen in Los Angeles County to lose their lives in the line of duty. The other three men were able to escape to tell of the ambush. Within two hours, another posse was formed of some 60 men, who once again went after the outlaws. Under the leadership of James Thompson, who would later become Los Angeles County’s new sheriff, the posse found the mutilated bodies of the four officers. With renewed enthusiasm, the posse continued the search for the outlaws, arresting 52. Another posse, led by General Andres Pico, immediately lynched two of the most notorious of the gang when they came upon them. Housed in the county jail, eleven men, including Juan Flores, were hanged on February 14, 1857. Pancho Daniel, who had eluded arrest, was captured the following year and was hanged on November 30, 1858. Before it was all said and done, more than 100 gang members were either captured or killed in the pursuit.

 

©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated June 2025.

Also See:

Adventures in the American West

Juan Flores – Bandit leader of the Flores-Daniels Gang

Lawmen of the Old West

Lawmen & Gunfighters Photo Gallery

See Sources.