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Robert J. Eagle (b. 17 Jul 1847, d. 06 Nov 1873)
Robert J. Eagle (son of James Eagle and Charity Swaim) was born 17 Jul 1847, and died 06 Nov 1873 in Lonoke , Lonoke Co., AR. He married (1) Sou Fletcher. He married (2) Laura Virginia Robinson on 18 May 1868, daughter of William M. Robinson and Madella G. Rossell.
Notes for Robert J. Eagle:
Taken from the Arkansas Gazette newspaper dated November 8, 1873, page 4
The Ashley Township Tragedy
Further particulars on the deliberate murder of a Constable's posse.
The Hon. James P. Eagle, representative from Lonoke County, Sheriff McClintock, Mr. A. Martin, and several other parties from Lonoke, Arkansas, arrived in the city last evening on a hand-car from Lonoke. From these gentlemen we learn the following particulars of the terrible tragedy recorded in yesterday's Gazette.
On Wednesday last George Alexander "Dock" Eagle, his son William H. "Billy" Eagle, his nephew Robert J. Eagle (brother of Hon. James P. Eagle), Dock Gray and James Sullivan were bear hunting. Having lost part of their dogs they came near the Shall place in Pulaski County, Arkansas looking for them. Dock Eagle, Gray, and Robert Eagle went into camp leaving Sullivan and Billy Eagle to hunt the missing dogs. While looking for them, the two latter, in the woods near the Forbes place, came across two negroes with guns, having four hogs tied on their horses. They halted the negroes and told them they desired to see whose hogs they had. The negroes refused to stop. Sullivan and Billy Eagle then advanced on them when the negroes jumped from their horses and took to the brush. They then took charge of the horses and hogs and carried them to the house of Squire Sullivan, a few miles distant. On examination the hogs proved to be in Squire Sullivan's mark. The Squire issued writs for the arrest of the two negroes and there being no constable in the township gave them to Robert J. Eagle to serve on Thursday morning. The latter deputized the party who had been hunting together, Dock Eagle, Dock Gray, James Sullivan and Billy Eagle to assist him in serving the writs. They went to the Forbes place, and arriving there found a company of negroes fully armed. On telling the negroes what they came for, they answered they could not be arrested with five hundred men.
Robert J. Eagle, the acting constable, and who had the writs ordered his posse to dismount. As they did so they were fired upon by a lot of negroes concealed in the crib killing instantly Dock Eagle, his son Billy Eagle and Robert J. Eagle his nephew and severely wounding Sullivan. Dock Gray being the only one uninjured made his escape to Lonoke where he reported the facts to Sheriff McClintock, who immediately summoned a posse and proceeded to the bloody scene. Gray being unacquainted with the woods they did not reach the spot until 11 o'clock, Thursday night. The posse was halted near the place and the sheriff with Hon. James P. Eagle and Mr. Parrish, went forward to the house where they found the three dead bodies. Robert J. Eagle was shot in the right eye and in the stomach, the gun being so close that his body was badly powder-burnt. Dock Eagle was shot above the left breast and under the right arm. Billy Eagle had twenty nine bullet holes in his body. The bodies had been robbed of their watches, jewelry, guns, horses and equipments. There was nobody at the house when the sheriff arrived but soon after breaking open the door the report of a gun was heard about half a mile distant, thought to be in the direction of Squire Harrington's residence.
The sheriff had the dead bodies removed on horseback a distance of three miles where they were placed in a hack and taken to Lonoke where an inquest was held yesterday by Coroner John A. Woollen. Last evening Coroner Kirby with the posse who went down with him Thursday night arrived in the city. One of his posse named Conner was riding Billy Eagle's horse, which was recognized by Hon. James P. Eagle and turned over to him by Sheriff Oliver. Hon. Eagle was not certain but thought he recognized in the hands of the coroner or one of his posse the Henry rifle of his uncle, Dock Eagle. The coroner was questioned by a Gazette representative but seemed to know little about the matter. When he got there the bodies had been removed and he came back to the city. Conner stated he got Billy Eagle's horse down there. How he did not say. Hon. James P. Eagle is of the opinion that both his uncle's horse and horse of Dock Gray were with the coroner's posse.
Yesterday morning Sheriff Oliver sent D. C. Adams, W. F. Groves and Henry Powers to the scene of the troubles with instructions to arrest all of the parties. Nothing had been heard from them last night, when another posse of almost ten men was sent down to assist them. Sheriff McClintock of Lonoke deputized Sheriff Oliver to make arrests in his county and vice versa. The greatest excitement prevailed throughout the city yesterday and night. Sheriff McClintock leaves for home this morning and will do all in his power to effect the arrest of the guilty parties. With both sheriffs acting together their arrest ought to be certain.
We were told by a gentleman from Ashley Township last night that he saw and conversed with one of the negroes who claimed to have been on of the party who did the shooting, and that he boasted of having killed two of the Eagles. That being true we do not see that it will be any great difficulty to ferret out the perpetrators of the murders. The whole facts were laid before Gov. Baxter by Hon. James P. Eagle and Sheriff McClintock. He promised to render all assistance in his power to bring the guilty parties to justice.
More About Robert J. Eagle and Laura Virginia Robinson:
Marriage: 18 May 1868

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