Innocents (gang) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Innocents |
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Portrait of Sheriff Henry Plummer, who was discovered to be the leader of the Innocents
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| Founded | 1863 |
| In | Virginia City, Montana, Idaho Territory |
| Founded by | Henry Plummer |
| Years active | 1863–1864 |
| Territory | western Montana |
| Ethnicity | European-American |
| Membership | over 20 |
| Criminal activities | road agents, stagecoach robbery, highway robbery |
The Innocents were an alleged gang of outlaw road agents in Montana Territory who operated during the gold rush of the 1860s, preying on shipments and travelers carrying gold from Virginia City, Montana. According to the early chronicler Thomas Dimsdale, the gang attempted to steal gold while it was being transported; they killed many travelers who resisted. Sheriff Henry Plummer of Bannack, Montana was accused of leading the group, and was executed by a group of vigilantes from Virginia City in January 1864, along with several other alleged gang members.
Modern scholarship
Scholars have noted a lack of documentation and other historical evidence pertaining to the Innocents. The earliest accounts of the gang have been shown to be unreliable. The descriptions of activities and secret codes conform to a common pattern of frontier mythography. (The number of members was "over a hundred," the number of victims also "over a hundred," their secret password was "I am innocent"). Frederick Allen and other modern scholars have questioned whether the gang was as influential as told. Mather and Boswell are among scholars who deny that any gang conducted the relatively few documented robberies in the area, saying they were more likely the work of a small number of independent (or at most loosely organized) outlaws.
