Call In The Army The military brought law and order to Dodge.

Dodge City, Kansas was pretty much lawless in 1873.  The vigilance committee had gone rogue.  On June 3, two members of the group killed the servant of Col. Richard Dodge, commander of nearby Fort Dodge.  He demanded action.  With approval of the governor, the colonel took troops into town and—over the next three days—arrested six vigilantes.  One of them was later convicted in the servant’s killing.  And on that last day, June 5, Charlie Bassett was appointed the first sheriff of Ford County.  Slowly but surely, law and order was coming to Dodge.