The History Bluff continues Black History Month and focuses on Marcus West, a black lawman of the old west who deserves legendary status. Dark Marc, as he was called, never met a man who could beat him on the draw. Sadly, because of the color of his skin, few people wrote about him or gave him credit for his great achievements.

The only known picture of Dark Marc. He worked on a ranch
before becoming sheriff of Deadwood, South Dakota in 1875

Just months after settling in Deadwood, South Dakota in February of 1875, Marc was thrust into the position of sheriff when a trio of outlaws gunned down the sheriff and deputy during a dispute outside of a corral. Later that same week, Dark Marc met and killed all three men in a heroic showdown – only three shots were fired. He earned the respect and admiration of the townspeople, but they refused to publicize that their sheriff was a black man.

Records are scarce about the black lawman, but our research team at The History Bluff has confirmed that Marc killed at least seventeen outlaws during his eighteen-month stint as sheriff of Deadwood. In the winter of 1876 he got the drop on Wyatt Earp when Earp and his traveling companions began to bully the bartender at Nuttal & Mann’s Saloon No. 10.

Left to right: Rashawd, Marquel, and Dedrich
were the first to die at the hands of Dark Marc.

On August 2, 1876, Wild Bill Hickock was playing cards when he shot Jack McCall, whom he accused of cheating. Dark Marc, who was at the bar, immediately turned and shot Hickcock in the back of his head. Reluctantly, the townspeople forced Marc out of Deadwood but left him out of the story they reported to people outside of the town. Nothing else is known about this legendary lawman; he simply vanished from Deadwood, just as he has vanished from history.