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Seaborn Barnes was a Texas outlaw and the right-hand man to Sam Bass. Who was the leader of the infamous outlaw gang the Sam Bass Gang. Barnes was also known by his nickname’s “ Seab” and “Nubbins Colt”, the origin of it is unknown.

Early Life
Barnes was born in Cass County Texas at around 1849. His father was the sheriff of Cass County before his death when Barnes was only an infant. He grew up in Handley a village about 9 miles east of Forth Worth where his widowed mother relocated herself and her 5 children. The decisions was made with the purpose of being closer to relatives.

He never attended school, so in his early teen years he worked as a cowboy which introduced him to booze that he couldn’t handle. It wasn’t until Barnes was 17 that he wound up in trouble over a shooting that cost him to spend a year in a Forth Worth jail. That also wasn’t the last time he was jailed because he was arrested again but in Calahan County in 1874.

Outlaw Career
In 1878 Barnes met the infamous Sam Bass who was in the Dallas area organizing a gang, where Barnes joined and became his Lieutenant. In the spring of 1878, the gang pulled 4 train robberies in the Dallas suburbs of Allen, Hutchins, and Mesquite. In Mesquite a gun fight broke out and resulted in Barnes being shot in his legs 4 times but he managed to escape.

Gunfights
In his career as a member of the Sam Bass Gang he was involved in three known gunfights one of which was the fight in Mesquite on April 10,1878 where during the raid they were met with violent resistance resulting in Barnes being shot 4 times in the legs. He was the only one with the most damage but still escaped with the other members of the gang. The second gunfight was on June 13, 1878 in Salt Creek, Wise County. In this gunfight the Gang was pursed by a Posse where they found the gang camped out. The fight started between the gang and the Posse which ended in Arkansas Johnson being shot to death and the gangs’ horses being shot or captured making the Barnes and the others retreat on foot until they stole new horses and evading arrest.

The third and final gunfight was on July 19, 1878 in Round Rock, Texas. Barnes with the gang camped out near a cemetery the plans was for the four outlaws to rob the Round Rock bank. But one member of the gang- Jim Murphy- had been secretly relaying information to the Texas Rangers on the plans of the Sam Bass gang. With the robbery set for the 20th, the gang went into town for a last look Murphy lagged behind while the others dismounted and were promptly approached by Officers. One officer asked Barnes if he was armed due to an ordinance that prohibited against carrying firearms. Barnes replied by pulling out his gun and all three outlaws opened fire killing one officer. The outlaws made it to their horses but locals and other Rangers were alerted by the gunfire ran out and Ranger Private Dick Ware emerged and shot Barnes which caught him in the head where he died on the street. Murphy later identified Barnes by the scars on his legs.

Death
Barnes died on July 19, 1878 in Round Rock Texas by a shot to the head after a gunfight between the gang and Texas Rangers. Barnes was buried in the same cemetery they camped out in days before his death. His gravesite can be visited in the Round Rock Cemetery. His tombstone is next to the grave of Sam Bass who also died of his wounds from the gunfight. On Seaborn Barnes’s stone the words read that he was “right bower” to Bass which only confirms how trusted be was by Bass.