Jonathan R. Davis (August 5, 1816 – 1887 or later) was an American gold rush prospector who single-handedly killed 11 armed outlaws on December 19, 1854, with two pistols and a knife. He was also a U.S. Army captain who served in the Mexican-American War, where he was wounded at the Battle of Churubusco and for which received a veteran's pension in 1887.
The fight[]
On December 19, 1854, Captain Jonathan Davis and two friends, James McDonald and Dr. Bolivar Sparks, were walking down a miner's trail in Rocky Canyon on the north fork of the American River in California. They were ambushed by an international band of 14 bandits, consisting of a Frenchman, two Americans, two Britons, four Mexicans, and four Australians; several of them were members of the Sydney Ducks gang. The bandits were on a killing spree, having robbed and murdered six Chinese miners two days before and four American miners on the previous day. McDonald was killed instantly, and Sparks was fatally wounded shortly afterward. Davis stood his ground, drawing a pair of Colt revolvers and immediately shooting seven of the outlaws dead. He was out of bullets by then, but being an expert fencer, he pulled out a Bowie knife and killed four more bandits closing in on him; one wielded a sword and the others also had knives. After that, the remaining three bandits fled. Aside from a couple of scratches and bullet holes in his hat and clothing, Davis was not injured. From the bandits, he retrieved $491 in gold and silver, four ounces of gold dust and a number of gold and silver watches. Davis then carried Sparks to his home, wanting him to receive the bounty. After Sparks died from his wounds a week later, Davis donated the money to his family. He was not seen in the public eye quite often after the incident.