Background
He was born probably in 1824 at or near Carlyle, Clinton County, Illinois, United States. He was the son of Illinois politician Charles Slade and Mary Dark (Kain) Slade.
He was born probably in 1824 at or near Carlyle, Clinton County, Illinois, United States. He was the son of Illinois politician Charles Slade and Mary Dark (Kain) Slade.
The earliest available record concerning him is of May 22, 1847, when he enlisted in the army. After more than a year's uneventful service in New Mexico, he was mustered out at Alton in October 1848.
He is next heard of, in the late fifties, as a freighter and wagon-train boss in the employ of Russell, Majors & Waddell. In the spring of 1860, after the firm had organized its overland stage service, he was made a division agent at Julesburg, in what is now Colorado, with instructions to rid the region of bandits preying upon the company's property. In an encounter with "Old Jules" Reni Slade shot his antagonist to death, cut off his ears, and nailed them up to dry, later, it is said, wearing one of them as a watch-charm.
Transferred to a more westerly division, he continued to prove a scourge to evil-doers. In 1862 the stages were withdrawn to a more southerly line, and Slade was transferred to a new station, Virginia Dale, a hundred miles north of Denver. Unaccountably, he had by this time become a brawling drunkard, and in the fall of the year was discharged.
With his companion, a dashing and attractive frontier woman whose given name was Maria Virginia and whose surname may have been Dale, he set out in the spring of 1863 at the head of a small freighting outfit for the Montana gold diggings. Settling on a small ranch near Virginia City, he conducted a number of freighting expeditions and for a time was peaceful.
Later, he again began drinking heavily and indulging in outbursts of drunken rowdyism. When arrested, in March 1864, he defied the People's Court, and subsequently, revolver in hand, made threats against the judge. A joint meeting of the Vigilantes of Virginia City and the miners of the adjoining camp of Nevada decreed his execution, and though he begged pitifully for his life, he was promptly hanged.
Slade was of sturdy build. When sober he was genial and friendly; but when drunk he was a ferocious ruffian.
Quotes from others about the person
Mark Twain, who in August 1861 met him at a Wyoming station, says "he then bore the reputation of having killed twenty-six men".
According to Mark Twain he was "the most gentlemanly-appearing, quiet and affable officer".
He married Maria Virginia (maiden name unknown) around 1857.