Napa County Deaths

Isaac Wilson

Contributed to this site by Regina Gualco

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          Killing of Isaac Wilson�Quite late in the evening of September 19, 
1880, three men, J. Hartshorn, and John and Ward Adams came to the house of 
deceased, at the northern end of Berryessa Valley. Hartshorn rode up to the 
house and engaged in conversation with Wilson and his family. Shortly 
afterwards, a noise was heard in the brush, and it was evident that some one was 
coming on horseback. Wilson took a gun and advanced to meet the horsemen, who 
proved to be the Adam's, and called to them: "Stop! go back! who are you? go 
back, or I will drop that horse from under you!" At this, one of the horsemen 
fired the charge taking effect in Wilson's leg. A rifle was then discharged by 
the other horseman which did not take effect. Then a second charge of buckshot 
was sent off and Wilson fired twice after them with a revolver. He died in a 
little over an hour. The Adams's were tried in Napa in February, 1881, and 
acquitted. 

Source: [Lyman L. Palmer], History of Napa and Lake Counties, California (San 
Francisco: Slocum, Bowen & Co., 1881), page 157.