Dark History: The Doan Gang

Ninetoes goes back in time to the story of America’s first band of outlaws, The Doan Gang.

Hey there, history lovers! It is your old pal, Ninetoes, coming to you from Ninetoes HQ. Today, I am looking at The Doan Gang. I have coffee in my system and my thinking cap on, so let’s get to it!

Pop quiz. What was the first outlaw gang in AMERICAN history? The James-Dalton Gang? The Hole In The Wall Gang? What if I told you that you would have to look further back, by almost ninety years? I am talking about the Doan Gang, and they were active from 1774-1783.

What if I told you that not everyone in colonial America was behind the Patriot cause for liberty and freedom for all? Would you believe me? I know this is not the kind of thing covered in basic American History classes; in fact, you would have to get into some college courses to find this out, but close to 30% of the population sided with the King. Such is the case with the Doan family.

The Doan family was a well-respected Quaker family in Plumstead, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. For the most part, Quakers were either neutral or sided with the Patriots. Not the Doan family. They were Loyalists, and when they were asked to pledge their allegiance to the Patriot cause, they refused. As such, their land was taken away from them, and they soon found themselves homeless. As a result, the sons of John Doan Sr. (Moses, Aaron, Mahlon, Joseph Jr., Levy, and Abraham) formed a gang.

Among the activities they engaged in were: spying for the British (they would often take prisoners of war to British-occupied New York), horse theft (they would sell the stolen horses to British troops in Philadelphia and Baltimore), home invasion, and burglary. Many of the homes they broke into were tax collectors and local leaders.

In 1781, the Doans robbed the tax collector, Job Barton of Buck’s County, and made off with 1200 Spanish silver dollars and 400 French crowns. This theft took place three days after Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown.  This is considered to be one of the most daring thefts of public funds in American history.

Moses Doan was killed in a shootout at Halsey’s Cabin. A militia was in pursuit of Moses, Abraham, and Levi Doan as a result of their attack on six homes on July 21, 1783. Five weeks later, the militia caught up to the outlaws, killing Moses as Abraham and Levi escaped.

Aaron Doan was captured in 1784. He was brought before the Pennsylvania Supreme Executive Council and was inevitably sentenced to death. He was later pardoned by Benjamin Franklin (the President of the council).

On May 15, 1787, Abraham and Levi Doan were captured without struggle in Chester County, Pennsylvania. They were brought before the Pennsylvania Supreme Executive Council and sentenced to death. They were hanged on September 24, 1787, at Smith’s Island.

As it stands now, the money stolen from Job Barton has never been recovered, and is rumored to be buried in Pennsylvania.

Darren “Ninetoes” Perdue is a book and media reviewer. When he is not reading, he is watching true crime shows, cooking for his family, or working on a plan for universal domination. If you see him on his porch, say hi. He does not bite…much.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing, nor do the views or opinions of Crystal Lake necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or its staff. Thank you for understanding.