Norm Morton

Norman Morton is a minor character featured in the Rawhide series. He is a former member of the Confederate States Army cavalry, now accused of desertion. He was portrayed by David Whorf.

Biography
Morton was likely born sometime around 1840 in Pennsylvania. During the American Civil War, Morton travelled south from his home in Philadelphia and enlisted with the Confederate States Army. He had requested to serve in the infantry but was placed with the cavalry, despite being inexperienced with horses. When Morton was unable to properly shoe a horse, one of his superior officers began regularly mocking and ridiculing him. Finally, Morton snapped and assaulted the officer before deserting the military out of fear of retribution. He was eventually recaptured and brought to trial in Fort Craig, New Mexico.

Appearances
Morton appears during the episode Incident of the Tumbleweed Wagon, during which he is one of seven prisoners in a tumbleweed wagon being escorted to trial by Marshal Wilt Jackson and his deputy, Art Gray. The group sets up camp next to a watering hole alongside cattle drovers led by Gil Favor. However, two of the prisoners, Lennie Dawson and Jed Ryan, ambush the lawmen and attempt to escape; while Ryan succeeds, Dawson and Dallas Storm are recaptured by nearby cattle drovers led by Gil Favor. The wounded Jackson convinces Favor to escort him and the remaining prisoners to Fort Craig. Favor chooses ramrod Rowdy Yates to assist him in the quest.

During the journey, Dallas attempts another escape but is taken hostage by Sinclair, an English prisoner with a history of violence against women. However, Morton is able to sneak behind Sinclair and incapacitate him, freeing Storm. Later, after notorious outlaw Luke Storm and his gang catch up to the wagon, Morton survives the ensuing gunfight and is presumably brought to trial in Fort Craig. His subsequent status is unknown.