Alexander Bostwick

Texas Rangers — Austin, TX

Felonious

End of Watch November 10, 1837

The Vigil Panel 3 · Column 3 · Line 10 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 121

Incident

Second Lieutenant Alfred Miles, Privates Lewis Scheuster, Jesse Blair, Alexander Bostwick, James Christian, Joseph Cooper, James Joslen, William Nicholson, and William Sanders were killed while trailing a group of Indians

The eighteen-man company of the Texas Rangers was trailing a band of roughly 150 Indians driving a herd of stolen horses. A First Lieutenant, Second Lieutenant Alfred H. Miles, and 16 Ranger privates reached a rock formation in the hills near the headwaters of the West Fork of the Trinity River.

The Indians on horseback charged the rangers who sought protection in a ravine. About 50-60 of the Indians were armed with rifles, and the rest with bows and arrows. Many Indians were killed along with Privates Joseph Cooper, Alexander Bostwick, William Sanders, and William Nicholson.

The Indians set the prairie grass on fire and charged the 14 remaining rangers. Lt. Vanbenthuysen decided the only escape was through an open prairie. The rangers left on foot because their horses refused to go through the smoke. Second Lieutenant Alfred H. Miles and Privates Lewis F. Scheuster, James Joslen, James Christian, Jesse Blair, and Westley Nicholson were killed while trying to escape the burning field.

Only eight rangers escaped, and three of them were wounded. The men walked for 17 days through the wilderness to a settlement to get help.

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Last updated: September 9, 2026

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Tributes

189 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Private Bostwick served with the Texas Rangers.
Thank you for your service to the Austin community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Texas Rangers

Type Other

Location Austin, Travis County, TX

Platform Identity tr.travis.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 10, 1837

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Alexander is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1837, 12 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 168th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

When

November holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month

By day of the week

III

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was rifle, in 5.9% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded