William Gillespie

Texas Rangers — Austin, TX

Felonious

End of Watch May 29, 1850

The Vigil Panel 1 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 121

Incident

A Texas Ranger company of about 70 men under the command of Captain John S. “Rip” Ford located a band of Comanche warriors who had been raiding settlements. One Comanche warrior was wounded twice, and left for dead in the charge. As Private William Gillespie passed, the warrior revived. Gillespie started to shoot the warrior with his pistol, but his horse swerved, and the shot went wild. The warrior shot Gillespie in the side with an arrow that penetrated his left lung. Fellow rangers moved Gillespie to a shade tree. Gillespie was unable to ride a horse so the men constructed a litter for him. He died that night about eight hours after being wounded. He was buried with honors near Agua Dulce. No other information is known about Gillespie at this time.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-2BE4C351
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: September 9, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

176 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Private Gillespie 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, TX

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

Service Record

End of Watch May 29, 1850

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Edged weapon; Bow and arrow

Private William Gillespie is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,787 officers honored here.

In TX, 1,461 of 2,422 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.3% of this state's fallen. That is 60.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Texas Rangers, 104 of 122 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 85.2% of this agency's fallen.

Texas Rangers

104

of 122 officers

85.2% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,461

of 2,422 officers

60.3% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,787 officers

0% Felonious