John W. Carpenter

Texas Rangers — Austin, TX

Felonious

End of Watch October 12, 1838

Tour of Duty

The Vigil Panel 1 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 121

Incident

In the summer of 1838, the new Republic of Texas was tested by rebel forces from Northern Mexico who were stirring up the Indian tribes to continue the war against the white settlers. This was called the "Cordova Rebellion."

Texas Ranger companies were organized to fight the depredations by Indian and Mexican rebels. On October 12, 1838, Major Leonard Mabbitt left Fort Houston with a force of volunteer rangers to attack a band of Indians and Mexicans led by two lieutenants of Cordova. About six miles from the fort the rangers were attacked. Private John W. Carpenter, a San Jacinto veteran who had joined only a week earlier, pursued a Caddo chief into the woods. The ranger private and the chief shot it out about a mile from the scene and killed each other. Privates Julius Bullock, Thomas M. Scott and John Wilson were also killed. Two other rangers, First Corporal David F. Webb and Private Lacey McKenzie, were wounded. The dead rangers were transported back to Fort Houston. They were buried in an unmarked grave in the Fort Houston cemetery.

On the morning of October 16, 1838, Major General Rusk and Major Babbitt had a combined force of about 260 rangers who were attacked by an estimated 150 to 600 rebels. No rangers were killed outright, but 13 were wounded. Private James Hall was badly wounded, but the doctor felt he would pull through. The wounded men were transported back to Fort Houston. Private Hall died from his wounds on December 17, 1838, and he was buried in an unmarked grave in the fort’s cemetery.

No personal information is known at this time about the men. The Texas Historical Commission erected a marker recognizing the “Kickapoo War.” The marker is located on Highway 19 south of the town of Frankston in northeastern Anderson County.

No passage of time can ever erase your service nor can it erase yours and your fellow Rangers heroic sacrifice.

Detective Cpl/3 Steven Rizzo Delaware State Police (Retired) October 12th, 2020

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-167C550B
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

188 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Private Carpenter 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

Location Austin, TX

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

Service Record

End of Watch October 12, 1838

Tour of Duty

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Unknown weapon

Private John W. Carpenter is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In TX, 1,463 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

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

1,463

of 2,421 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious