Roll of Honor
Incident
Location: Florida Weapon: Rifle; Winchester Offender: Shot and killed
Sheriff Ed McMillan was shot and killed as he and a posse searched for a notorious train robber nicknamed "Railroad Bill." In 1893, Railroad Bill had shot and wounded a deputy sheriff who confronted him about not paying taxes on his weapon. He then fled and spent the next two years illegally riding Alabama freighters, robbing trains, and engaging in gun fights with lawmen.
The subject shot and killed Deputy Sheriff James Stewart, of the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office in Alabama, on April 6th, 1895.
In July of 1895, Sheriff McMillan received a tip that Railroad Bill was hiding out in Bluff Springs, Florida, and went with a posse to arrest him. As Sheriff McMillan walked along the railroad tracks, the suspect, who was hiding behind a tree, opened fire with a Winchester rifle. Sheriff McMillan was struck in the back and succumbed to his wounds a short time later.
After a long manhunt, Railroad Bill was tracked down to a store near Brewton and fatally shot by a local constable.
Sheriff McMillan was survived by his wife.
Survivors
Sheriff McMillan was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
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- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
131 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Sheriff McMillan served with the Escambia County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Brewton community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sheriff Ed S. McMillan 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 AL, 405 of 643 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63% of this state's fallen. That is 8.8 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Ed S. McMillan's cause is highlighted.
How Ed S. McMillan Compares
Offender Outcome
Shot and killed
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Ed S. McMillan is highlighted in Jul.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Ed S. McMillan was killed by rifle; winchester.