William Lackey

Texas Rangers — Austin, TX

Felonious

End of Watch February 3, 1851

The Vigil Panel 1 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 121

Incident

A detachment of Texas Rangers under the command of Lieutenant Edward Burleson, Jr., had a hard fight with a band of Comanche on January 27, 1851 near the Nueces River south of San Antonio. The ranger detachment was en route to Fort McIntosh at Laredo on the Texas-Mexican border. Lt. Burleson spotted three Indians riding on horses about a mile away. The rangers had been warned that the Comanche were on the war path and stealing horses and cattle from ranchers in the Nueces Valley. Lt. Burleson selected nine rangers to ride toward the three men and sent the rest to Laredo. As they approached the rangers noticed the Comanche were not trying to escape. The three mounted warriors stopped and turned around to reveal 13 warriors on foot armed with lances, bows and arrows and tomahawks. It was reported the dismounted warriors were lying in wait for traders using the road. The rangers mistook Lt. Burleson’s orders and dismounted. The hand-to-hand fight took place in a plain without vegetation. Burleson was grazed by an arrow that pinned his hat to his head. Burleson killed the chief and that disoriented the warriors. Four Comanche were dead and nine wounded. Private Baker Barton received three mortal wounds, and died on his feet grasping the horn of his saddle. Private William Lackey was wounded in three places. The wounded included, Privates Alf, Tom and Jim Wilkerson, brothers, Private Jim Carr and Private Jack Spencer. The rangers carried Barton to a hill and buried him. Lackey was transported to a settlement and died a week later, on or about February 3, 1851, from an arrow wound to his lungs. One newspaper article reported Barton had resided in Laredo recently. No other information is known at the time about either man.

Pvt. Lackey, On today, the 165th anniversary of your death I would just like to say thank you for your service and sacrifice for the citizens of the State of Texas.

R.I.P. USBP

Anonymous United States Border Patrol February 4th, 2016

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-F97E48FF
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

175 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Private Lackey 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 February 3, 1851

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Edged weapon; Bow and arrow

Private William Lackey 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