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Deputy U.S. Marshal

William H. Greer

United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service — Washington, DC

Felonious

End of Watch October 26, 1899

Age 51

Tour of Duty 5 mo

The Vigil Panel 40 · Column 2 · Line 17 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 312

Incident

Location: Tennessee Incident Date: Saturday, October 14, 1899 Weapon: Rifle; Winchester Offender: Arrested

Deputy Marshal William Greer was shot and killed in Unicoi County, Tennessee, just over the North Carolina state line while attempting to serve a warrant.

The subject named on the warrant owned a house on the Tennessee side of the line and a store on the North Carolina side. When Deputy Marshal Greer arrived at the location, the man stepped over the line into Tennessee and told him that he had no jurisdiction in Tennessee.

Deputy Marshal Greer grabbed hold of the subject's arm and told him he was under arrest. The man, who was holding a Winchester rifle, shot Deputy Marshal Greer in the leg and then attempted to flee. Deputy Marshal Greer returned fire and wounded the subject in the arm as he fled.

The subject remained at large for several weeks until being apprehended by bounty hunters and returned to North Carolina to face trial. The man was convicted of tax charges and sentenced to four years in prison, but it is not known if he was ever convicted of Deputy Marshal Greer's murder.

Deputy Marshal Greer rode his horse back to town, where his condition continued to worsen. The wound developed gangrene, and he died as a result on October 26th, 1899.

Deputy Marshal Greer had served with the United States Marshals Service for five months.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, three sons, and a daughter.

In Our Keeping

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Last updated: August 2, 2026

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Tributes

127 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Greer served with the United States Department of Justice.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Department United States Department of Justice - United States Marshals Service

Type Federal Agency

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity usms.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 26, 1899

Tour of Duty 5 mo

Age 51

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Rifle; Winchester

The Sacrifice · Felonious

William is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1899, 90 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 66th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

William was 51. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. William had served 0.4 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

October holds 7.9% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Thursdays: 14%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was rifle; winchester, in 0.4% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded