Private

J. W. Woods

Texas Rangers — Austin, TX
Felonious
End of Watch November 30, 1893
Tour of Duty 6 mo
The Vigil Panel 12 ›
Gender Male

Incident

On September 1, 1883, J. W. Woods enlisted as a private in Company B under the command of Captain John H. Rogers. Pay records show Woods still enlisted in Company B as late as February 29, 1884.

On January 1, 1893, Captain John H. Rogers formed Company E and recruited J. W. Woods. Rogers’ biography reported that Woods was promoted to corporal in March 1893, but ranger pay rolls indicate he was a private during this enlistment.

In the summer of 1893, the sheriff of Menard County requested assistance from the Texas Rangers with cattle thefts. Captain Rogers assigned Woods to work undercover and Woods went to work at a local ranch. In July of 1893, Woods simply vanished. His body was never recovered and no one was ever prosecuted for what the Texas Rangers determined was a murder. On November 30, 1893, the Texas Rangers declared him dead since no one had collected his pay check since July.

No personal information is known about J. W. Woods at this time.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
September 9, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

133 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Private Woods 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, Travis County, TX
Platform Identity tr.travis.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 30, 1893
Tour of Duty 6 mo
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Unknown weapon

The Sacrifice · Felonious

J. 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.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1893, 76 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 92nd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

J. had served 0.5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

November holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Thursdays: 14%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was unknown weapon, in 0.5% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Texas Rangers has at least 120 officers remembered here, J. among them.

Across the years

Private J. W. Woods

Texas Rangers · End of Watch November 30, 1893

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 9-E

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