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Private

Timothy J. McCarty

Texas Rangers — Austin, TX
Felonious
United States flag Texas flag
End of Watch January 2, 1878
Age 27
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 3 mo
The Vigil Panel 17 · Column 2 · Line 14 ›
Gender Male
Incident Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 121

Incident

On the evening of Tuesday, January 1, 1878, two men who served as teamsters for the rangers, Ben Johnson and George Stevenson, left the ranger camp to attend a dance in town. Stevenson borrowed a pistol from Private McCarty. The two ranger teamsters were confronted by a group of local men who were discharged soldiers from the 10th Cavalry stationed at the fort. When the two teamsters returned to the ranger camp and reported that the men had taken McCarty’s pistol, Lieutenant Reynolds told Sergeant Henry McGhee and Private McCarty to go and get the pistol.

As Sergeant McGhee and Private McCarty approached the dance hall, the men closed the door and defied the rangers to enter. Sergeant Ghee ordered the men to return the pistol and surrender. Sergeant McGhee covered the front door and Private McCarty guarded the back door. George Stevenson was sent to get Lieutenant Reynolds at the camp. Lieutenant Reynolds returned with Privates Tom Gillespie and Dick Harrison. The men again refused to surrender to Lieutenant Reynolds and Reynolds ordered the dance hall cleared of all women and gave the men five minutes to surrender. The women started to scream and the men became demoralized. One of the men poked McCarty’s pistol, muzzle foremost, out of the window and said, “Here come get your damned pistol.” McCarty stepped up and grasped the pistol. The man pulled the trigger and the ball pierced McCarty’s body just below the heart. The rangers opened fire killing three men. One man escaped in the confusion.

McCarty lingered until 1:20 a.m. on Wednesday, January 2, 1878, when he died. He was reportedly buried at Fort McKavett, located 20 miles southwest of Menard, in Menard County. McCarty had enlisted as a private in Company F on June 4, 1875 and served until June 4, 1875. He re-enlisted as a private in Company A on September 10, 1877. No information as to whether he was married or had any children.

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September 9, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

148 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Private McCarty gave the Texas Rangers 1 year.
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 January 2, 1878
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 3 mo
Age 27
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Timothy is one of 15,742 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  3. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1878, 51 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 139th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Timothy was 27. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Timothy had served 1.3 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

January holds 8% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Wednesdays: 12.9%.

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 handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

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

Across the years

Private Timothy J. McCarty

Texas Rangers · End of Watch January 2, 1878

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 56-E

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