Prev Next

Private

Robert E. Doaty

Texas Rangers — Austin, TX

Felonious

End of Watch March 22, 1892

Age 34

Tour of Duty

The Vigil Panel 30 · Column 3 · Line 7 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 121

Incident

In the early 1890’s, Catarino Garza formed a small army called Garzistas in South Texas to overthrow Mexican President Porfirio Diaz. Garza was a Texas resident who was well known as a newspaper editor and charismatic orator. Despite having almost 1,000 men under his command, his three attempts to invade Mexico failed and caused President Diaz to complain that the United States enforce its neutrality laws. The Garzistas challenged the U.S. Army on the federal level and Texas Rangers and county officers domestically. In February 1892 Garza slipped out of the U.S. and fled to Central America. The Garzistas became bandits and wanted men.

On March 20 several bandits were caught by Company E and one was killed. On March 22, Ranger Private Robert E. Doaty was ambushed and killed by the bandits. Doaty was with seven or eight rangers who came upon a band of Garzistas about 20 miles below Pena, on the Duval-Starr county line. Doaty was shot in the head and killed instantly. The rangers captured one horse and one horse was killed. No rangers were injured.

Texas Ranger enlistment papers report that Robert E. Doaty joined Company E of the Texas Rangers on March 1, 1892 in Alice, Texas and served for only 21 days before he was killed.

Census records and contemporary newspaper accounts report his last name as Doughty; however, his enlistment papers show he joined as Doaty. He was born around 1860 and was about 34 years of age. He was apparently not married since his mother, Elizabeth Gravis, signed for his pay of $22. His place of burial is unknown at this time, but most likely he was buried in the family plot at the San Diego Cemetery in Duval County near his mother and stepfather.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: neuraspine_01krbxtq0q509e1eezxx34z81j
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: September 9, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Robert. Claim this record.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

134 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Private Doaty 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 March 22, 1892

Tour of Duty

Age 34

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Unknown weapon

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Robert 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.

Compare against

Time

In 1892, 81 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 82nd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Robert was 34. 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. Robert had served 0.1 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

March holds 7.5% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Tuesdays: 13.4%.

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 unknown weapon, in 0.5% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded