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Correction Officer

Jesse F. Goodwin

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division — Huntsville, TX
Felonious
United States flag Texas flag
End of Watch July 16, 1890
Age 21
The Vigil Panel 10 ›
Gender Male
Incident Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 123

Incident

Two convicts at the Butterfield State Coaling Camp near Alto in Cherokee County (managed by the Texas Prison System as a work camp) shot and mortally wounded Guard Jesse Goodwin.

Goodwin was left alone in charge of the camp hospital. The guards and convicts were all out on work details. One of the convicts in the hospital had been supplied a pistol from the outside. When Goodwin entered the hospital, the convict leveled his pistol at the guard and demanded the guard’s pistol. Goodwin refused to surrender his weapon, and the convict shot him. Goodwin ran outside. A trusty fired a shotgun at Goodwin, striking him with buckshot in the legs and hip. The two convicts fled to the woods with the weapons. One convict was shot and killed by a posse of guards, and the disposition of the other convict is unknown.

On June 30, 1890, escaping convicts had murdered Guard Benjamin Williamson at the same prison coal camp.

Jesse Goodwin died two days later with his father and sister at his side. His body was returned to Hempstead in Waller County for burial.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
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September 9, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

136 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Correction Officer Goodwin served with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Thank you for your service to the Huntsville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Department Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division
Type Corrections
Location Huntsville, Walker County, TX
Platform Identity tdcjcidcorr.walker.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 16, 1890
Age 21
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Jesse 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.

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Compare against
I

Time

In 1890, 65 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 113th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Jesse was 21. 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.

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

When

July holds 9.3% 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 Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division has at least 120 officers remembered here, Jesse among them.

Across the years

Correction Officer Jesse F. Goodwin

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division · End of Watch July 16, 1890

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 42-E

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