Incident
Private William M. Bohanon enlisted in Company C of the Frontier Battalion of the Texas Rangers on November 11, 1883 under the command of Captain George Schmitt. The rangers were troubled with fever and illness during the summer of 1885, which resulted from high water caused by heavy rains. On May 13, 1885, Private J. G. Wood, a new recruit, died from illness. Captain Schmitt received a very terse letter from Captain John O. Johnson of the Adjutant General’s office in Austin regarding expenses incurred by the company while on recent duty in Fredericksburg; in his reply, which gives some indication of conditions, Schmitt related that several men were sick with fever from “exposure and swimming the rivers” and that one man was not expected to live.
Private Bohanon became ill from typhoid fever on June 22 and died on July 2. He was reportedly buried in Pearsall, Frio County, and had no relations in Texas.
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
141 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Private Bohanon 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
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Illness
Texas Rangers has lost 122 officers; 7 of them lost to illness.
William is one of 204 officers lost to illness in TX, 8.4% of the 2,422 remembered there.
William is one of 2,028 officers lost to illness in the United States, 7.4% of the 27,551 remembered there.
William is one of 2,979 officers lost to illness worldwide, 8.8% of the 33,917 remembered here.
33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 1885, 2 officers at Texas Rangers were lost to illness, the 2nd heaviest of 3 years on record. The heaviest was 1918, with 4.
In 1885, 2 officers in TX were lost to illness, the 6th heaviest of 20 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 99.
In 1885, 2 officers in the United States were lost to illness, the 46th heaviest of 108 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 564.
In 1885, 5 officers worldwide were lost to illness, the 115th heaviest of 197 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 566.
Who
William was 29. Of the 6 lost to illness at Texas Rangers whose age is recorded, half were between 29.8 and 34.5; the middle age was 32.5. William had served 1.7 years; the middle length of service was 1 years.
William was 29. Of the 201 lost to illness in TX whose age is recorded, half were between 45 and 59; the middle age was 53. William had served 1.7 years; the middle length of service was 17 years.
William was 29. Of the 1,996 lost to illness in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 42 and 58; the middle age was 51. William had served 1.7 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.
William was 29. Of the 2,916 lost to illness worldwide whose age is recorded, half were between 39 and 56; the middle age was 49. William had served 1.7 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.
When
July holds 14.3% of these deaths at Texas Rangers; October holds the most, 28.6%. Thursdays: 28.6%.
July holds 9.3% of these deaths in TX; September holds the most, 16.7%. Thursdays: 14.7%.
July holds 7% of these deaths in the United States; October holds the most, 14.9%. Thursdays: 15.7%.
July holds 7.3% of these deaths worldwide; October holds the most, 12.6%. Thursdays: 15.2%.
How
Illness deaths account for 5.7% of all 122 deaths at Texas Rangers, the 3rd most common cause.
Illness deaths account for 8.4% of all 2,422 deaths in TX, the 3rd most common cause.
Illness deaths account for 7.4% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 3rd most common cause.
Illness deaths account for 8.8% of all 33,917 deaths worldwide, the 3rd most common cause.
His people
Texas Rangers has at least 120 officers remembered here, William among them.
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David Clark Jan 7, 1837
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James Coryell May 27, 1837
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Alfred H. Miles Nov 10, 1837
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Jesse Blair Nov 10, 1837
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Alexander Bostwick Nov 10, 1837
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James Christian Nov 10, 1837
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Joseph Cooper Nov 10, 1837
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James Joslen Nov 10, 1837
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Westley Nicholson Nov 10, 1837
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William Nicholson Nov 10, 1837
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William Sanders Nov 10, 1837
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Lewis F. Scheuster Nov 10, 1837
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Julius Bullock Oct 12, 1838
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John W. Carpenter Oct 12, 1838
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Thomas M. Scott Oct 12, 1838
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John Wilson Oct 12, 1838
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James Hall Dec 17, 1838
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Jacob Shipman Burleson Feb 25, 1839
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Edward Blakey Feb 25, 1839
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John B. Walters Feb 25, 1839
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James Gilleland Mar 7, 1839
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John Bird May 26, 1839
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William H. Weaver May 26, 1839
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Jesse E. Nash May 26, 1839
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Thomas Gay May 26, 1839
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H. M. C. Hall May 27, 1839
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John B. Denton May 24, 1841
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Abram Trigg Smith Aug 5, 1841
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George W. Heard Aug 22, 1841
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Wade Hampton Rattan Dec 25, 1841
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Peter Fohr Jun 8, 1844
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Richard S. Gilbert Dec 18, 1847
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Littleton P. Rattan Dec 18, 1847
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Thomas Couzens Jan 11, 1848
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John Wesley Dier Nov 12, 1848
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John A. Reed Jan 1, 1850
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Charles Grandison Bryant Jan 12, 1850
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William Gillespie May 29, 1850
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John Lemon Wilbarger Aug 20, 1850
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Daniel C. Sullivan Aug 20, 1850
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Samuel Baker Barton Jan 27, 1851
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William Lackey Feb 3, 1851
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Henry J. Willis Sep 15, 1851
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William H. Clopton Oct 3, 1855
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Willis E. Jones Oct 3, 1855
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H. K. Holland Oct 3, 1855
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Augustus Smith Oct 3, 1855
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William Earbee May 5, 1858
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Robert Nickles May 12, 1858
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Waco Indian May 12, 1858
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Jonathon Thompson Feb 27, 1859
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John Fox Nov 16, 1859
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Thomas Grier Nov 16, 1859
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William McKay Nov 16, 1859
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Nicholas R. Milett Nov 16, 1859
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David Herman Dec 14, 1859
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Fountain B. Woodruff Feb 4, 1860
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Andrew J. McCarty Jun 23, 1861
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Sidney Green Davidson Jun 23, 1861
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Harrison R. Connely Jul 29, 1861
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Jerome Culver Lynn Jul 29, 1861
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Thomas C. Weatherby Jul 29, 1861
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Alvin A. Clark Jun 29, 1866
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Lorenzo Biediger Dec 6, 1870
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Walter Richarz Dec 6, 1870
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Joseph R. Riff Dec 6, 1870
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Albert M. Swift Dec 27, 1870
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John Frank Green
Jul 9, 1873
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David W. H. Bailey Jul 12, 1874
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William A. Glass
Jul 12, 1874
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W. H. Cliff Sep 23, 1874
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L. B. Smith Jun 12, 1875
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C. E. Mortimer Dec 13, 1877
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John E. McBride Dec 17, 1877
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Timothy J. McCarty Jan 2, 1878
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A. A. Ruzin Aug 10, 1878
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Melvin E. Beauman Sep 10, 1878
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William B. Anglin Jun 29, 1879
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George R. Bingham Jul 3, 1880
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Benjamin Goodin Warren Feb 10, 1885
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J. G. Wood May 13, 1885
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Frank Sieker May 31, 1885
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William M. Bohanon Jul 2, 1885
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Thomas P. Nigh Aug 18, 1885
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James H. Moore Mar 31, 1887
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John F. Gravis Aug 4, 1890
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Robert E. Doaty Mar 22, 1892
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Frank Louis Schmid, Jr.
Jun 17, 1893
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Frank Jones
Jun 30, 1893
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J. W. Woods Nov 30, 1893
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Joseph W. McKidrict Apr 5, 1894
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Walter Lee Hooker Aug 28, 1894
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Oscar J. Breaux Aug 29, 1898
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Ernest St. Leon
Aug 31, 1898
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T. L. Fuller Oct 15, 1900
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W. Emmett Robuck
Sep 9, 1902
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Thomas Jefferson Goff
Sep 14, 1905
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Homer White
Feb 4, 1908
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N. P. Thomas Jan 5, 1909
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Quirl Bailey Carnes
Jul 31, 1910
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Grover Scott Russell Jun 23, 1913
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Eugene B. Hulen
May 24, 1915
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Robert Lee Burdett
Jun 7, 1915
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Henry Lee Ransom Apr 1, 1918
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Will P. Stillwell
Apr 3, 1918
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Thomas Carlyle Hyde Apr 30, 1918
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John Dudley White, Sr.
Jul 12, 1918
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Joe R. Shaw Aug 21, 1918
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Leonard Tillman Sadler Sep 16, 1918
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Ben L. Pennington
Oct 11, 1918
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Delbert Timberlake Oct 11, 1918
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Robert Ernest Hunt
Oct 15, 1918
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T. E. P. Perkins
Nov 7, 1918
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John August Moran Dec 12, 1918
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William M. Alsobrook Dec 9, 1919
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Joseph Benjamin Buchanan Dec 26, 1921
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S. F. Sherman Nov 7, 1922
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James Aaron Watson
Feb 21, 1924
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Timothy Samuel Willard Apr 19, 1928
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Dan Lafayette McDuffie
Jul 7, 1931
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 31-E
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