Wild Bill Longley – A Dangerous Man
William Preston Longley, a name synonymous with violence and lawlessness in the post-Civil War American West, remains a figure shrouded in both notoriety and myth. Known by a string of aliases – Wild Bill, Rattling Bill, Tom Jones, Jim Patterson, Jim Webb, Bill Black, Bill Henry, and Bill Jackson – Longley’s short life, cut short at the age of 27, was marked by a seemingly relentless string of killings and brushes with the law. He embodied a dark chapter in Texas history, a time of Reconstruction tensions and frontier justice, or rather, the lack thereof.
Born on October 6, 1851, in Mill Creek, Texas, to Campbell and Sarah Longley, young William’s formative years were spent in Evergreen, Texas. The family relocated there when he was young, where he received some schooling and contributed to the family farm. In this environment, he learned the essential skills of frontier life, including the use of firearms. Longley’s proficiency with a gun developed rapidly, and he soon gained a reputation as one of the quickest and most accurate draws in the region, a skill he would employ in numerous deadly confrontations.
The end of the Civil War brought about a period of immense social and political upheaval in the South. Texas, like other Confederate states, underwent Reconstruction, a process designed to rebuild the shattered region and integrate newly freed slaves into society. However, this era was met with resistance from many white Southerners who clung to the old social order. Texas Governor E.J. Davis established a state police force largely composed of freed slaves, a move that further inflamed tensions. Wild Bill Longley held firmly racist views and vehemently opposed Reconstruction policies, attitudes that would significantly contribute to his violent trajectory and ultimately lead to his execution.
An incident in December 1866, when Wild Bill Longley was just fifteen years old, marked the beginning of his descent into a life of violence. While in Evergreen with his father, a black policeman, allegedly intoxicated, rode through the town, brandishing his gun and verbally abusing some of the locals. When the officer directed insults toward Longley’s father, Bill intervened, demanding that he lower his weapon. The policeman, perhaps unaware of Longley’s skill with a firearm, raised his gun at the teenager. Longley reacted swiftly, shooting and killing the officer. This act, whether justified or not, set the stage for a life characterized by violence and disregard for the law.
Following the shooting, Wild Bill Longley associated himself with other young men who shared his racist views and began a campaign of terror against newly freed slaves. He was implicated in the killings of two black men in Lexington, Texas, further solidifying his reputation as a dangerous and volatile individual.
In December 1868, Longley, along with Johnson McKeown and James Gilmore, intercepted three former slaves from Bell County, murdering Green Evans. Over the subsequent two years, he and his brother-in-law, John W. Wilson, continued to terrorize black families in south-central Texas, perpetuating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. These acts were part of a broader pattern of racial violence that plagued the South during Reconstruction.
By this time, Longley had become known as a quick-draw artist, which brought him unwanted attention from those seeking to make a name for themselves by challenging him. These encounters almost always ended with Longley emerging victorious, further enhancing his reputation as a deadly gunman. He frequently instigated conflicts with anyone he suspected of harboring Yankee sympathies or being a carpetbagger, Northerners who migrated to the South during Reconstruction for economic or political gain. Standing at six feet tall, Longley was also known to physically assault black men who crossed his path, underscoring the depth of his racism.
During this tumultuous period, Longley was rumored to have been involved with an outlaw gang led by Cullen M. Baker in Arkansas. Some accounts suggest that he was merely traveling with a member of the gang and was falsely accused by association. Regardless of the extent of his involvement, this association further cemented his image as an outlaw.
A near-fatal incident occurred when Longley and a companion were captured by a vigilante group and accused of being horse thieves. They were lynched, but as the mob rode away, one man fired several shots at the hanging pair. One bullet struck Longley in the face, breaking a tooth, while another frayed the rope. The rope, weakened by the bullet and Longley’s weight, snapped, saving his life. This brush with death seemingly did little to deter Longley from his violent path.
In February 1870, Longley and his brother-in-law, John W. Wilson, were accused of killing a black man named Brice in Bastrop County, as well as a black woman. Military authorities offered a $1,000 reward for their capture. Wilson died shortly thereafter, and Longley fled north, seeking to evade the law.
Longley later claimed to have worked as a trail driver in Abilene, Kansas, a bustling cattle town. There, he allegedly killed his trail boss, a man named Rector, after a disagreement. He also claimed to have killed a horse thief named McClelland. He then fled to Leavenworth, Kansas, where he reportedly killed a soldier for insulting Texas women. This time, he was apprehended and convicted of murder, receiving a 30-year sentence. However, he managed to escape from prison, further fueling his legend.
Seeking to escape the long arm of the law, Longley joined a gold-mining expedition in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming Territory. The expedition was halted by the United States Army, leaving Longley stranded. In June 1870, he enlisted in the United States cavalry, only to desert shortly after. He was captured, court-martialed, and sentenced to two years confinement at Camp Stambaugh in Wyoming Territory. After serving about six months, he was released back to his unit, but he deserted again on June 8, 1872.
Longley claimed to have lived and traveled with Chief Washakie and the Shoshone Indians, a claim that remains unsubstantiated. He eventually returned to Texas via Parkerville, Kansas, where he professed to have killed a Charlie Stuart, although no record of this killing exists.
Back in Texas, Longley settled in Bell County, where his parents had relocated, and worked as a cowboy in Comanche County. He was accused of killing another black man and was involved in a gunfight in the Santa Anna Mountains in Coleman County, continuing his pattern of violence.
In July 1873, Longley was apprehended in Kerr County by Mason County Sheriff J. J. Finney and taken to Austin, where Finney hoped to collect the reward for his capture. However, after several days, the reward money was not paid, and Finney released Longley, allegedly after receiving a bribe from a Longley relative.
In late 1874, Longley and his brother, James Stockton Longley, traveled from Bell County to the Lee County home of their uncle, Caleb Longley. Caleb implored Longley to kill Wilson Anderson, who he claimed had murdered his son. On March 31, 1875, Longley fatally shot Anderson with a shotgun as Anderson was plowing a field. The two brothers fled north to Indian Territory. James Longley later returned to Bell County and surrendered, and he was acquitted of any involvement in Anderson’s murder. However, Wild Bill Longley remained a wanted man.
In November 1875, Longley killed George Thomas in McLennan County, and in January 1876, he killed William (Lou) Shroyer in a stand-up gunfight in Uvalde County. His reputation as a cold-blooded killer continued to grow.
In February 1876, Longley was working as a sharecropper for the Reverend William R. Lay in Delta County, Texas. A dispute with a local man over a girl led to Longley’s arrest, but he escaped from jail by starting a fire. Another account suggests that Longley was interested in the same girl as the Reverend Lay’s nephew and that the Reverend was trying to drive him away. On June 13, 1876, Longley shot and killed the Reverend while he was milking a cow.
Longley then fled to Louisiana to evade the law, but his escape was short-lived. He was captured in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana, by Nacogdoches County Sheriff Milton Mast and returned to Lee County to stand trial for the murder of Wilson Anderson.
While incarcerated, Longley began writing letters to newspapers, recounting his life and claiming to have killed 32 men. He also appealed to the governor for clemency, arguing that John Wesley Hardin, another notorious Texas gunman, had received only 25 years in prison for his alleged 40 killings. He questioned why he was being sentenced to death. The governor did not respond.
On September 5, 1877, the jury in Lee County deliberated for just 1 1/2 hours before finding Wild Bill Longley guilty and sentencing him to death by hanging.
During the appeals process, Longley was transferred to Galveston, Texas, due to concerns that a mob of his victims’ relatives might attempt to lynch him. In March 1878, the Court of Appeals upheld his conviction, and he was returned to Giddings, Texas, to be executed.
On October 11, 1878, Longley was baptized into the Catholic Church. Before a crowd of thousands in Giddings, Texas, Longley was led to the gallows by Lee County Sheriff James Madison Brown. Displaying a macabre sense of humor, Longley asked the executioners to repair a loose board on the platform, saying he didn’t want to trip and break his neck.
Before his execution, Longley claimed that he had only killed eight men, a significant reduction from the 32 he had previously claimed. He addressed the crowd, saying, "I deserved this fate. It is a debt I have owed for a wild and reckless life. So long, everybody!" He then nodded to the executioner and was hanged.
However, the execution was botched. The novice hangman had given Longley too much slack, and he landed feet first beneath the gallows, prolonging his life for a few agonizing minutes. The sheriff and several guards rushed to the scene and held Longley’s feet off the ground so the rope could strangle him.
The Galveston Daily News described the hanging in detail, noting the slippage of the rope and the need for intervention to ensure Longley’s death. After hanging for eleven and one-half minutes, life was pronounced extinct.
The historical marker at his grave provides a concise summary of Wild Bill Longley‘s life: "Texas outlaw Bill Longley was from a respectable family, but his hot temper, his fondness for liquor, and unsettled conditions during reconstruction led him to become one of the most daring gunslingers of his day. He is said to have killed 32 persons before his capture in 1877. Before Longley died, he repented and urged others to avoid his example. His grave was once outside the cemetery bounds."
Bill Longley is buried in the Giddings Cemetery west of Giddings, Texas, on the south side of U.S 290, a final resting place for a man whose life was marked by violence, controversy, and the turbulent times of the Old West.