Escambia County Sheriff's Office, Alabama
End of Watch: Wednesday, July 3, 1895
Age:
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: July 3, 1895
Weapon Used: Rifle; Winchester
Suspect Info: Shot and killed
Sheriff Ed McMillan was shot and killed as he and a posse searched for a notorious train robber nicknamed "Railroad Bill." In 1893, Railroad Bill had shot and wounded a deputy sheriff who confronted him about not paying taxes on his weapon. He then fled and spent the next two years illegally riding Alabama freighters, robbing trains, and engaging in gun fights with lawmen.
The subject shot and killed Deputy Sheriff James Stewart, of the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office in Alabama, on April 6th, 1895.
In July of 1895, Sheriff McMillan received a tip that Railroad Bill was hiding out in Bluff Springs, Florida, and went with a posse to arrest him. As Sheriff McMillan walked along the railroad tracks, the suspect, who was hiding behind a tree, opened fire with a Winchester rifle. Sheriff McMillan was struck in the back and succumbed to his wounds a short time later.
After a long manhunt, Railroad Bill was tracked down to a store near Brewton and fatally shot by a local constable.
Sheriff McMillan was survived by his wife.