Angelina County Sheriff's Office, Texas
End of Watch: Saturday, May 19, 1866
Age: 47
Tour of Duty: 2 years, 9 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: May 19, 1866
Weapon Used: Unknown weapon
Suspect Info: unknown
Shortly after sundown, Sheriff William R. McMullen along with his son, Foster, responded from his residence to reports of gunshots in the area of the town square in Homer. Shortly after the sheriff entered the town square he was shot and killed by an unknown person. As soon as the sheriff was shot, all the shooting stopped and those involved fled the scene.
Various reports in the newspapers and history books reported the shooting resulted in the death of as many as five people, and eighteen wounded. The shooting of Sheriff McMullen occurred shortly after the Civil War ended when factions who supported both the north and south were feuding in Angelina County. Locally the fighting became known as the Gilley War. Gilley family members were feuding with Windham family members. The person or persons responsible for the death of Sheriff William Read McMullen were not identified.
Sheriff McMullen was survived by his wife and six children. He is buried in the Homer Cemetery in Angelina County, Texas. He was a Civil War Veteran who was a first lieutenant in the 13th Texas Calvary, Company F.