This is the documented grave of a convicted criminal. Information below comes from public records.
William Preston "Wild Bill" Longley
October 6, 1851 โ October 11, 1878Convicted 1878
Buried at:
Giddings City Cemetery , Giddings, Texas ยท Documented grave site (stone inscribed with birth, "Hanged October 11, 1878," and age 27)
Criminal History (Public Record)
Convicted of the 1875 murder of Wilson Anderson in Lee County, Texas (one of several killings he was linked to). Tried and sentenced to death in September 1877; publicly hanged October 11, 1878 in Giddings before a crowd estimated at several thousand. One of the last major public executions in Texas and a noted figure in Old West outlaw history.
Background
William Preston Longley, known as "Wild Bill" Longley, was a Texas gunfighter, outlaw, and Confederate veteran who gained notoriety during the Reconstruction era for his claimed involvement in dozens of killings across Texas and Louisiana. He was a skilled marksman and often boasted of his exploits.
Contemporary Texas newspaper accounts of the 1877-1878 trial and the October 1878 hanging
Historical studies of Reconstruction-era Texas violence and outlaw culture
All information on this site is drawn from publicly available records. We strongly recommend verifying directly with the cemetery and primary sources before making any decisions.
No other flagged graves found within 5 miles of this location in our current database.