William W. Grayson (April 9, 1876, England - March 20, 1941, San Francisco, United States) was an American soldier who served with the 1st Nebraska Infantry Regiment and is best known for firing the shot that started the Philippine–American War.
Grayson was born on April 9, 1876 in England. Soon after he immigrated with his parents to Nebraska. He worked as a hostler, but in May 1898 he joined the U.S. Army. He was part of the 1st Nebraska Infantry Regiment and was deployed to the Philippines. His unit was led by Colonel John M. Stotsenburg, and had been encamped in Santa Mesa, Manila, since December 1898.
On February 4, 1899, Grayson fired the shot that was credited with starting the Philippine–American War. He later recounted the event:
I yelled “Halt!”... the man moved. I challenged with another “Halt!” Then he immediately shouted “Halto!” to me. Well I thought the best thing to do was to shoot him. He dropped. We retreated to where our six other fellows were and I said, “Line up fellows; the enemy are in here all through these yards.” We then retreated to the pipeline and got behind the water work main and stayed there all night. It was some minutes after our second shots before Filipinos began firing. After hearing these gunshots, Filipino battalions began exchanging fire with the Americans. This event began the Battle of Manilla. On August 23, 1899 he was honorably discharged.
After the war, he moved to San Francisco and married Clara F. Peters. He worked as a house painter. Soon after, Grayson got his U.S. Citizenship in December 1900. In 1909, the couple adopted a daughter named Marguerite. He retired in 1920 due to poor health. On March 20, 1941, he died at the San Francisco Veterans Administration Hospital. He was buried in the San Francisco National Cemetery.
While it was previously though that the shot had been fired on San Juan Bridge, in 1999 was found that the shot was actually fired on Silencio Street in Sta. Mesa, Manila. The marker was moved there from the bridge in 2003.