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6th
TEXAS CAVALRY REGIMENT |
CONFEDERATE STATES ARMY
COMMANDERS:
B. WARREN STONE, COLONEL
LAWRENCE SULLIVAN "SUL" ROSS, BRIG.
GEN.
JACK WHARTON, COLONEL
PETER F. ROSS, COLONEL
JOHN SUMMERFIELD GRIFFITH, BRIG. GEN.
Called Ross', Stone's,
Wharton's and Griffith's Regiment, this collection of Texas Horsemen earned a
place in history. The regiment was organized in north Dallas at the fair
grounds and trained in an area south of Dallas, Texas called Camp Bartow. Many of the companies came already organized from Ranger or County Militia, and others were filled out by enlistments. One of the most illustrious members enlisted as a private and rose to brigadier general. He was Lawrence Sullivan Ross a future governor of Texas and President of Texas A&M University. Four of the members made brigadier general and two became Texas governors. Ross, Griffith Throckmorton and Stone became Generals and Throckmorton and Ross became Governors.
When the unit was surrendered on May
4th, 1865, at Jackson, Mississippi it only had 200 men remaining. The
Muster rolls of the unit showed over 1150 soldiers in ten companies and a Field
& Staff (headquarters) in 1861. Records also show the unit was also called
the 2nd Texas Cavalry, but this error is probably related to Colonel B. Warren
Stone who came back to Texas in the summer of 1862 and raised a second unit
which also bore his name.
When B. Warren Stone led
the regiment into Indian Territory during the move to Arkansas in October 1861,
and the units trained as they marched. Lt. Col. Griffith was given command
of a detachment which fought Indians at Chusto Talasah in December of 1861.
Colonel Stone commanded the regiment at Pea Ridge (Elkhorn Tavern) and Corinth I, but by May, Ross was elected Colonel and Stone was on the way back to Texas. At the Battle of Iuka, MS the regiment was located on a ridge overlooking the town and did not even hear the battle because of the wind and terrain. Ross commanded the regiment at Corinth II. Company I was attached to Ras Stirman’s Sharpshooter
Regiment and fought as Infantry, because General Van Dorn decided he needed
more Infantry. The horses had been sent back to Texas. The remainder of the
regiment was assigned to Brigadier General Phifer’s
Brigade and fought along side the 9th Texas Cavalry and the 35th
Mississippi. And fight they did. Against dug in infantry and artillery they
made it to the dug in positions before running out of ammunition. Ross had two
horses shot from under him. Company I and some of the 3rd Arkansas
Cavalry and Stirman’s men made it into the center of
Corinth and almost captured the Union General Rosecrans, before they ran out of
ammunition and men and were fighting fresh Union brigades. Van Dorn ordered to
retreat.
The next afternoon at
Hatchie Bridge, Griffith was in command of the regiment and Ross was in command
of Phifer’s Brigade. The 27th Texas
Cavalry Regiment (dismounted) which had been shot up at Iuka was leading the
Army and had crossed the bridge with Moore’s Brigade when they ran into Union
General Ord’s Division. These units were shot up and
scattered. General Maury running back to the bridge told Stirman
and Ross to run for their lives. Ross sent Stirman
and his Sharpshooters back across the bridge to take up positions. Ross with
part of the 6th, Moore’s remnants, a detachment of the 27th
fought a rear battle to get as many men across the bridge as possible. Soon
Ross crossed the Bridge and took up positions on a ridge over looking the
bridge. The Union followed and soon had three regiments in bad positions on the
south east side of the river. Ross and his men returned fire with such force
that the Union regiments were shot up and loss several hundred men. Soon Van
Dorn found another route and his Army was saved. Ross was reinforced and was
soon able to follow the Army to safety. Before long they made it to Grenada, MS
where they recovered and refitted.
Soon the regiments
received their horses back and were remounted. The regiment was assigned to the
Whitfield Brigade which would be their home for the War. Ross went back to
Texas to recover from his wounds and Griffith was the acting commander. General
Pemberton the new Army Commander put out word that he needed ideas for new
action. Griffith forwarded a plan indorsed by the brigade officers. Soon
General Van Dorn was leading a raid for the Union Depot at Holly Springs. The
raid was very successful and continued on into Tennessee doing great damage to
the railroad and infrastructure. Lt. Col. John Griffith engineered a brilliant
raid to Holly Springs, Mississippi and captured several million dollars of
material and along with a raid General Nathan Bedford Forest in Tennessee caused
General Grant to regroup at Memphis and added almost a year to the war.
Following the raid Griffith's health failed and he returned to Texas. Almost
a year later he was promoted to brigadier general over a District in Texas
by the governor.
Van Dorn soon led a Corps of Cavalry which included the Whitfield Brigade
to Tennessee where there was more forage. Jack Wharton was commanding and Ross was
acting as brigade commander. Joining with General Forrest Division they
soon fought a Union force at Tompkins’s Station and won a good battle. For
several months all went well. During a detachment recon on the Duck River,
there was one casualty after causing much damage and kills on a Union River
Force. The one casualty was Major White who was liked by all. His body was
returned to Texas.
General Van Dorn was
shot by a jealous husband and the Corps was disbanded. The unit went back to
Mississippi in May 1863. Ross and a
detachment of the 6th and 3rd Mississippi were sent
across Tennessee to stop a Union raid from Chattanooga. Ross did so well, the
Union force turned around and returned north.
Wharton leading the 6th
had morale problems and almost a mutiny. A Court Marshal was held but he
was not found at fault. Ross moved him to the brigade staff and put his
brother, Peter Ross in commanded of the regiment for the rest of the war.
Under a combination of
Whitfield, Mabry and Ross the brigade fought numerous battles in Mississippi,
but morale floundered for the rest of 1863, In December Ross was made brigade
commander and morale immediately improved. For the first four months of 1864
the units fought small battles. In one the troops took revenge against black
Union soldiers. Two Texas soldiers had been murdered after being captured. A
black company fired on part of the regiment and were chased back to Yazoo City.
Most of the enemy blacks were shot down, even when trying to surrender. The
Regiment was soon assigned to Alabama to look for deserters. They stayed there until May 3, 1864.
Under Colonel Peter F.
Ross the unit was in continuous contact for the next 100 days on the flank of
General Joseph Johnston's Army in Sul Ross'
Brigade and Walker's Division. Their opponents were cavalries and Infantry of
General Sherman's Army. They fought as
Cavalry and Infantry and as Skirmishers. The unit fought bravely and on many
occasions victoriously in a delaying action toward Atlanta.
In the Union Raids of
July and August 1864 the Sixth was extremely courageous. First General McCook
led a raid and a series of delaying actions by the brigade regiments placed
McCook up against an Infantry brigade, Armstrong’s Brigade and Wheeler coming
from the east, McCook’s forces had to flee for their
lives. Many regiments of his division were captured. Ross was captured for a
while, but Wheeler’s pressure caused McCook to release all his prisoners and
captured equipment. McCook made it back to Union lines but his raid was a
failure.
General Kilpatrick led
the August raid. His division was stronger and initially pushed the 27th
and 3rd Texas back, but soon the 6th and 9th
joined the battle and began to slow the raid. Again another dug in Infantry
brigade, Armstrong and the arrival of a train, which the Union forces thought
was another brigade, caused General Kilpatrick to consider his tight position.
Called by his soldiers, “Kill Cavalry”, Kilpatrick at the urging of his brigade
commanders, ordered a charge through the Ross Brigade, which was down to 500
effective fighters. Lining up in three brigade columns, they charged through
the thin Ross lines. Many men of the 3rd were captured. Ross and
some of the 6th saved the brave soldiers of the artillery battery
firing on the fleeing Union force. Ross’ men fired one shot and those that
could laid down and pretended death. Others were cut up by sabers and did not
have to pretend. After the force rolled by, Ross found his bugler and called
recall. What was left of the brigade regrouped on him to fight again.
After this the 6th
along with the brigade was attached to General Hood’s Army and it’s ill fated
campaign into Tennessee. The brigade did not fight at the Battles of Franklin
and Nashville. They were assigned a diversionary attack on Murphreesburough. The Brigade was used by General Forrest to
lead the Army into Tennessee and to be part of the rear guard as they left.
In Mississippi and
Alabama they tried to regroup and refit, but the resources were not available.
The regiment fought a few more battles,
but were down to the size of two companies. When paroled, many of the soldiers
stayed in Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi, where they had found new friends.
They were said to have been one of the most dependable regiments in the Army,
but then lacked discipline and were extremely rough. This comment could
have described any Texas Ranger unit of that time frame. A small group returned
to Texas after May 15, 1865. More returned with time from prisons of the north
and hospitals and recovery homes all across the south. One chaplain who had
been wounded during the Union raids was brought home by the soldier assigned to
stay with him.
The 6th Texas
Cavalry had fought bravely and longer than most. They had traveled miles on
foot and horse and were ready for the task of peace. Many went on to fame and
great lives. But the toll of war took time. They suffered reconstruction with
the rest of the South, but most never admitted defeat.
Click on units below for the Muster Roster. Over
time these will be expanded into genealogical rosters about the war and lives
of these men.
Field & Staff Recruited from all the units.
Company A Recruited in Dallas, Collin, and Kaufman Counties.
Company B Recruited in Collin, Limestone and Kaufman Counties.
Company C Recruited in Collin and Dallas Counties.
Company D Recruited in Dallas and Travis Counties.
Company E Recruited in Van Zandt County.
Company F Lancaster Guards, Dallas County.
Company G Recruited in McLennan County.
Company H Recruited in Bell County.
Company I Recruited in Dallas and Henderson Counties.
Company K Recruited in Collin County returning from Ranger duty.
BATTLE SNAP SHOTS: These descriptions come from several
sources and are subject to revisions.
REGIMENTAL OFFICIERS AND STAFF:
REGIMENTAL HIGHER HEADQUARTERS DURING WAR: