rosstexascavalrybrigade.com Blog

When I finally completed Company A, 6th Texas Cavalry Regiment and published it, I felt that I had accomplished something. After talking to Stephen Kirk, I was again back at zero. He is in the final steps of his work on the Ross Brigade and is taking a short break in Florida before he completes his over 700 page effort. And I struggle with a one page blog. I can not even visualize 700 pages. He is very worried about the cost and size. I worry about his age. Over 87 and still working. Must be a good wife.

We find history in the most unusual places. Here in Ingram ( I live on the boundary) there is a lady who chronicles the families of Kerr County and the surrounding area with an article on the front page of the West Kerr Current. She calls herself Irene Van Winkle. A most unusual lady. She collects her weekly stories and has several books.

A man named Joseph Neal Luther has written a book called Camp Verde; Texas Frontier Defense. If you were to drive by Camp Verde, you would miss it. One large building and some smaller out buildings. Nothing. But full of history. But his book goes back to the beginning of time and carries through today. Yes the camel stories are there.

Down in Leakey is a guy who knows more about the Civil War Defense Units in the Hill Country than any other. Tried to get him to publish before that data is gone. Texas was tottering  on the edge of disaster during the Civil War. Had the Union known of the vast resource in the Hill Country, poised to strike down the Confederacy of  Texas the war might have ended sooner. The many German and Union cause people in the Hill Country filled out many Units of Frontier Defense. Battalions and Regiments. All with Union leaders and ready to fight. Yes, Texas feared these units and their leanings. Paul Burrier has many documents,  unit rosters and other material about who was of the Union persuasion. It really explains what happened here in the area and why some people still do not talk ab0ut the Confederacy.  My whole view of the Hill Country has changed since I saw Paul’s papers and heard his talk. WOW!

I was better than average in History in school, but would not have called myself a Historian. Now I know a Historian is someone who knows more about a part of History. Last Saturday Night I heard Scott Bowden,  “Speak” on Gettysburg and Lee. WOW again! Though he wrote on Napoloen Bonaparte he has now become a Lee Scholar and is writing a complete history of Robert E. Lee’s leadership and actions during the Civil War. A most learned man and gifted speaker. Many of the small stories he brought out were an enjoyment to hear.

I still yearn to start a Ross Brigade Reunion. It can include Aggies, but I desire to collect the people who had families in the 3rd, 6th, 9th and 27th Texas Cavalries.  Sixty five hundred men would have now have at least 52,000 relatives, and probably many more. Most will not even seek their kin, because it is politically incorrect to revere your Civil War kin. The fought under “that” flag in “that” War. So many people suppressing their history, because of a politically correct society. Very Sad!

The political debates show how bad our society has become. One word and everyone is off on a war of words. It takes nothing for the will of the people to change. It occurs because of very little actual leverage. We are much to sensitive to the communications that bombard the airwaves. Even words like conservative have become bad in the eyes of some. Had there not been conservatism society would have ended long ago. Man would have not known when to end wars and would have destroyed himself.

In Memory of Lt. Col. Henry W. Bridges

 

LEVY CHAPTER UDC GATHERS AT GRAVE OF HENRY W BRIDGES

 

Memorial 3 December 2011 for Henry W. Bridges

On December 3, 2011, after driving 650 miles, I joined with the ladies of the R.B. Levy Chapter 1070, Texas Division, United Daughters of the Confederacy, in The Memorization of the grave site of Henry Briges, who mustered Company I, 6th Texas Cavalry Regiment in 1861. The place was the Greenwood Cemetery just a few blocks from the Capitol in Jackson, Mississippi. Below is what we know about Colonel Bridges.

The program for the grave dedication of Henry W. Bridges, Ross' Cavalry brigade

HENRY W. BRIDGES 1836 – 1864

Texas Ranger 1855 – 1861

Officer Confederate Service 1861 – 1864

Henry W. Bridges (1836 – February 13, 1864) was probably the youngest of six brothers and four sisters. His parents Herod Flournoy Bridges Senior and Margaret Ware Bridges came from or were in Jefferson, Georgia prior to coming to Texas.  In Georgia they owned six slaves in 1850 according to the slave schedules. We know very little of Henry’s early life, but you can be sure that it was typical early Texas. By 1855 Henry was in Texas. In 1860 Herod had several slaves and Henry had one and they lived and were merchants in Brownsboro, Henderson County, Texas.

On July 20, 1855, at 19 Henry joined a tough Ranger expedition at Seguin, Guadalupe County, Texas. Captain James Callahan’s Expedition was made up of three Ranger companies of about 110 men each.  Even General Ben McCollugh had served under Callahan prior to 1855. They crossed the Rio Grande into Mexico on October 1st and followed Lipan Apache and Kickapoo Indians to Piedras Negras, Mexico.  The Indians had been stealing horses. Initially the Mexican authorities pointed out the Indians were 20 miles south of Piedras Negras on the Rio Escondido. They went with the Texans to the river, and then turned against the Rangers and joined the Indians forcing the expedition to retreat. Callahan is said to have burned the village before they escaped back to Texas. Another version says that twenty-five Texans were trapped on the Mexican side of the river and Callahan went back to Piedras Negras and burned down the town and distracted the Mexicans pinning the Texans. A third version had Callahan burning and looting the town and crossing the Rio Grande with a Mexican/Indian force on their tail. A US Army officer with two cannons and troops, just happened to be where the Rangers crossed back into Texas, and told the Mexicans that if they continued he would give the grape and shot. The expedition cost Callahan his Ranger commission because Texas did not want to excite the United States, but it ended this type of Indian raids into Texas. To have survived such an expedition was an amazing feat, but it was just the first step in Henry W. Bridges short but amazing life.

Henry’s five brothers served as officers or noncommissioned officers during the Civil War. Solomon Thomas Bridges was a captain in Griggs and Grandbury’s Regiment, 7^th Texas Cavalry; James Russell Pierce Bridges was a 1^st Lt in Company I, 23rd Texas Cavalry and Gould’s 27^th Texas Cavalry; Asbury Fletcher Bridges was a 2^nd Lt in Company G, 1^st Texas Heavy Artillery; Herod Flournoy Bridges was a captain in Reserve service in Henderson County; and Andrew Jackson Bridges was a Sergeant of reserve in Hopkins County, Beat No. 5.  One sister, Sarah Bridges Wren was found living in Louisiana during that time.

By 1861, Henry was the captain of Ranger Company I, 3^rd Regiment Texas State Troops. The commander of Company K was James W. Throckmorton of McKinney, Collin County, a future Governor of Texas. Both were sent with their companies into the Wichita Mountains of the Indian Territory to capture Union Forts Cobb and Arbuckle. This was an action pushed by the Knights of the Golden Circle of Texas. Action in the Indian Territory was not as wild as expected. The Union troops had evacuated the forts and were moving north. They did capture supplies and some weapons left by the retreating Yankees. The expedition ended for a lack of money to pay the Rangers.

Henry had been a commander of a company of a Texas Ranger company from the Dallas and Henderson County areas. Now he was to lead them to something different. Captain Bridges took his company to McKinney where they heard about a new regiment of Confederate Cavalry to be mustered at the north Dallas fairgrounds. Henry said he would go down to check it out and his company followed him. The regiment was mustered in on 6 September 1861 and Henry and most of his company mustered on September 12, as Company I, 6^th Texas Cavalry Regiment, Confederate States of America. As most of his men were familiar with military, Henry moved the company to McKinney, Collin County, north of Dallas, where the city provided them with a few more men and uniforms and the other items needed for war. For bedding some took carpet or blankets, but Henry was probably fully fitted out with a tent and possibly his slave, who was listed in the 1860 Texas Slave Schedules. Some additional pistols and muskets were provided from San Antonio courtesy the United States Army. By October several companies were ready to move out. Companies B, G, H, I and K were made up of Rangers or militia and had experienced captains and were all ready to go. None knew they would be gone for four years and some would not come back.

The move into the Indian Territory was nothing new to the Rangers. Some of the farm boys were seeing new sights, but the Rangers continued to train for the fighting to come. But they had not run into a new enemy, except for the few that had fought in Mexico in 1845. Sickness! The measles and whooping cough were the initial enemies. The company lost 7 men in the winter of 1861 from October to December. Many lay sick during the battles with the Union Indians in December. They moved to Flat Rock Creek, Missouri, their winter camp, bringing with them, the measles which caused deaths daily in the regiment until the spring. A large number of men were left behind sick including Henry. A few more were left sick at Ft Gibson. Henry was left sick at Van Buren, Arkansas on the 18^th of December.  He missed the first battles. Sickness was a big problem for commanders. Henry probably had to pen a note to several mothers and wives that their loved one was gone.

For these battles Henry’s company joined a detachment sent to Ft Gibson, Indian Territory to fight under Generals McIntosh and Young. The detachment from the Sixth reached Fort Gibson along with detachments of the 3^rd and 9^th Texas and immediately prepared for a campaign against the Indians. December 26, 1861, a brigade sized unit under Generals McIntosh and Young fought the Indians at Chusto Talasah, I.T. and again on December 29, through January 4, 1862 they engaged in a running battle against Chief Opothleyahola who was retreating toward Kansas.  They won a decisive battle against the Union led Indians, capturing cattle, wagons, grain, weapons, women, children and old men.

The next battle occurred March 4-6, 1862 at Elkhorn Tavern or Pea Ridge, as the North prefers to call it. Major Ross with one detachment from the 3^rd Cavalry and Major Whitfield commanded another in a reconnaissance of Bentonville and Leetown, Arkansas, prior to the main battle. Then the 6^th was involved in the first few skirmishes of the main battle, but they received no farther orders.  Two senior commanders had been killed (General McCulloch and General McIntosh) and a Louisiana division commander captured (General Herbert), thus creating problems in command and control. Colonel Greer of the 9^th Texas was the Senior Cavalry commander and General Pike was over the Confederate Indians. They were willing to fight, but Van Dorn ordered retreat, because the ammunition wagons were missing, actually lost. Company I assisted in the rear guard during the retreat from Elkhorn Tavern. Henry’s participation can only be derived from his regiment’s actions.

Next came, a blow to their egos. The commanding generals decided that they needed more Infantry for a battle with Grant, so many of the Cavalry units were dismounted to fight as Infantry. Because they were not trusted, the horses were sent back to Texas. Lots were drawn to see who would take the horses back. Several of the old men and young boys won somehow.

Van Dorn’s Army was delayed by the high waters of the Mississippi River. Thus, the Battle of Shiloh was fought without them. They took part in the first battle at Corinth on April 29^th and 30^th. Though more of an artillery battle and retreat by the Union forces than a real battle; it showed the 6^th what some of the future battles would be like. They pursued the retreating Union forces to Boonsville, Mississippi, until May 12, 1862; when they ran up against superior forces, Grant’s future Army, and were told to return to Corinth and then further south to Granada, Mississippi.

The unit reorganized selecting officers on 8 May, for a much longer war. Captain Bridges was re-elected to command the company, but two lieutenants were not re-elected and were dropped from rolls, and one returned to the enlisted ranks. The unit was reorganized to fight as Infantry.

Colonel Ross, the new Sixth Regiment Commander designated Company I as a Sharpshooter Company following a directive from General Van Dorn and Colonel Phifer, which said that each division would designate one regiment as a sharpshooter regiment and train them in long range shooting and skirmishing. Training continued throughout the summer, with Major Bridges now in charge of a small battalion made up of Company I of the 6^th and Company H of the 9^th Texas Cavalries, and may have included Company B or the 27th. In July they received several individual replacements from other companies to augment their sharpshooter role.

On August 1, 1862 the battalion was attached to Colonel Ras Stirman’s Arkansas Sharpshooter Regiment, and Bridges was promoted to Lt. Col. and deputy commander. Though expecting to fight to the north or west of Iuka, Phifer’s Brigade was not directed to help General Gate’s Division when it moved south to confront the Union forces approaching Iuka. The next day General Price’s Army moved to the west and returned to his original goal of Corinth in concert with Van Dorn’s Army. To throw the Union forces off, they planned to attack Corinth from the Northwest. On October 3^rd, Stirman’s Regiment was almost in the middle of the Confederate force. It is not known how they were deployed. They should have been employed across the brigade front as skirmishers. The battle started, and the biggest loss on the 3^rd of October was Lt Col. Bridges, who had to be helped from the field with a bad arm wound.

While Henry was recuperating his regiment was brigaded with the 3^rd, 9^th and 27^th Texas Cavalries and was remounted. The new Brigade, of all Texas regiments, was commanded by Colonel John Wilkins Whitfield from the 1^st Texas Legion (aka the 27^th Texas Cavalry). A week after the Brigade left on the Holly Springs Raid, almost two months after Corinth, Lt Col Bridges returned to duty on the 28^th of December. He may have stayed until the Brigade returned from the raid, and then he went on furlough, probably to Texas. His arm must have still been weak. It is very likely that all the Bridges brothers got together at this time, as they were all away from their units.

A lack of records makes it difficult to know what Bridges did for much of 1863 and January of 1864. There are several requisitions and pay records for the period and senior officers writing reports in the central Mississippi area mention him. His battalion was in the records of being at the siege of Vicksburg. The records are partially wrong when they describe his unit as being an Arkansas battalion. We know from 6^th and 9^th Texas Cavalry records that the two companies that were with him at Corinth had gone to Tennessee and did not return till late May 1863. By that time Major Bridges had a battalion given to him by General Stephen D. Lee, which operated under Lee’s command and was given missions by him. The companies that he had were from Missouri and Texas.

There are also letters to the Confederate Secretary of War recommending Bridges for Colonel and higher command. If Bridges participated in the Battle of Vicksburg he was outside the siege area and may have worked with the Whitfield Brigade, his old command. Bridges also worked with Colonel Ferguson’s Brigade. In reports he described Henry as displaying reckless disregard for shell and grape, and skill in deploying sharpshooters.  Bridges was even described in a telegram to Jefferson Davis from General Pemberton, commander at Vicksburg which read, “Colonel Ferguson with Major Bridges’ Battalion have driven the enemy from Rolling Fork and about three miles down Deer Creek, capturing a number of barges.” Bridges operated from the Yazoo River area of Mississippi to Alabama and north to Tennessee. When Vicksburg was surrendered, the complexity of command was difficult to follow.

In September Bridges companies were absorbed into Waul’s Texas Legion and we know that Major Bridges was told to report to General Stephen D. Lee without troops. In the Battle of Vinson/Vincent’s Crossroads on October 26, 1863, Henry W. Bridges once again proved his leadership. Colonel Ferguson wrote General Stephen D. Lee: “Major H.W. Bridges more than a passing tribute is due…as usual foremost in the fight, everywhere inspiring and encouraging the men and officers.  With his own hand he killed one and wounded and captured several other Yankees. His horse was shot under him and his coat pierced by a bullet, an evidence of the close character of the fight.” We do not know what troops Henry commanded. For his valor, S. D. Lee gave Henry the honor of carrying the captured enemy colors to General Joe Johnston. These actions were part of a force of Generals S. D. Lee, Chalmers and Colonel Ross which was operating in the north Mississippi – Alabama area. Research is ongoing to determine if Henry Bridges was involved in more of the actions in November and the December 3^rd Battle at Moscow, Tennessee. Because the Union was severely bruised in several of these battles the battle reports do not paint a full picture. Southern coverage is also sparse for some reason. Perhaps there was no action, but with all the troops in the area, that is highly unlikely. After Vinson/Vincent Crossroads, Alabama, where Ferguson roughed up the 1^st Alabama, Union,  Bridges carries the captured guide-on and flags to General Johnson. The 1^st Alabama said they never had any flags and even if they did, there were not many due to a lack of sources.

Several times General Stephen D. Lee was so much impressed with Major Bridges that he and other officers wrote to Secretary of War Seddons in December requesting that Bridges be promoted to colonel. Seddons responded that although no colonelcy was available at the time, Bridges’ “marks and recommendation will certainly have the fullest of appreciation at my hands and they give every evidence of prevailing.”

In February 1864, Union General Sherman with more than 30,000 battle-hardened soldiers marched from Vicksburg in the Meridian Campaign to destroy the Confederate rail system and cripple guerilla and small unit resistance. It would prove to be a grand rehearsal for his infamous March to the sea later that year. General Wirt Adams, leading only 800 Confederates was the first to make contact with the enemy near the Champion Hill battlefield in Hinds County, Mississippi. Winslow’s Union Cavalry approached from the south while McPherson’s XVII Corps attacked from the west. On 4 February, Major Bridges, with two companies totaling about 90 men, was riding escort for the Generals S.D. Lee and W. H. Jackson.

Hoping to turn Adam’s left flank, the Union Cavalry took over the Walton Plantation buildings situated on a knoll above Baker’s Creek near Bolton. Lee fearing the Union envelopment, ordered Bridges two companies to hold the Union forces not knowing that it was a brigade. Amazingly, Bridges’ hard hitting sortie drove the Federals from the buildings on the hilltop. When more Union troops reinforced, Lee ordered a withdrawal.

In the heavy fighting, Bridges was mortally wounded. Lee later wrote, “It was a choice of command, fearlessly led and it did the work assigned it, but with the loss of the noble leader.” In a later report, Lee called him “the gallant Major Bridges.”

The report by Major General Stephen D. Lee said Major Henry F.(W) Bridges was killed commanding a detachment of two companies providing security for General Lee near Yazoo City, MS, on February 4, 1864. A write up of this report is found in the Southern Historical Society documents. General Lee said,”I feel confident, however, that this gallant officer acted with judgment and to the best interests of the service.

An excerpt from the official report: I would especially commend to the favorable notice of the Lieutenant-General commanding, the good conduct and soldierly qualities of Brigadier-General W. H. Jackson, commanding a division (Ross’ Brigade and the 6^th Texas were under Jackson), to whose assistance and action much of the credit of the recent campaign is due. (deleted here was action after Bridges death) Brigadier-Generals Adams and Ross and Ferguson deserve my tanks for their distinguished gallantry on the field and the able management of their commands. Colonel P. B. Starke, commanding brigade, showed skill and gallantry on every occasion, and won my confidence. For the parts taken by the different regiments and for instances of individual gallantry, I refer to the enclosed reports. I will, however, mention a few seeming to deserve especial notice. On the 4th of February, near Bolton’s depot, my position was being flanked by a cavalry brigade of the enemy – seeing the danger, and to give time to meet the attack, Major W. H. Bridges, P. A. C. S., was detached, with the two escort companies of General Jackson and myself, numbering about 90 men. That gallant officer, with his select band, attacked the vastly superior force of the enemy with a boldness and daring I have not witnessed before during the war. The advance was checked and many lives saved by the good conduct of that officer and the two companies. I regret to state that in effecting the object

(page102 Southern Historical Society Papers.) for which he was sent, he received a mortal wound, and is now lost to his country. A more daring spirit has not fallen during the war, nor one who has been more regretted by his comrades. (the report continued with commendation of other officers. The loss of the enemy was about 400 prisoners and 300 killed and wounded. Enclosed are the reports of the General officers of my command, and a list of killed, wounded, & captured.

I am, Colonel, yours respectfully,

S. D. LEE, Major-General.

The Federals made no attempt to cross Baker’s Creek that evening, but Sue Moore an avid Civil War researcher, who wrote an article for the UDC titled “The Gallant Bridges” – Major Henry W. Bridges, Confederate Hero and Texas Ranger found and has put together the following story. On the night of February 4, 1864, a Union scout and spy, wrote the following account of his encounter in the dark. His name was Lorain “Bunker” Ruggles of Company H, 20^th Ohio Infantry.

“At night the Army halted at Baker’s Creek. There is an incident occurred that I can never forget. I expected to go home with my regiment on veterans furlough as soon as the campaign… was completed. I had felt desirous of procuring a complete Confederate Colonel’s uniform to take home with me as a trophy. I had already secured everything except a coat.

“When I had completed my day’s ride, and secured my horse for the night, it had got to be so late as 9 o’clock…I met a soldier, who said, ’There was a rebel Colonel killed on the skirmish line in front to-day. Go up the ditch yonder, to the left, till you come to the end of it; then take a hollow that leads away to your left. The first body that you come to is a dead private; the next is that of a Colonel.’”

“The night was very dark, but my desires to obtain the coat were so strong that they overcame all fear. He lay on his back, with his feet crossed, and one arm laying across his breast. His boots were already gone. Taking hold of his arm and raising it up, I found that it was still limber. Said I, ‘You haven’t had your furlough long, have you, Colonel’”

“He made no reply. I set the body up, and got down on my knees in front of it, and commenced to take off the coat. A gasp and a convulsive spring forward brought the Colonel’s open mouth suddenly against my face. Unearthly horror seized me; with one bound I was on my feet, and the next thing that I knew I was in camp. To say that I was frightened is no description of my feelings. Had a demon from the infernal regions placed his gnashing jaws against my face, I could not have been more horrified.”

“I covered myself in my blankets, and cold tremors crept over me for hours after. Every attempt to count sheep would force through my mind a vivid recollection of every mean thing that I had ever done, followed by all the stories of ghosts and hobgoblins that I had ever heard. I have had no desire since to obtain a rebel Colonel’s coat”

`           On 5 February 1864, Harry W. Bridges was found wounded and not dead. Thus under a flag of truce he was recovered and carried to the home of  Adjutant General Wharton of the State of Mississippi in Jackson, 20 miles away. He lived for 9 more days.

The only high-ranking Confederate left for dead at Baker’s Creek the night of 4 February was Henry W. Bridges. Although he was a major at the time he fell, he had been a lieutenant colonel from August 1862 to sometime after March 1863.  He evidently wore his colonel coat on that cool February day in 1864. Bunker believed he was stealing a dead man’s coat, but we know the truth.

The home of Mississippi’s Attorney-General Thomas J. Wharton still stands. It is the oldest remaining antebellum house in the capital of Jackson. On the outskirts of town, it was one of the very few that escaped Sherman’s torch.

In 1908, Sarah Bridges Wren, Henry’s oldest sister, age 96, told the story of his last days to her grandson George Wren Patterson who preserved it for his family’s history. Sarah recalled, ” He went to war a captain, rose to major, and was to have received promotion to Colonel when he was killed near Jackson, Mississippi. Was a very dashing soldier with a fine record. The official report on the occasion of his fall said: ‘We regret to state that on that day fell Major Bridges, one of the most dashing daring steel points of the Army. He fell leading a charge on very strong positions and, although mortally wounded, he lived nine days. He died in the residence of General Wharton in Jackson, Mississippi.’” Sarah’s grandson recorded, “Grandmother received letters from Miss Wharton, Miss Austin and the Surgeon. He was buried in the private cemetery of General Wharton in Jackson. That has been confirmed to be the Old Greenwood Cemetery, old section, as is different from the Confederate Section.

Bunker’s story led Mrs. Moore to search official, historical, genealogical records, resulting in the discovery of the “Gallant Bridges” laying in an unmarked grave in the Wharton’s Plot in the beautiful old Greenwood Cemetery in Jackson. Henry’s grave has been marked with a Veterans Administration stone and Ranger Cross, and a memorial grave marking ceremony will be conducted on December 3, 2011, a Saturday at 10 AM. Mrs. Barbara Gilbert the president of the Levy Chapter, UDC has confirmed this date. The R. B. Levy Chapter, UDC of Longview, Texas will honor Bridges outstanding service. In the Greenwood Cemetery are several generals, but two Henry knew well lay near by, Wirt Adams and S. W. Ferguson.

This biography was prepared by Sue Moore the lady in the blue jacket above with the Levy Chapter UDC and William Nolan, both admirers of Henry W. Bridges. November 2011. Research of Henry W. Bridges began with the discovery of him involved in the capture of the Union forts in the Indian Territory. Robert A. Nolan was a private in Throckmorton’s company and later in Henry’s was part of the reason. From this research had come the Whitfield – Ross Texas Cavalry Brigade website and the memorial service described above and the research for this biography and research on Henry’s company and battalion and on Ras Stirman’s Arkansas Sharpshooter Regiment, Phifer’s Brigade, Maury’s Division, Battles of Corinth and Hatchie (Davis) Bridge October 3-5, 1862. There exists little official history of Bridges and of Stirman and his regiment of sharpshooters.

The Veterans Administration recorded Henry’s highest rank. From 1 August 1862 till March 1863, Henry was a Lieutenant Colonel as Deputy Commander of Ras Stirman’s Arkansas Sharpshooter Regiment. After Hatchie Bridge, Stirman’s Regiment was broken up and Stirman returned to Lt Col as commander of the 1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion. Bridges was still recovering from his arm wound. After March Henry was under the command of General Stephen D. Lee, but technically his old battalion was back as part of the Whitfield Texas Cavalry Brigade. Thus Bridges also would have been part of this unit. He commanded several different companies from other brigades. It is not known if he ever commanded his old company or a detachment from the brigade.

History has Bridges commanding a battalion of Arkansas cavalry at Vicksburg in July 1863, but it never happened. He was commanding Texas and Missouri Cavalry Companies at that time, and it was not official. Thus the Order of Battle for Vicksburg is wrong, and a lot of books that copied the data are also wrong. Bridges was later at the Battle of Vincent or Vinson’s Crossroads. Alabama (October 1863). and may have been at the Battle of Moscow, Tennessee (December 1863). the search for history goes on.

After weeks of working on rosters and detail the revised 27th Texas Cavalry Regiment has been installed on the web pages.

Included are details of each soldiers activities and actions in the Civil War. A summary has been added to each record of the roster to include data from the National Archives as found at Fold3.com. The strength of each company has been tabulated and should be fairly close. An attempt has been made to show the strengths at various points in the war. Those that died from illness or falling off a horse are tabulated, as are desertions. When possible this is done by year, so we can see how many men each c0mpany had. Some data is vague, such as missing rec0rds per year. Missing records were caused by management not closing the loop and finding a soldiers status. We know many records were destroyed by weather, enemy action and to deny the enemy data. I am sure all the missing records fall under one of these. We can add another possible factor. The 1st Sargeant was responsible for company records. I have found that these sargeants changed often for various reasons. Sickness, Killed in action, promotion to officer and demotion for various reasons. Records suffered each time the 1st sargeant changed.

The total manpower recorded was 1472 men plus or minus a few. Total KIA Killed in Action was 49, DOW Died of Wounds, 24 and WIA Wounded in Action, 163.  About 376 were captured and paroled or held in prisons. Essentially it can be said that men captured after January 1864 went to prisons, and those before were paroled. There are exceptions.  Some 271 died from various reasons. Most died from disease, small pox, measles, whooping caugh, various feavers. But one fell of a train, another fell off his horse. One shot himself chasing Indians. I made him a KIA because it was in battle. Some were murdered in camp during arguments.  About 121 deserted for various reasons, with the most going in 1862 and 1863. When the unit got into serious battle the desertions went down. The unit was at 1004 men in 1862, 754 in 1863, 469 in 1864 and down to 232 when parole in 1865. Discharges took over 218. Most were from disabilities, but some were for over and some under age. Some continued whether over or under.

The capture of 127 soldiers, officers and enlisted at a picket on the Carter Creek Road (Pike) on 27 April 1863, near Franklin, Tennessee must have been both funny and embarassing. They were cought sleeping. Several got away, some died before the parole was complete, and some deserted, joining the Union Army. The Union moved these men from central Tennessee to Ft McHenry, Maryland. and then released them on 10 May 1863 at Ft Monroe, Virginisa. Nearly all needed clothing when released. Some needed medical attention. Some boarded the train going west and did not get off until they were home in Texas. Of these most came back to the unit, but some deserted. Most were back to the unit by the end of May.

At Iuka, Mississippi, on 19 September 1862 the Legion lost 19 KIA, 53 POW prisoners, with many wounded, with some dying after the 1st of October. Many of the wounded were paroled on 14 October 1862. The non wounded were paroled on 13 October at Bolivar, Tennessee. Of the soldiers that were wounded many were furloughed. Of these many went to Texas and did not come back. Some due to disabilities. Some deserted. Of the remainder, several choose this time to desert. This is a point where records are weak. Why I qualify the 1st of October, is that the mass grave from the Battle of Iuka were buried that day. We are fairly certain that the 19 who were KIA are in that grave. After this date they were buried in one of the many cemeteries in Iuka.  All Union soldiers buried in Iuka were moved to Nashville to the National Cemetery. The Confederate who had been buried in various places around Iuka, to include backyards, were eventially moved to Shady Grove Cemetery or one of the other cemeteries in town.

The history of the 27th has been corrected as close to actually what happened and when. The alignment of companies has been resolved. Company B was transferred to Ras Stirman’s Regiment of Sharpshooters in July of 1862. It did not return. It stayed with Stirman’s Battalion when the regiment was broke up in November 0f 1862. Its letter was not filled after it was transferred, instead the last company remained N. The 12 Companies were collapsed toward the end of the war to the point that there were two detachments of just over 100 each. The reduction occurred in 1864, but the officers did not resign until January 1865. Of note, Company K is an Arkansas company with men recruited in Polk County, Arkansas, and from transfers from the 14th Arkansas Regiment.

The Battle at Hatchie (Davis) Bridge on 5 October 1862 caused about 80 POWs with many wounded and 10 KIA. Lt Colonel Hawkins in command of the Legion led a portion of the unit out of harms way, and a senior captain led another group to safety, but the the loss of over 90 men was tough. In two weeks the unit had lost about two companies. Many of the wounded returned, but many did not. Again disabilities and desertions where big factors.

During the Holly Springs Raid, the Legion lost 46 POWs with many wounded and 8 KIA basically at Battle of Davis Mills, Mississippi, and the Battle of Middleburg, Tennessee.  Again the factor of desertions and disabilities affected the unit. This was a tough time on the Legion.

But please enjoy the availablity of new data. I will also be placing the data sheet on the web page.

It is a lot of fun to work with the names of the 27th Texas Cavalry Regiment and the alignment of its companies. Whitfield must have had a great ego.  First General McCulloch must have promised a legion if he recruited 8 additional companies. Then McCulloch was killed at Elkhorn Tavern. But by May 1862 Whitfield had recruited 8 additional companies.  Then came reorganization.  Whitfield had on paper, 13 companies. But none were designated Artillery or mounted Infantry.  This did not seem to bother Whitfield. He was commander of a Legion. Whitfield’s Legion. 1st Texas Legion.

Then there was the Companies. Five companies were independent in the summer of 1861. when they arrived at Fort Smith, General McCulloch attached them as the 4th Battalion of Texas Cavalry under Major Whitfield. One company was not Texan. Company B was an Arkansas company headed by Captain Murphy. This company was first transferred to Bridges Battalion of Texas Sharpshooters and then Stirman’s battalion of Arkansas Sharpshooters where it became Company H. The company was never replaced in the Legion. It went through the war without a Company B.

The remaining 8 companies were attached to Whitfield’s Battalion in May 1862 and a large regiment was formed. John Whitfield was elected commander and the name Whitfield’s Legion or 1st Texas Legion was born. The Confederate government gave it a name, the 27th Texas Cavalry Regiment, but this name was not used by the members who liked the term ”Legion.”

At this time I am working through the Companies of the  Regiment entering individual data from the National Archives to each soldier on the roster. I am currently working on Company H.  A through G have been uploaded to the regimental files and are available for viewing. As time goes on I will add individual data that I find for soldiers. Some are lost in history, but many have both great military and civilian careers.

Allen G. Hatley wrote a book called “the First Texas Legion”, which gives some great insite on the 27th Texas Cavalry Regiment. but which I believe wasted to much time on a supposed relationship between John Whitfield and Sul Ross. Whitfield was several years older than Ross and was his commander until Whitfield was assigned to the staff of the Department of Trans-Mississippi. At that time Mabry, who had been a prisoner of war from 19 September 1862 until May of 1863 was made commander of the Texas Brigade. In December 1863 Mabry was transferred to General Forrests Command as a brigade commander and Ross assumed command.

The politics of this command was probably very involved as Hatley implies, but he wasted his book on the supposed fued and not the facts of the Legion. The roster is very difficult, but it is slowly opening the story of the Legion.  Had Ross accepted the Captains position offered by the US Army when he and Van Dorn were wounded in 1859. He would probably gone to West Point and would have been a Brigade Commander earlier in the War.  Maybe then he would not have been under Red Jackson and Armtrong and would have gained more fame.

The Texas Brigade, and thus its regiments get lost in history where Terry’s Texas Rangers and the Texans of Hood’s Brigade have much more fame. Like the US Marines they had better publication.  Hopefully Stephen Kirk’s book on the Ross Brigade will add to this story.

Henry W. Bridges was a Ranger in 1855 at 19. He followed his captain into Mexico on a punishment mission and  ran into an ambush.  A few Rangers were killed and wounded and 63 of the Mexicans.  Look for “Callahan’s Expedition” if you are interested. In 1861 Henry had a Company and was ordered with other Ranger Companies into the frontier to sieze Union Forts. His were in the Indian Territory (Oklahoma). No problems with the forts, the Union had abanded all of them. All over the United States. They conceded the forts in southern States. All but one at Charleston Harbor. That too is history.

Around the end of August 1861, Texas ran out of money, and called home the Ranger Companies. In Dallas a regiment was forming. Many of these Rangers went there. Companies I and K joined almost intact from their Ranger duty.  The only thing they needed was clothes. Their’s were gone from the duty in the I.T., but their towns Athens and McKinney gave them gray uniforms. Thus, Companys I and K of the 6th Texas Cavalry Regiment were born.

Bridge’s Company  I, went through the regiors of training and living together as a large body. They faught Indians in the I.T. and then at Elkhorn Tavern (Pea Ridge) and at the first Corinth, MS and the dreaded enemy, disease. Many a soldier died from smallpox, mumphs, measles, typhoid fever, malaria and pneumonia, and one they knew little about, infection.  In May 1862 the Company was designated a Sharpshooter Company of the 6th Cavalry.  Soon they were joined by two other companies, Company H, 9th Texas Cavalry Regiment aand Company B, 27th Texas Cavalry Regiment. There was probably a company from the 3rd Texas Cavalry, but it has not been identified. Casulties from the 3rd at Corinth II are small, making it likely that the 3rd may have supplied only a few men,

Bridges trained his new Battalion and was promoted to Major. Additional men came from other units to fill out his companies. They were assigned to Colonel Phiffer’s Infantry Brigade. Next Bridges battalion was attached to Ras Stirman’s Battalion of Arkansas Sharpshooters, to form a regiment. Both Stirman and Bridges were promoted on 1 August 1862. The unit was designated the 1st Arkansas Sharpshooter Regiment, All in grey, said Colonel Stirman to his sister.  Lieutenant Colonel Henry W. Bridges was the Deputy Commander.

The units first battle was at Corinth, Mississippi on the 3rd and 4th of October 1862. They were probably used as skirmishers on the 3rd and suffered a lot of casulties. On the 4th they were used as straight Infantry, but were way down in strength.  They were on the far left of Phiffer’s Brigade and only had one battery to their front. This they quickly took down and with other brigade troops troops they went to the center of the Town. Colonel Stirman planted his flag in front of the Tishomingo Hotel. With him was Major White of the 6th Texas and Colonel Moore of the 3rd Arkansas. They were low on ammunition and troops but they had driven Rosecran’s Headquarters from its position. Now the Union 17th Iowa arrived and DuBois launched his attack. Doom for the Southern cause. Next a Union battery opened up, almost stopping the Union attack and almost killing DuBois. It did cause confusion in the Southern attack and the fire from the 17th was causing havoc. Next a regrouping and a new attack from DuBois caused the South to retreat. Stirman and White took one more look grabbed the flag and vaulted down the hill. The battle was lost.

Where was Henry Bridges. He was severly wounded  on October 3 and was in the Hospital at Quitman, Mississippi. Had he been there it would possibly have helped. Stirman’s Regiment was caught in the initial fire at Hatchie Bridge the next day, but managed to retreat across the bridge and set up covering fire. Only the 6th and a small part of the 27th made it back with a few soldiers of Moore’s brigade.  The rest were killed, wounded or captured. The rest, led by Col Sul Ross of the 6th,  the acting Commander of Phiffer’s Brigade set up a blocking action and stopped the Union in its tracks. History seems to give this win to the Union and the blocking action to Phiffer, who was not there. Thus General Van Dorn was able to get his army out of the trap and escaped to fight another day.

Stirman’s Regiment was broken up. Bridges did not return to duty until 25 December and was then placed on leave. Only Company B of the 27th stayed with Stirman. They were an Arkansas Company who had been attached to Whitfield’s battalion after the Battle at Elkhorn Tavern. They did good work during the siege of Vicksburg. The remaining Texas companies returned to their regiments. They still faught together as part of the Texas Cavalry Brigade for the remainder of the war.

Henry W. Bridges returned to duty some time in March and seems to have worked for General S. D. Lee, until his death, leading a detachment of two companies against a Union Cavalry Regiment. He routed the Union forces but was severly wounded again. He was taken a few miles to the Attorney General Wharton’s Mississippi Plantation. He lived for nine days. Dying about 13 February 1864. He is buried in the Wharton plot in the Greenwood Cemetery in Jackson, Mississippi.

Bridges lies with heros but is not recognized. We are planning a plaque and Ranger Cross if allowed some time this summer.  A wonderful lady named Sue Moore has dug up a lot of this data and I have tried to help, putting it into military contex. She is the best reseacher I have ever met. She also has good contacts at Jackson, and we may need those. I look forward to meeting her.

        I should be working on the roster of Company D, 27th Texas Cavalry Regiment, but got side tracked by the new issue of HISTORY, the History Channel Magazine.  I have tried to read the above article, before the comma.  The countries leading historians talking about the Civil War. I have yet to make it. Doctor Charles Bryan and Doctor Eric Foner, two of our nations outstanding historians, reach a point where they make the following statement. Bryan: If you take slavery out of the formula, there’s a question if there ever would have been a Civil War.  Foner: It’s hard to find another cause which would have led to war.

     It is a couple of statements that are so far out of context with reality. For over twenty years the Congress had been talking states rights, relative to trade, slavery and the infastructure. The issue of slaves was not about freedom, but whether a new state would be free or slave. A political discussion. Who would gain control. The South lacked political clout without more Slave states. The North was already running over the South in taxation and tarriff.

     When the South began to succeed, Lincoln did not contemplate war for slaves, but to save the United States. Would the North have given up so many brave soldiers for slaves? I think not. Lincoln kept adding men and Generals till he had his Union.  Would the South have given up so many for slavery? I think not. But against an Invader who was destroying their land and homes, with a superior (Large) Army and Navy and an Industrial base, which would not quit. My kin had nothing but a horse, a Bowie knife and a pistol and a rifle or shot-gun. They all fought 5 years for the South, and stayed there after the war. Many Southerners did not. There homes were destroyed, so they moved west.

     Then the North imposed the great penalty! For losing the war the South had to under go 10 years of punishment and suspension of Civil Liberty and the other amendments that goverened our law.  How did they do this and under what authority. And then the libral North ask the question. What’s your beef! The South had been beat up, had coal oil poured on and then lit. When the fire was out they poured salt in the wound for 10 years. Why are we still so rilled up after 150 years?  Simple answer.   We will remember our kin in the same way we remember the soldiers of all wars. They are our hero’s. We will maintain their places of death, to honor their commitment. We will raise monuments till all are remembered. We will fight any who say we do not have the right to wave our flags, both Old Glory and the Stars and Bars, or the First National, or the Bonny Blue.

     Yes, I believe the Southern memory is long. I believe the collective hurt was deep. I believe the libral North is still stopping the South in its desire to recover.  It is hard for them to look at Chicago and Detroit and then at Atlanta and Houston and Dallas. Even the old Plantations are comming back as party and celebration halls or as Bed and Breakfast. The South is rising, but we have way to many Yankees here now. We can not  fire a rifle or wave a flag. Some even think we should not be allowed to have weapons. They have not completed their destruction of the Constitution.

   I guess I have to stop reading HISTORY now.  Bad for my heart. Thank God for the Tea Party and Conservatives.

     When I decided to stop working on the 6th and began the 27th, I had no idea what was comming. Being smart, I started with A. As I went through the records at Footnote, I began to discover paterns of combat. “A” went well with only minor problems.  “B” was different. Right off, none of the records went to May, except for a few exceptions. The more I looked for “B” after May 1862, the less I found. I even went to the Texas History web site and declared a Mayday.  Where was the lost Company B.  I finished “B” with clouds in my mind.  Starting Company C, I decided to do some checks on other companies.  I quickly came to the conclusion that Company “B” ceased to exist when it was transferred to the 1st Arkansas Cavalry. This is not typical Military. The Army in its great wisdom reworks everything to meet its predetermined order. But maybe just this one time something was slipped by. Colonel Whitfield decided not to rename just to fit convention.  Thus Company B became Company H, 1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, but was remembered by its Texas brothers.

     I still have to get through “N’ to be sure, but that is what it looks like.

     The four Texas companies  were born between July and November of 1861. All made there way separately or close together to the vicinity of General McCulloch at Wilson Creek in Missouri.  They seem to have arrived about three days late on August 13, 1861.  The good General recognized the leader in Colonel Whitfield and put him in charge of a five company Battalion, called the 4th Texas Cavalry Battalion or Whitfield’s Cavalry Battalion. They were together during December as a detachment working with Colonel Young in the Indian Territories. Many were back home seeing family and recruiting. Colonel Whitfield wanted a Regiment. To be exact he wanted a Legion.

     By March the Battalion was at Elkhorn Tavern and did a little as did many Confederate units. The 3rd, 6th and 9th Texas Cavalries were lucky to get in one charge. Major Ross led a detachment and cut the rear of the Union force, but did little to effect the outcome of the battle.  As they moved toward the Mississippi, General Van Dorn decided he needed more Infantry.  The best way to accomplish that was to send the horses back to their home. At the same time eight new companies were forming in Texas and moving to Arkansas. By May they had arrived and were joined with Whitfield’s Battalion. Company B was transferred and Whitfield had a twelve company regiment.  Several companies were small so probably Company O was never organized.  This is a problem that I still have to solve.

     Then God did some reorganization. At Iuka on 19 September 1862 the 27th had a baptism by fire. Many soldiers were killed, wounded and lost.  At Corinth the 27th was in reserve. The day following Corinth at Hatchie Bridge the 27th was leading. A second baptism by fire. Again many killed, wounded and lost. The Legion was being brought down to size. The regiment did well at Holly Springs and Thompson Station. They did not loose many.  Then they got careless and were over run by a Union Raid.  A large number were captured.  All this happened before the real fighting began in May 1864.

     Now providence enters the picture. Little is reported and little is known of the losses per regiment. Record keeping came to an end. How exactly did the Legion go from 1000 to 200 from May 1864 to May 1865?  As I go through this in a detailed assesment, I hope to resolve this problem. 

     The one thing I have not mentioned is disease and miscellaneous. Under 18 and over 45 were lost.  Others were hurt from falls, and accidents. Many of these were out with disability certificates. Disease killed every foot of the way. Soldiers were lost in Texas, Arkansas and Mississippi at an unbelieveable rate. Mumps, mesales, Typhoid Fever and pmeumonia were killers.  Company C seems to have lost at least half to disease and accident. One drowned and one fell off a train. It was sad as I went through the roster.  I will keep you posted.

     So back to the grind. To go through Footnote is difficult and slow. At my current rate it will take a couple of months. Less I hope. Then back to the 6th and 9th that have detailed books already written. That will speed up the works.  I look forward to having this done!

Allen G. Hatley wrote an interesting book called the First Texas Legion.  He provided us with a lot of information about the 1st Texas Legion.  He is well informed on John Wilkins Whitfield and provided some good information about him and his units. He spent a lot of time establishing a theory that Lawrence Sullivan Ross was out to replace him for his whole life. To me this theory ruined his book.  Ross was 22 when he was appointed Major in the   6th Texas Cavalry. Nine months later he was selected Colonel for the 6th Texas.  It was then seventeen months before he was selected to lead the Texas Cavalry Brigade. So he was the commander at 26.  Whitfield was commander at close to 40.  His command started at Tompkin’s Station and was not that great during 1863 in Mississippi.  The great problem of command in Mississippi lies with the two commanders above the brigade and their inability on using the brigade correctly. Two good examples of how to use the brigade were the Holly Springs Raid and Tompkin’s Station.

Hatley describes a 90 day leave taken by Ross in late 1862.  He assumes that there was no reason, but politics.  Ross Commanded the 6th at Corinth and was in the battle at at Battery Robinett and lost his horse in the battle. He ended up assisting  others from the battle field.  The next day Ross was the acting commander of Phifer’s Brigade at Hatchie Bridge and initially set up a blocking action to allow the remnants of the division and the 27th Texas that had been shot up.  Hatley gives Ross no credit for holding the high ground.  I find myself protecting Ross when it is not necessary to put either officer down.

Whitfield, a soldier of the Mexican War immediately recruited a company in the summer of 1861 and rushed to Arkansas to help General McCulloch.  He was respected and given four other companies to command. After Pea Ridge and being dis-mounted, he was given the eight new companies and lost his one Arkansas company.  No matter, his regiment was a 12 company regiment.  A legion normally has infantry and artillery, but Whitfield’s Legion had neither.  Probably because of the training to take Corinth and a lack of artillery and horses.  The battle at Iuka soon whittled his regiment down. Almost one company was lost to KIA, WIA and misaing.  The next battle for the Regiment was at Hatchie Bridge. With Whitfield out from wounds at Iuka, Colonel Hawkins managed to take the core of his regiment and at Ross’ direction crossed the bridge and assumed a position among the 1st Arkansas  Sharpshooters. Once Ross had brought the blocking force across and consolidated his forces, Cabel’s Brigade had come up with artillery, and the blocking force was in position to do some damage.  Next the Union lost a regiment and two others were in no position to fight. In the darkness the Confederate Army continued it’s withdrawal.  Before dawn Ross’ and his force had gone and the Union had nothing, not even the will to follow.  I have found no others that give Ross credit for covering the retreat.

Both were good officers. both would have flourished if given the freedom that was extended to Forrest.  For over 110 days the Brigade worked both as Cavalry and Infantry in the Atlanta Campaign. It followed the orders from above and did as they were told.  The day after Ross was captured in the McCook Raid , Ross told General Hood what had happened.  Hood told Ross, it was not his problem.  The Infantry Brigade that was supposed to back up Ross was in trouble. Ross had been released when Wheeler’s Cavalry put pressure on McCook and the Union left all prisoners and the captured goods.

The Brigade produced many extremely good officers.  Many more were killed or wounded in Battle and were not able to return.

The 1st Texas Legion or officially the 27th Texas Cavalry Regiment was an exceptional unit. Few could have sustained the losses at Iuka and Hatchie Bridge and the mass capture in Tennessee and still remained functional. But they did. They were in the thick of the Atlanta and Tennessee campaigns and took the rough killing pace that the Brigade with stood for over 110 days and then led Hoods Army into Tennessee, and back to Mississippi after Franklin and Nashville.  Though the unit fought no more battles, there were a few skirmished near the Black River and the Regiment did not lay down and quit.

I cry that there were no more writers in the brigade, who would have provided more than Victor Rose did. The writing of Hatley and Hale put black marks on the Brigade that should not have occurred.  These units were the product of their time.  They fought long after they should have and continued to produce results.  They deserve more than many Union units which were far more troubling than the Whitfield – Ross Texas Cavalry Brigade, and none fought better or longer.

Just a short note.  Read the XXVII,#3,  2010, issue of the Blue & Gray. Shoot!  buy it!  Excellent article by Thomas E.  Parson, a Ranger at the new Corinth, MS Interpretive Center, about the Holly Springs Raid.  I may have some comments later but at first reading it seems a well researched article. Better than others that I have read.

His detail on the raid and the subsequent battles is very good.  With my knowledge of the brigade some bells did ring as I read, but nothing that I felt was wrong from a real fact point of view.

Thomas did an excellent article on the Hatchie Bridge Battle last year. I wrote him my comments about that. This seems better, and brought out many new facts.  Cleared up many misconceptions caused by Victor Rose’s version which was a little too romantic.

This is a story that every southern kid should read and every Yankee should have to read.

What association?

Early in the 1900′s a Ross Brigade still existed. Of course it was getting smaller, from attrition. They had even joined with other Brigade Associations to have meetings of sufficient size to warrant the effort.

The meetings slowly fell apart, and their proceedings fell into jealous hands. It became difficult to get information. Many of the leaders of the Ross Brigade passed on in the late 1890′s. Ross’ effort to provide a data base before the end of the war had failed. A lieutenant who was entrusted with orders, trophies and other writings and procedures, died and his widow was only able to retain a small  portion from the many rift-raft Yankee groups that were taring apart the South during re-construction.

Though Victor Rose and a few others made efforts, a true definitive tribute to the true story of the Brigade does not exist. Some of the regimental efforts could be called politically incorrect garbage. Others were good troop level efforts, but none placed the Brigade in history.

Without a true story to pass on, the Brigade Association ceased to exist. Today, even a check of the rosters of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, shows more members with Sons from the Hood Brigade by far, than from Ross’ Brigade. Ross was elected Governor of Texas with a greater vote than any before or since. So where have all the Sons and Daughters gone. Lost in the apathy caused by those who would destroy the South. Lost in the political incorrect institutions we call schools.

The people who occasionally stumble across this site are surprised by the amount of data provided.  Over5867 names and free data concerning the Brigade.  But only about 10 hits a day are received. Many of those are repeats. How does one rekindle the Brigade fever that once existed.

Each soldier should have at least two kin standing behind his name. For many the war ended their history. The ones who died and left no history, and those who simply never returned home.  Others just grow old and do not pass on, the memory of those who fought. At 65, I found I had Confederate kin.  My dad never knew, even though a great uncle had hinted that we may have had Ranger kin. What did my Grand Father know?

We are becoming a race of people who are scared people. We are afraid to say anything. Bill O’Riley mentions that Mohammedan’s flew into the twin towers and the world goes crazy. We must say they were terrorist, even though all who we involved were of the same religion. We do not teach the southern view in schools because it is politically incorrect, to those who are black or northern. So my boys would grow up without the knowledge of what the South fought for.  They will pass on to their children the same politically incorrect crap, and the lie goes on.  Lincoln is lionized and Lee and Davis are made villains. How can a man who put his political opponents in jail and conducted a war that killed over 1 1/2 million Americans be lionized?  When we talk of the destruction of the Indian, it was caused by the governments war against the Indian. A fact is that more Indians were killed in the Civil War than subsequent battles.

I think I will start a Brigade group here in Kerrville and work on that problem. Something can be done.