The Lone Star Defenders 3

The Lone Star Defenders 3

This day of leave-taking was the saddest of the war to many of us.

 

After we had mounted our horses we assembled around the front of the

old Thompson Hotel, which stood where the Acme Hotel now stands, when

our old friend, General Hogg, standing on the front steps, delivered

us a formal and a very tender farewell address. War was not unknown to

him, for he had been a soldier in the early days of Texas, as well as a

member of the Texas Congress in the days of the republic. He was a fine

specimen of the best type of Southern manhood—tall, slender, straight

as an Indian, and exceedingly dignified in his manner. As brave as

“Old Hickory,” he often reminded me of the pictures I had seen of

General Jackson, and he certainly had many similar traits of character.

We venerated, admired, and loved him, and he was warmly attached to

the company. In his address he gave us much good advice, even to the

details of mess duties and the treatment of our messmates. Among other

things, he said, “Don’t ever jeer at or mock any of your comrades who

cannot stand the fire of the enemy. Some of you, perhaps, will find

yourselves unable to do so. Some men are thus constituted without

knowing it, until they are tried. So you should be charitable towards

such unfortunates.” Later I found these words of our old soldier friend

to be true. This ceremony ended, we sadly moved off by twos, over the

hill, and up the street leading into the Jacksonville road.

 

As we marched forward sadness was soon succeeded by merriment and good

cheer. Some of the boys composed a little song, which was frequently

sung by I. K. Frazer and others as we went marching on. It began:

 

“The Lone Star Defenders, a gallant little band,

On the tenth of June left their native land.”

 

Before leaving home we had spent two weeks in a camp of instruction,

and learned something of the duties of camp life and the necessary art

of rolling and unrolling our blankets. We camped the first night near

Jorial Barnett’s, between Jacksonville and Larissa. Two of the Barnett

boys were going with us, and several from Larissa. When we reached

Larissa next morning we there found a young man, Charley Watts, who was

a bugler, and had been in the Federal Army, he said. He was willing and

anxious to go with us, and we wanted him, as he was young and active,

but he was afoot, and seemed to own nothing beyond his wearing apparel.

So we appealed to the citizens, as a goodly number had gathered into

the little village to see the soldiers pass, and in little more time

than it takes to tell it, we had him rigged with horse, bridle, saddle,

and blankets. Charley proved to be a fine bugler, the finest bugler I

ever heard in either army, and he was a most gallant young fellow. We

moved on, bidding farewell to Captain Taylor’s noble and patriotic old

mother, as we passed her residence.

 

Fearing we might be left out of the regiment, we dispatched Captain

Taylor and one or two others well-mounted men to go ahead and secure

and hold our place for us. The ladies of Cherokee County having

presented us with a beautiful flag, this we unfurled and marched

through the towns and villages along the way in great style and

military pomp. At Kaufman we received quite an ovation. Arriving

there about ten o’clock in the morning, we were met by a deputation

of citizens, who invited us to dine at the hotel at the expense of

the town. This was very reluctantly declined, for we were afraid of

losing time. Poor fellows, we often regretted missing that good dinner,

and we really had plenty of time, if we had only known it. To show

our appreciation of their hospitality we marched around the public

square, displaying the flag and sounding the bugle. When we had arrived

in front of a saloon we were halted and all invited to dismount and

drink, without cost to us. We here spent perhaps an hour, during which

time numbers of the boys entered stores to purchase small necessary

articles, and in every instance pay was declined.

 

In due time we went into camp in a post oak grove two miles east of

Dallas, a locality, by the way, which is now well within the city

limits. And here we remained for some time.

 

Eight other organized companies were soon camped in different

localities in the neighborhood, but we were still one company short.

However, as there were many men, including a large squad from Kaufman

County, some from Cherokee and other counties, on the ground wishing to

go with us, and who could not get into the organized companies because

they were all full, they organized themselves into a tenth company,

which completed the necessary number for the regiment.

 

We spent about four weeks in Dallas County, a delay caused in good part

by the necessity of waiting for the arrival of a train from San Antonio

carrying United States wagons and mules captured at that post by the

Confederates. The time, however, was well spent in daily drills, in

feeding, grazing and attending to our horses; and then, too, we were

learning valuable lessons in camp life. While here we had plenty of

rations for ourselves and plenty of forage for the horses.

 

The citizens of Dallas County, as far as we came in contact with them,

were very kind to us. Our nearest neighbor was a German butcher by the

name of Nusbauman. We used water from the well in his yard and were

indebted to him and his family for many acts of kindness.

 

On one occasion Mrs. Nusbauman complained to Captain Taylor that one of

his men had borrowed her shears to cut hair with, and would not bring

them back. No, she did not know the name of the offender. The captain

then said, “Madame, do you know the man when you see him?” “Oh, yes.”

“Well, when he comes to draw water again you sprinkle flour on his back

and I will find your shears.” In a few hours one of the men came out

from the well with his back covered with flour—and the shears were

promptly returned.

 

Our next nearest neighbors were a family named Sheppard, who lived a

few hundred yards south of our camp, and whose kindness was unbounded.

Their house was our hospital for the time we were in their vicinity,

and the three young ladies of the family, Misses Jennie Wood, Maggie,

and another, were unremitting in their attentions to the sick. On one

damp, drizzly day when I had a chill they heard of it somehow, and in

the afternoon two of them drove up in a buggy and called for me to go

home with them, where I could be sheltered, as we yet had no tents.

I went, of course, recovered in one day, convalesced in about three

days, and reluctantly returned to camp. In an effort to do some washing

for myself, I had lost a plain gold ring from my finger, a present from

Miss Cattie Everett of Rusk, and Miss Jennie Wood Sheppard replaced it

with one of her own. This ring was worn by me continually, not only

during the war, but for several years after its close.

 

I do not remember the date, but some day near the end of June “The Lone

Star Defenders,” that “gallant little band,” were formally mustered

into the service of the Confederate States of America, for one year. We

were subjected to no physical examination, or other foolishness, but

every fellow was taken for better or for worse, and no questions were

asked, except the formal, “Do you solemnly swear,” etc. The company was

lettered “C,” Greer’s Regiment, Texas Cavalry—afterwards numbered and

ever afterwards known as the Third Texas Cavalry. We were mustered in,

officers and men, as follows:

 

Officers—Frank M. Taylor, captain; James J. A. Barker, first

lieutenant; Frank M. Daniel, second lieutenant; James A. Jones, second

lieutenant; Wallace M. Caldwell, orderly sergeant; John D. White,

second sergeant; S. B. Barron, third sergeant; Tom Petree, fourth

sergeant; William Pennington, first corporal; Thomas F. Woodall, second

corporal; C. C. Acker, third corporal; P. C. Coupland, fourth corporal;

Charles Watts, bugler; John A. Boyd, ensign.

 

Privates—Peter Acker, John B. Armstrong, David H. Allen, James M.

Brittain, R. L. Barnett, James Barnett, Severe D. Box, A. A. Box,

William P. Bowers, John W. Baker, C. C. Brigman, George F. Buxton,

Jordan Bass, Carter Caldwell, William P. Crawley, A. G. Carmichael, A.

M. Croft, James P. Chester, Leander W. Cole, James W. Cooper, William

H. Carr, W. J. Davis, James E. Dillard, F. M. Dodson, John E. Dunn, O.

M. Doty, H. H. Donoho, B. C. Donald, Stock Ewin, John J. Felps, I. K.

Frazer, John Germany, Luther Grimes, E. M. Grimes, J. H. Gum, L. F.

Grisham, W. L. Gammage, W. D. Herndon, J. R. Halbert, W. T. Harris, D.

B. Harris, Thomas E. Hogg, John Honson, Warren H. Higginbotham, R. H.

Hendon, William Hammett, James B. Hardgrave, Felix G. Hardgrave, R. L.

Hood, William Hood, James Ivy, Thomas J. Johnson, J. H. Jones, John

B. Long, Ben A. Long, George C. Long, R. C. Lawrence, John Lambert,

J. B. Murphy, William P. Mosely, John Meyers, Harvey N. Milligan,

W. C. McCain, G. A. McKee, W. W. McDugald, Dan McCaskill, Samuel W.

Newberry, William A. Newton, George Noland, Baxter Newman, J. T. Park,

T. A. Putnam, Lemon R. Peacock, W. T. Phillips, Lemuel H. Reed, T.

W. Roberts, Cythe Robertson, Calvin M. Roark, John B. Reagan, A. B.

Summers, John W. Smith, Cicero H. Smith, Rufus Smith, Sam E. Scott, J.

R. Starr, James R. Taylor, Reuben G. Thompson, Dan H. Turney, Robert

F. Woodall, Woodson O. Wade, F. M. Wade, E. S. Wallace, R. S. Wallace,

John R. Watkins, C. C. Watkins, Joe L. Welch, Thomas H. Willson, N. J.

Yates.

 

Total rank and file—112 men.

 

In addition to the above list of original members, the following named

recruits were added to the company after we had lost several of our men

by death and discharge:

 

[Illustration: PETER F. ROSS

 

Major and Lieutenant-Colonel Sixth Texas Cavalry]

 

A. J. Gray, Charles B. Harris, J. T. Halbert, John E. Jones, Wm. H.

Kellum, W. S. Keahey, S. N. Keahey, J. D. Miller, T. L. Newman, T. L.

Nosworthy, John W. Wade, Wyatt S. Williams, Eugene W. Williams.

 

Total—125 men enlisted in the company.

 

Of these the killed numbered 14

Died of disease 16

Discharged 31

Commissioned officers resigned 3

Missing and never heard of 2

Deserted 7

Survived (commissioned and non-commissioned

officers, 12; privates, 40) 52