USA > Texas > A Twentieth century history of southwest Texas, Volume I > Part 27
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Late in 1863 General Banks directed a large naval and land expe- dition against the Texas coast and got control of nearly the entire line except at Galveston and the mouth of the Brazos, but this occupation lasted only a few months, and a naval blockade continued as the only restriction upon Texas activity along the coast. In March, 1864, Gen- eral Banks and General Steele co-operated in what is known as the Red River expedition with the intention of capturing Shreveport and enter- ing Texas from the northeast. But their army met a decisive defeat at Sabine Crossroads, and their advance was effectually checked. This was the last considerable movement against Texas during the war. In the battle of Sabine Crossroads and in the following federal victories at Pleasant Grove and Pleasant Hill, the Texans played a prominent part. It was at Pleasant Hill that Sweitzer's famous regiment of Texas cav- alry, to the number of four hundred, hurled themselves desperately against the enemy's line, and hardly more than ten of them escaped death or wounds.
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There befell Texas and her people the usual train of evils resulting from war. Loyalty was the all-prevailing feeling through the state, and those who gave active opposition to the war were comparatively very few. In such a conflict it was but natural that the bitterest animosities should be aroused. It was so in the north wherever southern sym- pathizers secretly or openly espoused their anti-union convictions ; doubly rancorous was the enmity in the border states where former neighbors and friends ranged themselves on opposite sides; and likewise in Texas those who set themselves against the Confederacy and the cause of the beloved southland had to endure opprobrium and outrage, to escape which thousands voluntarily exiled themselves.
The loyal Texans gladly gave their services and their all to the Confederacy. But even so, the stringency of a military regimé bore heavily upon the people. With certain classes excepted, all able-bodied males from eighteen to forty-five years were liable to military service and as the war pressed more and more heavily and the resources of the south became taxed to the utmost, conscription was resorted to in order to fill up the depleted ranks. In November, 1863, the governor reported that ninety thousand Texans were already in the Confederate service, and when it is recalled that the number of voters at any one election had never equalled seventy thousand the sacrifice and devotion of Texas to the southern cause can be better estimated.
During much of the war period the state was under martial law, and it was inevitable that more or less friction between the civil and military authorities should result, although this never became acute nor dimmed by the slightest shadow the glowing record of Texas patriotism. The state being the great supply center of the Confederacy, a large portion of the crops and products of all kinds went to the support of the other states, and not only was the tax upon all exports very large but large amounts of cotton had to be exchanged for state bonds and thus go to the support of the Confederacy. And so, though the year 1863 was a banner year in the production of corn and cotton, practically all the sur- plus went to keep alive the waning vitality of other parts of the south.
Of course Texas suffered with the other southern states in the monetary depreciation, the notes of the Confederacy becoming almost worthless before the close of the war, so as almost to justify the story of the man who went to market with his money in a basket and returned with his meat in his vest pocket. The most strenuous efforts of the state authorities failed to keep paper at par. The notes were hardly ac- ceptable anywhere, and transactions wherever possible were carried on by the old methods of barter and exchange.
The fact that the majority of male citizens were drawn off into other states and the constant demand upon the militia for border defense left the people in many places without sufficient police protection, with consequent demoralization of society and increase of crime of all kinds. Only those who passed through this period can correctly appreciate the nervous dread that possessed all the people and the constantly threatened disruption of all the elements of the social and political structure.
In the meantime the war was approaching the end. The armies of Grant and Sherman had broken the back of the Confederacy by their
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wide sweep down the Mississippi valley and through the center of the south, and eventually came the fall of the capital of Richmond, the sur- render of Lee and Johnston and the final quenching of the flames of civil strife. Of historic interest is the fact that in Texas were the final flick- erings of the martial fires. General Kirby Smith continued the resist- ance in Texas for a month after the eastern armies had surrendered. General Sheridan was placed at the head of a large federal force to sub- clue this last stronghold of the Confederacy, but before he reached the state Smith surrendered, on May 26, to General Canby. On May 13 was fired the last shot of the great Civil war. Curiously enough, this en- gagement took place near the old battlefield of Palo Alto, where Taylor won his victory over the Mexicans. It is also interesting to note that this battle, although unimportant as to numbers engaged or as to practical re- sults, ended in a reverse for federal arms, so that the first and the last battles of the war resulted in favor of the Confederates. And. also, as was the case in the war of 1812, the final engagement was fought after the virtual conclusion of hostilities. But, happily for all concerned, peace was at hand and the Sons of Mars were already returning to gather up the unused implements of peace and restore the scenes of devastation and neglect to quiet husbandry and lasting prosperity.
IN SOUTHWEST TEXAS.
Many who voted against secession, afterwards gave their active support to the Confederate cause or at least acquiesced in the progress of events. Yet there remained, especially in Southwest Texas, a con- siderable element of Union men. Among the more prominent men who espoused the Union cause with strong convictions were ex-Governor E. M. Pease, Hon. A. J. Hamilton, and Hon. John Hancock, of Austin ; and Judge E. J. Davis, of Nueces county. Along the Rio Grande, in and around the towns of San Antonio, Austin and Fredericksburg, and in the counties of Austin, Fayette and Colorado, the Union sentiment was very strong. In 1862 was organized the famous First Texas (Union) Cavalry, whose colonel was E. J. Davis. This regiment operated along the Mex- ican border and at the mouth of the Rio Grande, and on several occasions came in conflict with the Confederate forces in Texas. March 19, 1864, Colonel Davis, with about two hundred Americans and Mexicans, at- tacked Laredo. Colonel Santos Benavides was in command of the Confederate forces there, and though taken by surprise, succeeded in assembling a hundred men to repel the attack. Barricades were erected on the plaza, and after posting a company under Captain Chapman to de- fend the center of the town, Benavides, with forty-two men, proceeded to the outskirts, distributing his small force in houses to await the en- emy's approach. The enemy, in squads of about forty each, advanced on foot, keeping up a rapid fire, which was returned by the Confederates. who were keen for the fight. The fighting continued until dark, when the enemy retired, and the Confederates having received reinforcements during the night, no further attempt was made to capture Laredo.
CAPTAIN JOHN W. SANSOM. Few men in all Texas have a more interesting, varied or exciting history than has Captain John W. San-
John W. Sandown
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som of San Antonio, long a member of the Federal army and well known as a ranger, captain and Indian fighter. On many an occasion he has displayed great valor and bravery in the face of danger and he is well entitled to the rest which he is now enjoying after an active military and business career. He was born in Dallas county, Alabama, February 5, 1834, and when only four years of age was brought to Texas by his parents, William Greenbury and Mary ( Short) Sansom. His paternal grandfather, Colonel William Sansom, was also a noted soldier and frontiersman, who was born in North Carolina and was with General Jackson in the war against the British in 1812. He was also under the same intrepid commander in the battles with the Indians in Florida, being stationed for a long time in Pensacola. He was mar- ried in Virginia to Miss Delphia Clay, a relative of the family to which Henry Clay belonged. They established a home in Georgia, where most of their children were born, and in 1820 they removed to Dallas county, Alabama, where both Colonel William Sansom and his wife passed away.
William Greenbury Sansom was born in Georgia, June 3, 1811, and in 1820 accompanied his parents on the removal to Dallas county, Alabama, where the Sansoms lived for several years. In that state W. G. Sansom was married in 1832 to Miss Mary Short, a daughter of Major John Short, who was likewise a famous character of the south, particularly in the early history of Texas. He came from Alabama to Texas in 1836 while it was still a part of Mexico and was one of Gen- eral Houston's soldiers in the war for Texan independence, participat- ing in the victory of San Jacinto, subsequent to which time he did valiant service with the rangers in protecting the early settlers on the frontier from the Indians. Previous to his emigration to the Lone Star state he had served as a soldier under General Andrew Jackson in the war of 1812 and was with the army in the battle against Packingham at New Orleans, where the American loss was so light that the engage- ment became known in history as "the tearless battle."
Following their marriage William G. and Mary (Short) Sansom remained in Alabama until the winter of 1838-9, when they came with their family to Texas, two years after the independence of the state had been won from Mexico. They located first in Washington county near the old town of Washington, the first capital of the Republic, and from that county they afterward removed to Lavaca county and sub- sequently, in 1850. removed to the Curry Creek settlement in what was then Comal county. That county was later subdivided and the two counties of Blanco and Cater Kendall were set off, the Curry Creek settlement being then in Kendall county. The Sansoms lived there for several years, but for a long period and during the latter part of W. G. Sansom's life were residents of Uvalde county. William G. Sansom died in 1904 at the very venerable age of ninetv-three years. He had rendered valuable service in pioneer days in the Republic of Texas during the period of Indian fighting and also through the Mexican war to his country by his valor and loyalty. He was a successful farmer and stock raiser. his business affairs being carefully conducted, and he contributed in marked degree to the reclamation of Texas for the pur-
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poses of civilization and improvement. The Sansoms were loyal de- fenders of the Union during the period of the Civil war, and James Joseph Sansom, a brother of our subject, was killed while acting as a member of the Federal army.
The story of the life of Captain John W. Sansom is a thrilling and fascinating one, which tor a number of years was filled with the most exciting and dangerous circumstances and adventures that rival any tales of fiction of far western life. In fact, his history seems almost like a fairy tale in these days of prosaic peace. From his earliest boy- hood he was subjected to the hardships of the pioneer. Descended from ancestors whose courage and fearlessness was frequently displayed in battle, he seems to have inherited the same military spirit and became an active factor in the events which go to make up the history of those early days. In fact when the full history of Texas is written his name will figure upon many a page in association with movements and in- cidents which aided in shaping the policy of the Lone Star state. He was reared to farming and stock raising, but soon after the removal of the family to Curry Creek in what is now Kendall county he entered upon that active public life which kept him for many subsequent years in almost constant warfare and in addition to his military service he acted as the first sheriff of Kendall county after its separation from Comal county.
Indian Warfare in Kendall County.
In 1855 the Indians made a raid on the Curry Creek settlement, where they committed several atrocities. Soon thereafter an appeal was made to Governor Pease to have a ranger company organized and de- tailed for duty in that neighborhood. The governor complied, appoint- ing James H. Callahan as captain of the company. Mr. Sansom joined this command as a private in 1855. He remained constantly in active service with the organization and was with Captain Callahan on the noted raid of these rangers into the neighboring republic of Mexico in search of horses and cattle stolen by the Lipan Indians, who although formerly "good Indians" in Texas had gone over to Mexico and from that country" made pericdical depredations back into Texas. On this expedition Captain Callahan's company of one hundred and eleven men fought on Mexican territory the two battles of Little River and Piedras Niegras against the combined forces of Indians and Mexicans under the Mexican general, Lanberg, in which the latter lost about one hun- dred men. There were also a number of other Indian fights about that time in which Captain Sansom participated.
In May, 1856, he was authorized by Governor Pease to organize a company of rangers for service in Southwestern Texas, where the Indians were particularly harassing and was commissioned by the gov- ernor as captain of the company. This command succeeded in break- ing up the depredations for a considerable time. In 1858, Captain San- som organized another company of rangers under authority of Governor Runnels, and in 1859 and 1860, under Governor Sam Houston, he was mustering officer for a number of companies of state minute troops for service in warfare against the Indians.
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Captain Sansom was among those in the south who, like Gov- ernor Houston, opposed seccession. This placed him in a very trying position during the four years of the Civil war, but notwithstanding his Union sympathies and his active aid to the cause during that period, his honesty of purpose in so doing has never failed to command the greatest respect and admiration from the hosts of the other side. He is a true southern man with great and undying love for the south and for Texas as the place of his residence. The only question on which he ever differed from the state, to the service and protection of which he has devoted so many of the most valuable years of his life, was the question of the right of secession. He believed in the supremacy of the Union cause and its preservation and decided to cast his lot with that side, doing so at a great personal sacrifice, knowing that such action meant social and political oblivion for a time at least.
One of the most fearful tragedies of the early months of the war in Texas was the battle of Nueces River in Kinney county, Texas, Au- gust 10, 1862. The Unionist side of the story of this battle was for some reason or other never officially reported or published and no au- thentic, account of the same appeared until the publication of Captain Sansom's pamphlet, Battle of Nueces River, which he wrote and pub- lished in San Antonio in 1905. It seems that there was a light vote polled on the question whether or not Texas should secede, but only a bare majority of the votes cast spoke in favor of secession.' In portions of western Texas the opposition to a severance from the Union re- mained unchanged by the election and soon after the promulgation of the ordinance of secession a Union Loyal League was organized in
Union Loyal League.
June, 1861, by the people of western Texas. Mr. Sansom says, "Its ob- ject and purpose was not to create or encourage strife between Union- ists and Confederate sympathizers but to take such action as might peaceably secure its members and their families from being disturbed and compelled to bear arms against the Union and to protect their fami- lies against the hostile Indians." -
The German element in the league was large. "The members of the Union Loyal League were 'good citizens,-their occupations be- ing farming, raising live stock, and in a small way, manufacturing. Two-thirds of them were Germans either by birth or parentage, the other third Americans. Of the Unionists under command of Major Tegener at Nueces river 49 were Germans, all of the others Americans except Pablo Diaz, a Mexican. Hon. Edward Degener, the head of the Ad- visory Board of the Union Loyal League, was a German by birth, but an adopted citizen of Texas and the United States. In my opinion he was a most astute thinker and as loyal to the Union as any man. Hilmar and Hugo Degener were his sons."
Eighteen men met to form this organization and all started out to do a missionary work for the Union. They secured the co-operation of five hundred men favorable to the cause, who met on Bear Creek in Gillespie county and proceeded to perfect the organization July 4, 1862. Among other measures taken up was the organization of three com-
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panies. Up to this time there had been little friction between the Union- ist and Confederate authorities, but about the 20th of July, 1862, in- formation was received that the Confederate general then in command of the state of Texas had declared the several western counties "to be in open rebellion against the Confederate states of America and had or- dered Colonel James M. Duff to take such prompt and vigorous meas- ures as in his judgment were necessary to put down the rebellion in such counties." An advisory board of the league was then called and it was decided to disband the military companies and a plan formed whereby many of its members should go to Mexico. Captain Sansom was invited to join this company and did so, whereby he gained inti- mate personal knowledge of the battle of Nueces River. Sixty-one
Battle of Nueces River.
men on the Ist of August, 1862, under command of Major Tegener set out for the Rio Grande, traveling by easy stages. They suspected neither betrayal nor pursuit and on the 9th of August pitched camp about one hundred and fifty vards west of the Nueces river, in Kinney county. Members of the party were out hunting and there was a report from one of these that they had seen strangers who acted suspiciously, but the fear was allayed and at night the party seemed to have no dread of attack. Captain Sansom, however, felt that all was not right and spoke to Major Tegener about moving the troops from that point and crossing on into Mexico. Major Tegener then called a consultation of his subordinate officers, but the plan was not carried out. About three o'clock in the night Captain Sansom awakened and started out to recon- noiter with the guard. They proceeded about sixty yards when Bauer entered a dense cedar-brake and without being hailed was shot dead
by a Confederate lying in ambush. Captain Sansom replied to the shot by firing instantly at sixty or more Confederates who at the sound of the first gun arose from their blankets and rushed pell mell over a space of open ground to a part of their command which lay under the cedars sixty yards south of the place where the guard was killed. A moment later they made a charge upon the Unionists which was gal- lantly repulsed and a counter-charge made upon the Confederates. While repulsing the advance of the Confederates, or during the counter- charge, Major Tegener was seriously wounded in three places. The camp of the Unionists had been approached by the Confederates from the east and south. Captain Sansom was not in the Unionist camp at the time the firing commenced but about sixty yards away. He made a careful reconnaissance of the Confederate forces, creeping around to the rear and fully satisfying himself concerning their numbers and location. This he reported to Major Tegener, putting the number of Confederates at one hundred and perhaps more of picked and well armed men. He advised a withdrawal to a more advantageous position and the major seemed to favor this plan but Lieutenant Degener opposed it.
Again the Confederates made a charge. In his account of the en- gagement Captain Sansom says, "The number of dead and wounded would have been the same or nearly so, on each side, had not the Con-
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federates killed all of our wounded who fell into their hands, and put to death the unwounded who surrendered to them. Of the Unionists at the beginning of the battle there were exactly sixty-five men. About forty of these were fairly well armed with muzzle-loading guns and six-shooters. Of the enemy there were one hundred or more. Every man of them was well armed, some with breech-loading rifles. At no time were we hailed by the Confederates,-at no time was an inquiry made as to who we were, where we were going, or what were our pur- poses. Having read a proclamation from the Confederate government announcing that all persons not friendly to it might leave the country, we believed we had a right to go in large or small bodies, as best suited our convenience, to the border and there cross over into Mexico. We wanted to go peaceably, and would have gone peaceably, but for being
followed and attacked. Every man of the Union forces wounded or unhurt who surrendered on the 10th of August, 1862, or subse- quently was put to death."
Soon after the battle of Nueces River, Captain Sansom went to New Orleans by way of Mexico and on arrival there, that city being then under military control of General Butler, he reported to him for enlistment in the Federal army together with a number of recruits he had brought with him from Texas. He accordingly enlisted as a pri- vate of Company A, First Regiment of Texas Cavalry, of which Ed- mund J. Davis, who was later the provisional governor of Texas, was made colonel. A short time afterward Mr. Sansom was chosen cap- tain of Company C of this regiment. Under his last detail and pursuant to his orders, Captain Sansom sailed from New Orleans to Brazos San- tiago, which was then in possession of the United States naval forces. With great difficulty and at great peril he passed through the Con- federate lines in the vicinity of Brownsville, where he was promoted to captaincy of his company, on July 14, 1864, the scouts and pickets of "Rip" Ford being very vigilant and vigorous. It was finally, after many hardships, narrow escapes and hard riding, Sansom reached his home in the settlement of Curry's Creek, in Kendall county. Immediately on ar- rival he enlisted twenty-five of his personal friends, all loyal Union men, and soon opened communication with Captain Charles P. Saur, who, with one hundred men the latter had in Comal county, soon joined San- som. Shortly afterward Captain Metzdorf and Captain Schuchard also joined Sansom's forces, which in a short time numbered about five hun- dred men. He had reported his strength and operations to headquarters at New Orleans and received a promotion to the rank of major of vol- unteers and designated as the commander of the battalion, as well as commander of the company which he had raised. Sansom then con- cluded to divide his forces into small bands and scatter them over a con- siderable district for the better protection of the persons and property of the people in the counties of Kendall, Kerr, Gillespie and Comal. Much of Captain Sansom's service was of an extremely hazardous na- ture, for he was engaged in recruiting for the Federal army within the Confederate lines and his adventures were often of a most dangerous character. The Union military headquarters were at Fort Brown at the mouth of the Rio Grande and Captain Sansom in his trips to and
Vol. 1. 14
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from this base into southwestern Texas, crossing and recrossing the Rio Grande into Mexican territory, was often shut off completely from possible aid.
Ranger Service.
Soon after the war Captain Sansom was commissioned by Gov- ernor Throckmorton captain of a company of rangers and later was com- missioned by Governor Edmund J. Davis to organize four military com- panies for service against the Indians. He was made captain of Com- pany C of these ranger troops and subsequently was made major, com- manding four companies of rangers, commanding the squadron until they were mustered out of service. One of the most notable events of that period was the Comanche Indian raid and foray, a particularly au- dacious movement on the part of the Indians on the small settlement on Balcones Creek about midway between San Antonio and Boerne. From that point they went to Dripping Springs, about twenty-three miles north of San Antonio and there while at the ranch of Henry Smith, an uncle of Captain Sansom, they took as prisoners two small boys, Clin- ton and Jefferson Smith, sons of Henry Smith. Captain Sansom's rangers pursued these Indians for many days and nights as far north as Fort Griffin in Shackelford county, where the trail was lost. These boys were not recovered from the Indians until nearly two years had elapsed.
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