USA > Texas > History of Texas : from 1685 to 1892, volume 2 > Part 33
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The Federals having retreated to Alexandria and Atcha- falaya, at a place called Yellow Bayou, another severe battle
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was fought, General Wharton commanding the Texians and . losing heavily.
While these movements were being made by Gen. Banks, with a view of uniting with him in Northwest Louisiana the Federal General Steele from Little Rock, the latter moved south, Gen. Price abandoning Camden, on the Wachita, on his approach. Then followed, as already stated, the battle at Poisoned Springs. Gen. Magruder had been placed in com- mand of the troops north of Red River, and they were con- centrated, as the Federals retreated down Red River. Those on the north, consisting of troops from Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana, were put in motion against Steele, who retreated in the direction of Little Rock, hotly pursued, and with more or less fighting daily. The Saline River being very high and overflown, with wide timbered bottoms, gave Gen. Steele such an advantage as proved disastrous to the Confederates, whose loss was very heavy. Texas mourned the loss there of two of her most prominent generals, Wm. R. Scurry and Horace Randall, besides many other brave officers and men. Generals Fagan, Churchill and Cabell of Arkansas, Price, Marmaduke, Shelby, and others of Missouri, fully sustained their well-earned reputations. This ended the pursuit.
Late in 1864, Gen. Price conducted a large expedition into Missouri. They had an engagement near Cape Girardeau and numerous others on their march to central Missouri on the southwest side of the Missouri River. Here they en- countered a large Federal force, and were compelled to retreat into Texas. Price's rear had several engagements with the advance of the Federals, who, in southeast Kansas, captured Gens. Marmaduke of Missouri and Cabell of Arkansas. The winter was passed without any other important event to Texas. In Southern Louisiana several engagements took place in which Texas troops participated.
FLETCHER S. STOCKDALE.
CHAPTER XL.
Recapture of Brownsville - Surrender of Lee and Johnston - Capture of Davis and his Cabinet - Gov. Murrah surrendered his Position - Texians in the Confederate Army - Also in the Federal Army.
Prior to this, Col. John S. Ford had retaken Brownsville on the Rio Grande, and yet held it, Gen. James Slaughter afterwards becoming the ranking officer.
It is sufficient for our purpose to state, that Gen. Lee abandoned, first Petersburg and then Richmond, early in April, 1865, and that he surrendered to Gen. Grant at Ap- pomatox Court House (Virginia) on the 9th, his men being paroled and allowed to return to their homes. Among them were the survivors of the Texas brigades, who had won dis- tinction, on many bloody fields, from Gettysburg south. A few days later, in North Carolina, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, commanding the southern department, surrendered to Gen- eral Sherman, followed by various divisions and army corps, commanded by Hood, Wheeler' and others and a few isolated commands under their officers, all of whom received their paroles, and some of them transportation to return to their homes.
When Richmond was abandoned, President Davis and his cabinet, with the Confederate archives, attempted to move south, but they were pursued by so many bodies of troops and with such vigor, that they were captured in camp by the 4th Michigan cavalry at Irwinsville, Southern Georgia, May 10th, 1865.
The President, it need scarcely be stated, was long confined a prisoner at Fortress Monroe, a portion of the time in irons. The postmaster-general, John H. Reagan, of Texas, captured
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with him, was imprisoned at Fort Warren in Boston Harbor. Col. Francis R. Lubbock, also of Texas, and of the Presi- dent's staff, was captured with him, and imprisoned at Fort Delaware.
In due time the paroled troops from Texas, also the Texas members of Congress, returned home ; thus closed the war east of the Mississippi River.
When the news of the surrender came from the east, many believed and hoped that the war would be continued west of the Mississippi ; but fortunately for humanity, wiser councils prevailed. It was evident that Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, with the Confederate element of Missouri, had fought the good fight; but compared with the power of the United States and its victorious legions, it was wholly impracticable to continue the contest, with the hope of suc- cess. The means of communication being slow, it required some time to secure concert of action. When secured, diplomacy accomplished the remainder. General E. Kirby Smith, commander of the department, with headquarters at Shrevesport, sent a commission by steamboat to New Orleans, composed of General Sterling Price of Missouri, and one or two others, to agree upon terms and make surrender of the troops under his command. This was followed on the part of General Magruder, with headquarters at Houston, by a similar commission from Texas, composed of Colonel Ashbel Smith, Hon. Wm. P. Ballinger, and others who proceeded by the Gulf to New Orleans, and there effected negotiations with Gen. E. N. R. Canby, the Federal commander (the same honorable and courageous commander who, with his noble wife, had been so kind to the Texian prisoners in New Mexico in 1861-2, and who a few years later fell a victim to the treachery of the Modoc Indians in the lava-beds of Oregon). In New Orleans, these commissioners were joy- fully met, by the Hon. John Hancock of Austin,- a Union man who had left Texas during the war and who, unwilling to
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take up arms against the Union, or against the people of his own State, had avoided the dilemma, by quietly retiring to the United States. Guided by such feelings he was then returning to his home with the determination to do all in his power to shield the people of his State from needless humiliation and burdens, and as far as possible, to restore harmonious relations between the two sections of the country.
Terms were soon agreed upon, resulting in the surrender and return to their homes of the thousands of troops scattered over different portions of Texas. A small number, together with several hundred Missourians, without surrender, retired into Mexico.
Texas was again in a state of chaos. Governor Murrah called in vain upon the State officials to protect public property, and, on the same day, he performed the ceremony of ordering, by proclamation, a re-assembling of the legis- lature, and, again, of calling a convention of the people to meet in their sovereign capacity.
When all was lost, the Governor, broken down in health and spirits, disappeared from the scene, and died in Monterey, Mexico, in August, 1865.
At the time of the surrender at Appomatox, Major John Henry Brown, who served in Arkansas, Missouri and North- east Texas the first three years of the war, in command of about two hundred State troops, was on an expedition in the San Saba and Concho country, and knew nothing of the sur- render of Lee and Johnston until his arrival in Fredericks- burg in May. He then immediately disbanded all troops, from that point to Live Oak County, but retained in service a detachment from Burnet and Llano, until his arrival in Aus- tin. These men were guarding about thirty State prisoners in his charge, who had been arrested under various requisitions, as bushwhackers, deserters, and some as cattle thieves. Gov. Murrah had then left Austin. Confusion reigned su- preme; the troops referred to were therefore disbanded, and
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the prisoners released, under a pledge that they would peace- ably return to their respective homes. The officers serving under Major Brown were Captain John F. Tom of Atoscosa, Lieutenants Herring of Live Oak, Smith of Frio, Lacy of Gillespie, James P. Magill of Burnet, Holden of. Llano, and others. Thus ended the last manifestation of Confederate authority in Texas, excepting at and near Brownsville, on the lower Rio Grande. Major Brown, however, exercised author- ity in the frontier district until about the 30th of May, a little later than the last battle of the war, yet to be described.
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CHAPTER XLI.
THE LAST BATTLE OF THE WAR, MAY 13TH, 1865.
The account of the last engagement in the war between the States, as written by Capt. W. H. D. Carrington of Austin, a participant, and published August 12th, 1883, and pro- nounced as substantially correct by Col. Ford, is adopted.
THE LAST BATTLE - THE LAST CHARGE, AND THE LAST GUN FIRED IN THE WAR.
On the 1st of May, 1865, the Confederate troops on the Rio Grande, numbered about five hundred men of all arms. A few days after that time, a passenger, on a steamer from Boca Del Rio to Brownsville, threw some copies of the New Orleans Times to some Confederates posted near the Pal- metto ranch. These papers stated that Gen. Lee had sur- rendered. The news was soon known to all the troops, and caused them to desert, by the score, and to return home; so that on the morning of the 12th of May, 1865, there were not more than three hundred effective men at and below Brownsville.
The United States forces under Col. ( or Brevet Brig .- Gen. ) Barret consisting of the 32d Indiana, better known as the Morton Rifles, a regiment of negro troops, officered by Lieut .- Col. Branson, a part of a New York regiment, and a company of the Second (Federal ) Texas, under command of Lieut. or Capt. James Hancock, numbering about sixteen or seventeen hundred men, advanced from Brazos Island upon Brownsville. They were held in check by Capt. Robinson commanding Giddings' regiment on the evening of the 12th.
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On the night of the twelfth, the scattered and depleted Con- federate force was concentrated. On the morning of the 13th a very small force was present in Brownsville. Col. John S. Ford assuming command, moved down the river to the San Martin ranch. Arriving at two or three o'clock p. m. he found Capt. Robinson of Giddings' regiment in a heavy skirmish with Hancock's company, of the Second Texas, and a company of the Morton Rifles. A regiment of negro troops were also moving forward, perhaps to sustain skirmishers. Ford immediately made his dispositions. His right wing under command of Capt. Robinson; two companies (Cocke's and Wilson's), were directed to attack the enemy's right flank ; the artillery was directed to open fire at once, which was done with good effect. He supported the movement in person with two companies and two pieces of artillery. Branson's negro regiment was quickly demoralized and fled in dismay. Capt. Robinson immediately charged and ran over the skirmish line of the Morton Rifles and Hancock's company. The Indiana troops threw down their arms and surrendered; most of Han- cock's company escaped ; retreating through the dense chap- arral. The entire force of the Federals commenced to retreat ; Ford's fierce cavalry charges harassed them exceedingly. The artillery moved at a gallop. Three times, lines of skirmishers were thrown out to check the pursuit ; these lines were roughly handled and many prisoners captured.
The Federals were thus pursued for about eight miles, making repeated efforts to check the pursuit, but without success. They were finally driven into a ranch (Cobb's), a mile and a half or two miles from the fort at Boca Chico, the nearest point on Brazos Island.
If Ford had had more troops he would doubtless have placed himself between the enemy and Brazos Island, but with his small force of less than three hundred men, he said " the undertaking would be too hazardous." He thought the Federals would be re-inforced from Brazos Island, as they
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knew from the sound of approaching artillery, and from couriers that Barret was defeated, and Ford's force would have been between two bodies of enemies, each numbering as many as five to one. He said to his staff officers, " It is better to let well enough alone ; we will stop the pursuit." His men began preparations to draw off; some had started with captured arms and prisoners. The sun was not much more than half or three-fourths of an hour high. Ford was sitting on his horse scanning the enemy, when Brig .- Gen. J. E. Slaughter galloped upon the battle-field, acompanied by Capt. Carrington, com- manding Cater's battalion. The enemy had commenced to double quick by the left flank across a slough through which a levee had been thrown up about three hundred yards long. The slough was an impassable quagmire for any character of troops except upon the narrow levee. Gen. Slaughter saw the movement and scarcely pausing for a moment, ordered the pursuit to be resumed; ordering Carrington to press the rear guard of the enemy. His idea was to strike the rear guard so as to cut it off before reaching the levee; but the rear guard was in a hurry, and passed in a hurry. Although Carring- ton's troopers were comparatively fresh and spurred their horses up nearly to their best running capacity, the enemy gained the levee when they were about two hundred yards from the main body of the enemy who had formed a line of battle at the farther end of the levee among the sand hills. Carrington immediately formed the Confederate troopers into line on the edge of the slough then covered with tide water. While doing this he saw Gen. Slaughter dash forward into the water in front, and emptied his six-shooter at the re- treating foe. The Federal line formed on the other side of the slough was three hundred yards off from the Confederate troopers. A heavy skirmish fire was kept up for nearly an hour across the slough. The enemy though in full view shot too high. They were, as we thought, five or six times as numerous as the Confederates. They were composed of
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veteran troops and commanded by experienced officers. As the sun went down and night extended her gloomy pinions over the scene the Federal fire slackened. As they began to move off towards the Boca Chico, a shell from Boca Chico or perhaps from the United States ship of war Isabella ( we could not tell which ), exploded between us and the retreating force. A seventeen-year-old trooper blazed away in the direction of the exploded shell with his Enfield rifle, using a very profane expletive for so small a boy, causing a hearty laugh from a half score of his comrades. The firing ceased. The last gun had been fired.
The resumption of the pursuit by Gen. Slaughter deterred many of the enemy, who had found safety in the dense chap- arral in the bends of the Rio Grande, from joining their com- mands as they moved off to Brazos Island. The writer of this article was ordered by Col. Ford to occupy the battle field, gather up arms, and bury the dead. While engaged in this, one of his subalterns reported that a body of Federals was in a bend of the river near the old Palmetto Rancho. He immediately ordered Sergeant R. S. Caperton to deploy a squad of dismounted men, and drive out the enemy. In obeying this order, the sergeant and his men captured about a score of Hancock's company. Lieut. Hancock, Lieut. James and Hancock's brother were numbered among the prisoners thus captured. It is greatly to be regretted that several who attempted to swim the river to escape capture were drowned. Several swam across and were immediately slain and stripped by Mexican bandits, and thrown into the river.
The writer of this understood that there was a diversity of sentiment between Ford and Slaughter as to the place of encampment after the battle. Gen. Slaughter suggested the Palmetto ranch; Ford insisted that in all probability the Yankees had a force of three or four thousand men on the island and might come out at night, and that our meager force
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of less than three hundred men could make no adequate re- sistance in such an exposed position, and suggested Lake Horn as the strongest strategic point for defense on the Rio Grande - eight miles below Brownsville, at which place the encampment for the night was made.
The diversity of opinion between Slaughter and Ford as to the resumption of the pursuit, resulted from the fact that Ford knew that the artillery horses were broken down, many of them had to be loosed from the pieces and they could not be replaced by others at the time.
The artillery for the time was, by reason of broken-down horses, comparatively useless. Many of the horses of the troopers were also broken down. Gen. Slaughter knew noth- ing of the condition of our men, except as hastily gathered as he galloped across the battle field. The difference of opinion between these brave men resulted in no hard feelings and in no alienation.
Gen. Slaughter was detained in Brownsville until late in the day. The battle was precipitated upon Ford and won by him; and whatever of honor resulted from winning the last battle of the war and inflicting a heavy loss upon the enemy, who outnumbered his troops more than five to one, without the loss of a man, properly belongs to Ford and his poorly armed troopers.
Ford was idolized by his men. Many of them had served under him in his Indian campaigns. They knew his bravery and his unsleeping vigilance. They knew his great prudence and his unyielding perseverance in accomplishing his purposes. He had fought more than a score of battles and never failed to achieve a decided victory. On a more extended sphere of action he would have been the Murat of the Confederacy. His tactics were peculiar. He knew nearly every man in his command; he studied the character and the ability of every officer. He believed that his cavalry in a fierce charge was invincible. Hence, whenever the right time arrived, he hurled
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4
squadron after squadron of his troopers upon the foe with irresistible force.
His eloquence has been sometimes criticised, but he always spoke with effect. On the morning of the thirteenth, he addressed his small force, while Springfield rifle balls were whistling around him, about as follows : " Men, we have whipped the enemy in all our previous fights! We can do it again." The men shouted hurrah for Old Rip. As the hurrahs ceased, he cried with a fierce stentorian voice, forward! charge! The response was a Texian yell, and a charge which no infantry line ever formed on the Rio Grande could withstand.
· I have often been asked why no negroes were captured in the last fight of the war. In response, I have generally said, " they outran our cavalry horses." Hancock's company, and other veterans from the New York and Indiana troops several times saved the negroes. They attempted to withstand the charges that Ford hurled against them, while Branson's negro troops ran. At all events this is the way it appeared to Ford and his captains (Robinson,1 Wilson, Cook, etc. ), and indeed to all the Confederates who participated in the fight.
Recently I have been asked if Capt. V. G. Jones had any thing to do in directing the movement of the troops during the last battle of the war. To this I have replied that Capt. Jones was regarded as a very good captain of artillery, and in obedience to Ford's orders he managed his artillery well ; he did good service. No one, however, regarded him in any other light than as a captain of artillery, and no captain on the field of battle would have received an order from him, because every captain on the battlefield, without an exception, ranked him, and if he had assumed to command them, it is believed he would have been shot or immediately arrested.
1 Capt. Wm. Robinson, of San Diego, California, son of the first lieuten- ant-governor of Texas in 1835-6. Capt. Robinson afterwards died in San Diego.
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TEXAS IN THE CONFEDERACY.
The higher grades in the Confederate army, unlike those in the United States service, were divided into four classes. First, Generals; second, Lieutenant-Generals; third, Major- Generals; and fourth, Brigadier-Generals. As far as has been found possible to determine, the following list approxi- mates a classification of those in the service from Texas.
GENERAL. .
Albert Sidney Johnston, who fell at Shiloh, April 6th, 1862. : LIEUTENANT-GENERAL. John B. Hood, who died in New Orleans after the war.
MAJOR-GENERALS.
Samuel B. Maxey of Paris, began as a colonel. John A. Wharton of Brazoria, began as a captain, died at the close of the war. Tom Green of Austin, began as colonel, killed at Blair's Landing, on Red River, in April, 1864.
BRIGADIER-GENERALS.
1. Ben McCulloch of Seguin, killed at Elkhorn, Arkansas, March 7th, 1862. 2. Louis T. Wigfall of Marshall, began as colonel, died in Galveston after the war. 3. Allison Nelson, began as colonel, died in Arkansas in the autumn of 1862. 4. Henry E. McCulloch of Seguin. 5. Joseph L. Hogg of Cherokee, died at Corinth in the spring of 1862. 6. G. H. Granbury of Waco, began as captain, killed at Franklin, Tennessee, in Hood's defeat. 7. Walter P. Lane of Marshall, began as lieutenant-colonel, died in Marshall in 1892. 8. Thomas Harrison of Waco, began as captain, died in Waco after the war. 9. James E. Harrison of Waco, began as lieu- tenant-colonel, died in Waco after the war. 10. John Gregg
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of Freestone, began as colonel, killed in the later battles around Richmond, Virginia. 11. Richard Waterhouse of San Augustine, began as colonel, died in Jefferson after the war. 12. Jerome B. Robertson of Washington, began as captain, died in Goliad, 1889. 13. Felix H. Robertson of Washing- ton (son of Jerome B. ), began as lieutenant of artillery. 14. Frank C. Armstrong of Corpus Christi, began as a lieutenant and aide-de-camp to Gen. Ben McCulloch. 15. Elkanah Greer of Marshall, began as colonel, died in Marshall. 16. Arthur P. Bagby, began as colonel, now lives in Halletsville. 17. Hilary P. Mabry of Jefferson, began as captain, died in Jefferson. 18. Hamilton P. Bee of Goliad, original appoint- ment, lives in San Antonio. 19. Xavier B. De Bray of Austin, began as colonel, resides in Austin. 20. Richard M. Gano of Tarrant County, began as captain, resides in Dallas. 21. Wm. P. Hardeman of Caldwell County, began as captain, resides in Austin. 22. Adam R. Johnson of Burnet, began as captain, lost both eyes. 23 Wm. Henry Parsons, began as colonel. 24. Lawrence Sullivan Ross, began as major. 25. Thomas N. Waul of Gonzales, original appointment. 26. Wm. H. King of Sulphur Springs, began as major. 27. Wm. Steele of Austin, began as colonel, died some years after the war. 28. Wm. Reid Scurry of Victoria, began as lieutenant-colonel, killed in the battle of Saline or " Jenkins Ferry, "Arkansas, in 1864. 29. Horace Randall, U. S. A., of Marshall, began as colonel, killed in the battle of Saline, or " Jenkins Ferry," 1864. 30. John W. Whitfield of Lavaca, began as captain, died in 1876-7. 31. P. C. Archer, of U. S. Army, killed in battle. 32. Matthew D. Ector of Hender- son, began as Adjutant, lost a leg at Chicamauga, died as judge of appellate court.
COLONELS.
1. John S. Ford. 2. James M. Norris. 3. James E. Mc- Cord of San Marcos. 4. Wm. C. Young, killed in 1862. 5.
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B. Warren Stone of Dallas, colonel of two different regi- ments. 6. Wm. B. Sims. 7. Nathaniel Macon Burford of Dallas. 8. Trezevant C. Hawpe of Dallas, killed during the war. 9. Nicholas H. Darnell of Dallas, died in 1885. 10. Benj. F. Terry of Fort Bend, killed at Woodsonville, Ky., in the fall of 1861. 11. Joseph W. Speight of Waco. 12. Richard B. Hubbard. 13. Oran M. Roberts. 14. Wm. B. Ochiltree of Marshall, died after the war. 15. David B- Culbertson of Jefferson. 16. Roger Q. Mills of Corsicana. 17. Edward Clark of Marshall, died in Marshall some years after the war. 18. Augustus Buchel of Indianola, a noble Prus- sian, killed in the battle of Pleasant Hill, La., in 1864. 19. Nicholas P. Luckett of Corpus Christi, died soon after the war. 20. Charles L. Pyron of San Antonio, died after the war. 21. Alexander W. Terrell of Austin. 22. George W. Baylor of El Paso. 23. Thomas S. Lubbock of Houston, died during the war. 24. David S. Terry, died in California. 25. Daniel Showalter, killed soon after the war in Mazatlan, Mexico. 26. John C. Moore. 27. Ashbel Smith of Houston, since died. 28. George R. Reeves of Grayson, since died. 29. R. T. P. Allen of Bastrop. 30. - Garland of Victoria. 31. Carillaus (" Crill ") Miller of Dallas, died in 1892. 32. Peter Hardeman. 33. George Flournoy of Austin, died in California. 34. A. W. Spaight of southeast Texas. 35. Philip Crump of Jefferson. 36. Matthew F. Locke of
Gilmer. 37. John H. Burnett of Crockett. 38. T. C. Bass of Sherman, died in 1873 in Memphis. 39. George H. Sweet of San Antonio, died in Houston. 40. John T. Coit of Dallas, died in 1872. 41. Wm. Fitzhugh of Collin, killed by a runaway team Oct. 23rd, 1883. 42. Middleton T. Johnson of Tarrant County, died soon after the war .. 42. J. L. Camp. 43. John Huffman of Collin County, 44. Frank Taylor of Cherokee, died in the army in 1861. 45. James R. Taylor (brother of Frank), killed at Mans- field, La., in 1864. 46. Peter Ross of Waco. 47. James
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