Deshler's/Granbury's Texas Brigade

In addition, the 7 Texas regiments were consolidated into just two; 6th, 10th, and 15th Texas Consolidated under Colonel Roger Q. Mills of the 10th Texas; and 17th, 18th, 24th, and 25th Texas Consolidated under Colonel Clayton Gillespie of the 25th, later by Francis Wilkes of the 24th. Counting the 19th/24th Arkansas of the Fort Hindman Garrison
There is a lot to research on these Texas cavalry organizations. I wish I knew more. My 3rd cousin has identified several in his family tree---which are distant cousins to me---who all served in Texas "cavalry" units. Some of the Texas cavalry were dismounted, so I get confused even more Are any of these units the same ones you listed?

Major Henry Benjamin Cole, 10th Brigade Texas State Troops. Q: Is this the same 10th Texas?

Pvt William F. Cole, 17th Regiment Texas Cavalry (aka Moore's Regiment Texas Cavalry)

Pvt Pinkney T. Winn, 18th Texas Cavalry (aka Darnell's Regiment Texas Cavalry)

Other relatives served in the 3rd Regiment Texas Cavalry(aka the South Kansas Texas Regiment of Cavalry) and also 34th Regiment Texas Cavalry(aka 37th Regiment Texas cavalry and Terrell's Regiment Texas Cavalry).

Feel free to take this to the side with a Conversation.
 
There is a lot to research on these Texas cavalry organizations. I wish I knew more. My 3rd cousin has identified several in his family tree---which are distant cousins to me---who all served in Texas "cavalry" units. Some of the Texas cavalry were dismounted, so I get confused even more Are any of these units the same ones you listed?

Major Henry Benjamin Cole, 10th Brigade Texas State Troops. Q: Is this the same 10th Texas?

Pvt William F. Cole, 17th Regiment Texas Cavalry (aka Moore's Regiment Texas Cavalry)

Pvt Pinkney T. Winn, 18th Texas Cavalry (aka Darnell's Regiment Texas Cavalry)

Other relatives served in the 3rd Regiment Texas Cavalry(aka the South Kansas Texas Regiment of Cavalry) and also 34th Regiment Texas Cavalry(aka 37th Regiment Texas cavalry and Terrell's Regiment Texas Cavalry).

Feel free to take this to the side with a Conversation.
I assume the "10th Texas Brigade State Troops" is some militia organization. Doubt it has anything to do with the 10th Texas Infantry, unless that ancestor mislabeled his unit.
 
Doubt it has anything to do with the 10th Texas Infantry, unless that ancestor mislabeled his unit.
We have the right unit for our ancestor. I just wasn't sure of the history of it. But I agree. Most of the units I listed were called "Cavalry" ---I just wasn't sure if all of your units were raised as Infantry.
 
We have the right unit for our ancestor. I just wasn't sure of the history of it. But I agree. Most of the units I listed were called "Cavalry" ---I just wasn't sure if all of your units were raised as Infantry.
6th, 7th and 10th Texas were Infantry. The others were all initially cavalry, but eventually dismounted once brought to the front due to the need for Texan Infantry (Texas is one of the few states which had more Cavalry Regiments than infantry, due to Texan traditions).
 
Alright, time to address the weirdest aspect of this brigade: Nutt's Louisiana Company.
At Fort Hindman, there were three independent companies of cavalry, two Louisiana (Denson's and Nutt's) and one texas (Johnson's). In addition was Hart's Arkansas Battery. These men were captured at Fort Hindman, though many would escape and continue serving in the Transmisssissippi. They were exchanged in City Point and were reorganized as Company L (or M, as other sources place it) of 10th Texas, under Captain Leroy Moncure Nutt, as a skirmisher company. They would fight at Chickamauga and Chattanooga; after the latter, the unit suffered significant desertion rates, and was detached and turned into a cavalry scout unit for the brigade. The rest of its history is confusing.
Findagrave on Leroy M. Nutt: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11025151/leroy-moncure-nutt
Obscure forum post on the unit history: https://www.authentic-campaigner.co...-louisiana-cavalry-company-granbury-s-brigade
Most of my remaining info comes from Lundberg's book, which only really talks about it in a footnote; this is where it is designated as Company L by the author. I believe it was most likely Company L and not M, given how Lundberg is the more well versed of the historians here, it seems.
 
I made a shocking breakthrough today: I finally have found information on the elusive Captain J. H. Collett...or if I should be more correct, Captain James Hamilton Collett, Company G, 7th Texas

Collett was born in North Carolina, January 13th 1825, to Abram (or Abraham) Collett and Mary Stewart Collett. In 1849 he moved to Texas, first in Springfield, Limestone County, then to Fairfield, Freestone County. He married Eudorah Smith on January 1st, 1852; when she died in 1855, he remarried to Margaret Ann Davis October 2nd, but she died in 1859. After the war, he would remarry to his third and final wife, Rhoann Eliza Daviss, 29th August, 1865. They would have 5 children together, plus the two from the late Eudorah.

When the war broke out, he joined "The Freestone Freemen", which joined the 7th Texas Infantry as Company G, with Collett being appointed 1st Lieutenant. He was with the unit at Fort Donelson, surrendering with it there. When he was exchanged, his superior, Captain William L. Moody, had been made the new Lt. Colonel, and so, he was promoted to Captain of Company G. He was wounded at Raymond, returning to it in November, where he took command of the regiment following Granbury's ascension to brigade command. In this capacity, he let the regiment at Ringgold Gap, and was one of the signatures of Cleburne's Proposal. He continued commanding the regiment until April, presumably due tot he return of Captain Talley (who must have been senior to Collett). Collett was wounded at Franklin, and was captured at Columbia December 21st, being held at Fort Delaware until June 17th, 1865, returning to Texas.

Collett moved to Galveston, where he "accumulated a considerable fortune" in whatever ventures he was involved in, until a fire in 1877 destroyed his property. Soon after he moved to Austin, where he worked to rebuild his wealth. He became a part of the Austin community, and he lived here for the remainder of his life, dying 28th January, 1916, just a few weeks after his 91st birthday. He is buried in Austin's Oakwood Cemetery.
41662904_125962024587.jpg

Collett in later life

Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/41662904/james-hamilton-collett
 
Found info on Company A, 7th Texas (The Waco Guards) and their commanders. I will try to transcribe what I've got.

Captains
OrderNameDate of commandNotes
1Hiram Bronson Granbury1 October - 10 Nov, 1861Promoted Major
2C. N. Alexander11 Nov 1861 - 22 Dec 1863On recruiting duty in Texas from Oct 1862. Did not return and was dropped from the rolls
3J. Sam Norvell22 Dec 1863 - 2 Sept 1864KIA, Lovejoy Station
(After September 1864 the company was so reduced that no new captain was appointed. Second Lieutenant Murry commanded the company thereafter.)

1st Lieutenants
OrderNameDate of CommandNotes
1A. M. Houston1 Oct - 26 Oct 1861Died of Disease, Marshall Texas
2E. B. Rosson10 Nov 1861 - 15 Feb 1862KIA, Fort Donelson
3J. Sam Norvell15 Feb 1862 - 22 Dec 1863Promoted Captain. Acting company commander since Oct 1862
4William E. Rogers22 Dec 1863 - 22 July 1864POW, Atlanta
(After July 1864 the company was so reduced that no new First Lieutenant was appointed. Second Lieutenant Murry became acting deputy commander, and later Second Lieutenant Cawthon.)

2nd Lieutenants
OrderNameDate of CommandNotes
1E. B. Rosson1 Oct 1861 - 10 Nov 1861Promoted 1st Lieutenant
2James W. Nowlin10 Nov 1861 - 15 Feb 1862KIA, Fort Donelson
2J. Sam Norvell10 Nov 1861 - 15 Feb 1862Promoted 1st Lieutenant
3John C. Kidd8 Oct 1862 - 12 May 1863KIA Raymond
3William E. Rogers8 Oct 1862 - 22 Dec 1863Promoted 1st Lieutenant
4J. H. Murray22 Dec 1863 - 26 April 1865Surrendered
5John O. Cawthorn1 Sept 1863 - 17 Dec 1864POW, Franklin
(Until May 1863 the company had two Second Lieutenants. As of December 1864 Second Lieutenant Murry was the only officer in the company.)
(On 9 April 1865 Murry was appointed Captain and commander of Company C, 1st Texas Consolidated Infantry Regiment, which was formed by merging all 8 Texas regiments of Granbury's former brigade. Thomas J. Harrison became Second Lieutenant of the new company, but neither Murry nor Harrison held such rank in the 7th Texas proper.)

Sources:
https://7thtexasinfantry.men/english/officers.htm
 
10th Texas Infantry
Colonel Allison Nelson (Died in camp); Lt. Col. Roger Q. Mills (Colonel); Maj. Robert B. Young (Lt. Colonel; Killed at Franklin)
CompanyCommandersCountiesNicknames
ACapt. John A. Kennard (Major)GrimesGrimes Boys
BCapt. David PendergastLimestone
CCapt. William ShannonJohnsonRock Creek Guards
DCapt. William Wilson; Capt. John L. Wortham; Capt. Reuben D. KennedyFreestone
ECapt. William McKamyParker
FCapt. Semore BrasherBrazos
GCapt. John LauderdaleGalveston, WashingtonLabadie Rifles
HCapt. Bruce HartgravesCoryell
ICapt. James A. Formwalt (Major); 1st Lt. Thomas J. Stokes (KIA Franklin)JohnsonStockton Cavalry
KCapt. Byron BassellBosque, Coryell
Another update: reading through the O.R.s, I have found that Company B had another Captain, James W. Bennett, who was killed at Bald Hill. Also killed at Bald Hill was Lt. Edward Ashby, commanding Company H.
 
A great series of posts about Granbury and the others by Luke Freet. Thank you. I also have done a lot of reading of many of the same primary sources when I was researching for my novel, Whittled Away, about the 6th Texas, particularly, Co. K-the Alamo Rifles. I was delighted to see the excerpts from Captain Foster's diary, especially his comments on meeting the little African-American girl just after the war ended. I did not know about Foster's post-war service in the Texas Legislature, and even if disappointing to read, his record is in accord with the way things were. I rank the performance of Granbury's Brigade has among the finest in the Confederate Army, right up through the hell at Franklin.

New Whittled Away Cover.jpg
 
A great series of posts about Granbury and the others by Luke Freet. Thank you. I also have done a lot of reading of many of the same primary sources when I was researching for my novel, Whittled Away, about the 6th Texas, particularly, Co. K-the Alamo Rifles. I was delighted to see the excerpts from Captain Foster's diary, especially his comments on meeting the little African-American girl just after the war ended. I did not know about Foster's post-war service in the Texas Legislature, and even if disappointing to read, his record is in accord with the way things were. I rank the performance of Granbury's Brigade has among the finest in the Confederate Army, right up through the hell at Franklin.

View attachment 421364
I'll check your book one of these days. Company K seems quite interesting, considering their company commander was Tejano.
I got my information regarding Foster's postwar career from Norman D. Brown's book, under which the diary and memoir were published together; Brown included a forward giving a biography for Foster. I'll need to grab the book later, but he does go into detail saying how he voted in favor of anti-black acts, though he does point out another politician (whose name I forgot) who allegedly coerced men like him into making such votes. You can interpret things however you want, I doubt someone will be able to dig up further information on Foster's personal politics postwar, in comparison to what he says in that May '65 diary entry.
 
I'll check your book one of these days. Company K seems quite interesting, considering their company commander was Tejano.
I got my information regarding Foster's postwar career from Norman D. Brown's book, under which the diary and memoir were published together; Brown included a forward giving a biography for Foster. I'll need to grab the book later, but he does go into detail saying how he voted in favor of anti-black acts, though he does point out another politician (whose name I forgot) who allegedly coerced men like him into making such votes. You can interpret things however you want, I doubt someone will be able to dig up further information on Foster's personal politics postwar, in comparison to what he says in that May '65 diary entry.
I have Brown's book, and will go read the forward. Thanks. A really close look at Co.K of the 6th's leadership is a puzzle I tried to piece together for my novel. The first Captain, McAllister, took sick or injured and never commanded the company after Arkansas Post--even if then, I'd have to go look. Then after prison camp, the consolidation of the three regiments put the Alamo Rifles with two other Co.K's under the senior captain of one them since McAllister still held the rank but was not present. Then when the 10th Texas was pulled out, leaving only the 6th and 15th consolidated, the 6th Texas troops were further re-consolidated into six companies of just 6th Texas men, and the 15th Texas men were recombined into 4 companies. So again, the 'captainless' Alamo Rifles continued to serve under captains from other companies in the new consolidation scheme. My bet is that the Alamo Rifles Hispanic Lieutenant Navarro was the de-facto 'platoon' leader of the Alamo Rifles.
 
7th Texas
Colonel John Gregg (Promoted to Brigadier General; Killed at Petersburg); Lt. Colonel Jeremiah M. Clough (resigned); Maj. Hiram Granbury (Colonel, later Brigadier; killed at Franklin)
CompanyCommandersCountiesNickname
ACapt. Hiram Granbury (Colonel)McLennanWaco Guards
BCapt. R. S. CampUpshur
CCapt. Edward T. BroughtonKaufman
DCapt. Frederick S. Bass; Capt. Khleber Van Zandt (Major); Capt. Charles E. TalleyHarrisonBass Greys
ECapt. Jack DavisCherokee
FCapt. William H. SmithSmithLone Star Rebels
GCapt. William L. Moody (Lt. Colonel)FreestoneFreestone Freemen
HCapt. William B. HillHarrisonTexas Invincibles
ICapt. John W. BrownRuskSabine Greys
K??
Thanks to the efforts of @danny on the thread on 7th Texas, I've been able to dig up more detailed information regarding the organizational history of the 7th Texas.
For one, I now know that Company K was commanded by Captain William L. Coppedge. Searching his name provided this Research Online post about the regiment, which also give the list of companies and company commanders. Because of this, I discovered another detail; due to the heavy casualties at the Battle of Raymond, Company F was disbanded and consolidated permanently with Company A, reducing the regiment back to 9 companies for the duration of the conflict.
Anyways, here's the updated table

7th Texas
Colonel John Gregg (Promoted to Brigadier General Aug. 29th 1862; Killed at Petersburg); Lt. Colonel Jeremiah M. Clough (KIA Fort Donelson); Maj. Hiram Granbury (Promoted to Colonel Aug. 29th 1862; promoted Brigadier Feb. 29th,1864; killed at Franklin)
CompanyCommandersCountiesNotes/Nicknames
ACapt. C. N. Alexander (dropped due to absence); Capt. J. Sam Norvell (KIA Jonesboro)McLennan"Waco Guards"
BCapt. Raleigh S. Camp (promoted to Major and transferred to 40th Georgia Infantry); Capt. Thomas B. CampUpshur"Texas Patriots"
CCapt. Edward T. Broughton (resigned March 1865)Kaufman, Henderson"Johnson Guards"
DCapt. Khleber M. Van Zandt (promoted Major Aug. 29th 1862); Capt. Charles E. TalleyHarrison"Bass Greys"
ECapt. Jack Davis (resigned March 25th 1863 to command Company G, 22nd Texas Infantry); Capt. Benjamin F. ViningCherokee"Cherokee Rifles"
FCapt. William H. Smith (KIA Raymond)Smith"Lone Star Rifles"; broken up after Raymond; men transferred to Company A
GCapt. William L. Moody (promoted Lt. Colonel Aug. 29th 1862); Capt. James H. CollettFreestone"Freestone Freemen"
HCapt. William B. Hill (KIA Fort Donelson); Capt. Orren P. ForrestHarrison"Texas Invincibles"
ICapt. John W. BrownRusk"Sabine Greys"
KCapt. William L. Coppedge (died of chronic diarrhea, date unspecified, Afton, Alabama)VariousFormed Feb. 10th 1863 from 87 newly recruited volunteers and conscripts from various portions of Texas
 
What confuses me as of right now regarding the organization of the brigade was when they arrived in Tennessee, the Texas units were consolidated into 2 massive regiments, which, at Chickamauga, numbered 700 men each. I wonder why such a massive consolidation was done. There were several officers who were out of commands due to the consolidation, aand there were plenty of line officers for each regiment; maybe not every unit had colonels, but the 17th&18th Texas would have had at least Lt. Colonel Coit and Major Ryan to command them, while the 24th&25th could still have had Colonel Wilkes and Major Taylor (I have no clue if Lt. Colonel Neyland was available or not at this time). 6th&15th Texas could have been under Lt. Colonel Thomas Scott Anderson (potentially even Colonel Garland was available), while 10th Texas could have been under Colonel Mills and Major Kennard.
The units involved could not have been that understrength going into the Tullahoma, Chickamauga, and even Chattanooga campaigns.
 
Colonel Robert Rice Garland, 6th Texas Infantry

Garland is one of the most infamous figures in the history of Granbury's Texas Brigade. He is held responsible for the surrender at Arkansas Post, an event which heavily affected the brigade for the remainder of the year. However, his role in the brigade's history is often sidelined and forgotten after this incident. This I wish to somewhat correct.

Garland was born in Lovington, Nelson County, Virginia, May 11th of 1821. He joined the army on December 30th, 1847, and rose to the rank of Captain in the 7th U.S. Infantry Regiment. When war broke out, he was initially stationed in Fort Fillmore, New Mexico Territory, but resigned to join the Confederacy, initially serving as inspector general of the Department of Texas at his former rank of Captain. On December 12th, 1861, he received a promotion from Davis to Colonel and put in command of the 6th Texas Infantry (Lundberg 33-34).

Colonel Garland soon became respected and despised for his martinet habits and intense drilling. While this did dampen his reputation amongst the men, it meant that the regiment became "one of the better drilled and disciplined regiments in Texas" (Lundberg 35). In May of 1862, his regiment was ordered to Arkansas, and in July he was given a brigade consisting of the 6th Texas Infantry, 24th and 25th Texas Dismounted Cavalry Regiments (Lundberg 83). On September 19th, his command was assigned to Arkansas Post, where he was joined by Colonel Deshler's Brigade (10th Infantry, 15th, 17th and 18th DIsmounted Cavalry) and Colonel Dunnington's Brigade (19th and 24th Arkansas Infantry), plus independent cavalry companies and artillery batteries, under the combined command of Brigadier Thomas Churchill.

When the assault on Fort Hindman began at 1pm on the 11th of January, 1863, Garland's Brigade held the center of the line, with the fort (under Colonel Dunnington) to his right and Deshler's men to his left. His men held out under bombardment and attack for 3 hours. At 4pm, Porter's gunboats force Dunnington's surrender. After this point, the infamous incident occured.

According to Lundberg, at this time, a cry went out, saying that Churchill had surrendered and that the men should wave the white flag. Men from the 24th Texas on the left of the line began raising whatever white garments they had on hand, without orders from Garland. Garland dithered in confusion about whether the order was real or a false alarm, but this allowed federal infantry to exploit the situation and move into the trench. As this occurred, General Sherman rode up to the works and "demanded to know who commanded 'at this point'". Garland, commander of the brigade in this sector, showed himself, and was made to surrender the rest of his command (Lundberg 93).

This all led eventually to the end of hostilities and the surrender of the garrison. It took time to convince Deshler (who was out of touch with the situation to his right, a sign of the breakdown of communication in the Confederate command) to surrender his command. However, it was essentially over. 4791 Confederates were now in Federal hands.

Much blame has been put upon Garland for the surrender. Ed Bearss posited that Garland holds responsibility for the situation unraveling, that he should have recognized the surrender had started on his left, when Churchill's headquarters was to his right and should have started there; and that his dithering at the moment all but doomed the battle. However, Lundberg deems this criticism "while accurate as far as it goes, is probably not completely fair to Garland", as "the chaos of battle battles" makes it "almost impossible to make snap decisions of such magnitude" (Lundberg 96-97). Most of the commanders in this battle, besides Churchill and Deshler, and recent experiences in command, whereas, despite Lundberg's assertion, there is no evidence Garland had received military education before joining the army.

Garland and his men remained in federal encampment before being exchanged at City Point in early May. On May 9th, Garland and his brigade (still a separate entity) boarded trains from Petersburg to Tennessee, joining the Army of the Tennessee. When his and Deshler's Brigades were consolidated, his regiment was consolidated with the 10th Infantry and 15th Cavalry, and despite being the senior colonel, Colonel Mills was given the command, while Garland was placed on detachment pending court martial for his actions at Arkansas Post.

On July 14th, Garland request a court of inquiry on his actions at Arkansas Post, feeling slighted by Churchill's insinuations that he had been responsible. Churchill, wanting to appease the Virginian, held an informal brigade court which determined, in the words of Sam Foster, "All the investigation could not ascertain who gave the order to raise the white Flag on the Fort, at Ark. Post. They came very near finding where it started but not who started it. Nor will it ever be known in this world" (Brown, One of Cleburne's Own, 49; emphasis in original). It should be noted this account comes from a captain in the 24th Texas, whom Lundberg places as the originator of the debacle.

Garland desired to return to his command. According to a letter to his wife on August 16th, Roger Mills claims Garland applied to take command of his consolidated regiment from the junior Mills, but that Churchill preferred Mills in command, and wrote as such to Bragg . The men in the ranks held a similar view (though less warm to Mills' leadership than the Colonel would prefer). However, it seems that Deshler, the new commander of the brigade, wanted Garland in command of the regiment, hence why Mills was so fearful of Garland's moves (Lundberg 140).

Garland then served in supernumerary posts for the following campaigns. With Colonel Mills' wounding at Chattanooga, there was an opening to return Garland to command his old consolidated regiment. This would leave then commander Hiram Granbury as junior Colonel and force him to return to regiment command, something his superiors did not want. Thus, he remained as Provost Marshall of Dalton until Granbury was promoted in February.

After the 10th Texas was unconsolidated with the 6th&15th Texas, Colonel Garland was placed in command once again. He took part in the early stages of the Atlanta Campaign, though little is written of his actions over the campaign until the events of June 6th. However, he would have been in command of the 6th&15th Texas at Pickett's Mill, playing a conspicuous role there on the right flank.

On June 6th, Colonel Garland had Colonel Francis Wilkes of the 24th&25th Texas arrested. Colonel Wilkes pushed for charges against Garland for the action. The exact motives seem to be lost to time, though given Garland being scapegoated at Arkansas Post and Wilkes being the commander of the 24th Texas in the debacle may have been the cause. Whatever the cause, General Johnston had both officers sent to Atlanta in punishment.

What role Garland had in these days is uncertain, as Lundberg makes no further mention of his role in the remainder of the brigade's history. Tshaonline puts him as being in command of the regiment during the engagements around Bald Hill (he was not, the regiment was commanded by Captain Rhoads Fisher) and commanded the brigade at points during the campaign, before his wounding on August 25th (no evidence for this either). However, all I have on the rest of his life are these small blurbs from tshaonline, and so, I have to rely on this.

After being wounded on August 25th, he was on leave in Alabama, where he surrendered June 3rd of 1865. He moved to Washington D.C. after the war, dying of Tuberculosis (contracted from his time in prison) at his sister's home in Lynchburg, Virginia, June 13th, 1870.

Sources:
John R. Lundberg, Granbury's Texas Brigade, Diehard Western Confederate
https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/garland-robert-rice
 
A great series of posts about Granbury and the others by Luke Freet. Thank you. I also have done a lot of reading of many of the same primary sources when I was researching for my novel, Whittled Away, about the 6th Texas, particularly, Co. K-the Alamo Rifles. I was delighted to see the excerpts from Captain Foster's diary, especially his comments on meeting the little African-American girl just after the war ended. I did not know about Foster's post-war service in the Texas Legislature, and even if disappointing to read, his record is in accord with the way things were. I rank the performance of Granbury's Brigade has among the finest in the Confederate Army, right up through the hell at Franklin.
One of my favorite parts of Foster's diary hasn't been discussed here yet: his scathing comments the morning of December 1, 1864 after the sun rose and disclosed the extent of the disaster the preceding day on the battlefield of Franklin. His comments about Hood are priceless!
 
One of my favorite parts of Foster's diary hasn't been discussed here yet: his scathing comments the morning of December 1, 1864 after the sun rose and disclosed the extent of the disaster the preceding day on the battlefield of Franklin. His comments about Hood are priceless!
Oh yeah, that line makes Sword blush
 
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