2nd Texas Lunette

[1stMS-Arty]

Photographs of the outside of the northeastern flank of the 2nd Texas Lunette. This part of the lunette is inside the park boundry but the inside of the lunette is part of a Jewish cemetery that is not part of the park.

 

[Tompre]

Photographs of the outside of the northeastern flank of the 2nd Texas Lunette. This part of the lunette is inside the park boundry but the inside of the lunette is part of a Jewish cemetery that is not part of the park.
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Beautiful pictures. You sure picked a hot day for it

 

[UCVRelics]

Been there many times and your photos are awesome. Thanks for posting them.

 

[Lampasas Bill]

Thanks for reviving some wonderful memories. In 1962, after I had just turned 16, my family left Texas for a tour of southern battlefields. We arrived in Vicksburg in the late afternoon and checked into a motel across the highway from the area you photographed. We planned to tour the battlefield the next day, but after supper my dad took me and my brother across the road into the park. We read those same position tables and walked through the cemetery as the evening darkened. It was one of the memorable parts of a memorable trip.

 

[A. Roy]

It's fantastic that this landform still exists. I suppose the presence of the cemetery helps to preserve this?
ARB

 

[Cs12pdr]

Nice pictures.Thank you.

 

[RoBert "Bert" Hile]

After the surrender of Vicksburg, the 2nd Texas was exchanged. Officers at Point Lookout in the East and the enlisted in the "west" of which many went home to wait to be recalled. They never were. It was a unit that could have been used and wasn't and it does show that the South wasn't always up to par when watching what it should be watching. The days at Vicksburg I spent going through the area was warm, damp (mostly me trying to stay cool), and a bit of a rain shower. Wife asked how did they do any fighting with all those trees around?

 

[Pollaco]

After the surrender of Vicksburg, the 2nd Texas was exchanged. Officers at Point Lookout in the East and the enlisted in the "west" of which many went home to wait to be recalled. They never were. It was a unit that could have been used and wasn't and it does show that the South wasn't always up to par when watching what it should be watching. The days at Vicksburg I spent going through the area was warm, damp (mostly me trying to stay cool), and a bit of a rain shower. Wife asked how did they do any fighting with all those trees around?

They (2nd Texas) were kind of used just not in much more needed place. They and their Colonel, Ashlel Smith, were charged with defending the Texas Coast. Mainly the Galveston area, I think.But you're right it was sort of a waste of manpower that could have been utilized elsewhere.

 

[Tom Hughes]

I like your photo angle showing the Baldwin Ferry Road as it runs past the 2nd Texas Lunettte.
Thanks for sharing.

 

[Booklady]

Walked that road many times. I miss it. Thanks for the photos.

 

[Vicksburger]

Photographs of the outside of the northeastern flank of the 2nd Texas Lunette. This part of the lunette is inside the park boundry but the inside of the lunette is part of a Jewish cemetery that is not part of the park.
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Thanks for the pictures, looks like they are keeping it up pretty good. I am looking forward to exploring the woods behind the lunette for any sign of a depression where a trench was, the next time I get back..

 

[Bradley]

This Spring, a collaboration of ROTC cadets and (substantially less physically fit) historians from both Southern Miss and the University of Alabama toured the park and one of our main events was the Lunette.

A few of us went out there maybe four or five days beforehand just to sketch out in our heads what the tour would look like and one of our main concerns was how to get the students there, how to walk-out this portion of the battlefield without having 200 people trampling and tripping over headstones, and how to convey any notion of what the field looked like during the siege.

 

[J. D. Stevens]

many went home to wait to be recalled. They never were.

Most of the men of the 2nd Texas went home during their parole period after Vicksburg. The conditions of their paroles completed, they were called back into service by their colonel, Ashbel Smith at Houston. They served the rest of the war along the Texas Gulf Coast. In late January 1864, the 2nd Texas was manning the fortifications at Caney Creek in Matagorda County. The only battle they fought was later in 1864 while stationed at Galveston. A Yellow Fever Epidemic attacked them and inflicted a considerable number of casualties. Colonel Ashbel Smith was in command at Galveston at the end of the war.

 

[danny]

10/14/63 TM Dept G O #48-Published for guidance & information of those concerned:

G O # 123 Richmond, Sept 16, 1863.
The following order is published for the information of all concerned: Exchange Notice # 6.
Richmond, Sept 12, 1863. The following CS officers & men captured at Vicksburg, July 4, 1863, & subsequently paroled, have been duly exchanged, & are hereby so declared:

1. The officers & men of Gen C. L. Stevenson's Div.
2. The officers & men of Gen Bowen's Div.
3. The officers & men of Gen Moore's Bgde.
4. The officers & men of the 2nd Texas Regt.
5. The officers & men of Waul's Legion.
6. Also, all CS officers & men who have been delivered at City Point at any time previous to July 25, 1863, have been duly exchanged, & are hereby so declared.

10/24/63 S O #289 Col Ashbel Smith of the 2nd​ Tex having been assigned as IG of the state troops, Lt Col McGinnis of the 2nd​ Tex is charged with collecting the Regt at Camp Lubbock & will carry out the provisions of S O #282 promptly
[Note: In this volume I found another S O #289 of same date but with entirely different subject]

After being exchanged in Nov 1863, the Regt was reassembled at Camp Bee & placed under Gen Magruder, cdr of the District of Texas, New Mexico, & Arizona. But the Regt, decimated by its service in Ms, could muster no more than a Bn of effective troops. It was never re-staffed, but continued to carry the Regimental designation throughout the remainder of the war. The unit was stationed in Galveston & assigned to guard the port against capture. It then participated in a last skirmish at the mouth of Caney Creek in Feb 1864

11/18/63 Shreveport-K Smith issues S O #194
I-Gen Waul having reported to these Hqs in obedience to instructions from the War Dept will at once proceed to collect the men of the 2nd​ Tex Regt, the Bn of La Zouaves, & the several Bns & Arty Co's of the Waul Legion.
He is authorized to fill the same by voluntary enlistment of persons not liable to conscription & through the enrolling officers of the different counties & parishes by volunteers within the conscript age whether enrolled or not. When taking them from men not enrolled he will furnish the enrolling officers a duplicate descriptive list of the same.
Under instructions of the Sec of War, he is authorized to organize this force as mounted Infy.
All officers or enlisted of any of these organizations will send them to such points as may be designated by Gen Waul.
IV-No enrolling officer will interfere with the Mexicans Gen Waul may have in his employ as teamsters.

11/30/63 S O #326 The 2nd​ Tex Infy is about to take the field

11/30/63 Houston, Magruder to Smith-Gen Waul has reported today with instructions, known to the Gen cdg, by which he is authorized to mount Waul's Legion & the 2nd Tex Infy. I have Brigaded the 2nd Tex & Waul's Legion with Likens' Regt & the 3rd Tex Infy, all, with the exception of Likens' Regt, splendidly drilled Infy- the best Bgde under my command, which I have reserved for Gen Waul. If he attempts to mount the 2nd Tex & his Legion, it will be a failure, as the horses are not to be had, the State troops & other calls having exhausted the country. To disband his Legion & 2nd Tex & send them home, in the hopeless task of procuring horses, will disorganize this excellent Bgde, whose services are indispensably necessary to the defense of the State, where they will soon be in front of the enemy.
I hope, under these circumstances, that the Gen cdg will not permit Waul's Legion & 2nd Tex Infy, numbering 600 veteran Infy, even if it could be done, their services would be lost for several months
Gen Waul states that he would like to serve under me in Tex, & he could not have a better Bgde anywhere than the one to which I have assigned him.

12/3/63 Shreveport to Gen Waul-Gen Smith sends you the extracts from the following letters from Gen Magruder referring to the mounting of your Bgde & its present position.
If he attempts to remount the 2nd​ Tex & the Waul Legion it will be a failure because the horses are not to be had- The state troops & other calls have exhausted the supply. To disband his Legion & 2nd​ Tex & send them home in the hopeless task of procuring horses will disorganize this excellent Bgde whose services are indispensable to the defense of the state where they will be soon in the front of the enemy.
I hope under the circumstance the cdg Gen will not permit the Waul Legion & 2nd​ Tex Infy numbering 600 veteran Infy & armed by me with a part of the Enfield Rifles lately received to be disorganized & being transformed into inefficient mtd Infy, even if it could be done, their services would be lost for several months. Gen Waul states that he would like to serve under me in Tex & he could not have a better Bgde than the one to which I have assigned him.
In consideration of these facts, & the present threatening positions of the enemy, the Gen cdg directed that the order for remounting your command & instructing you to Gen Holmes is to be revoked & you are ordered to be assigned to Gen Magruder to be assigned to the command of the Bgde of which your Legion forms a part.

12/4/63 Shreveport-K Smith S O #208-So much of S O #194 as directs Gen Waul to remount his command & report to Gen Holmes cdg Dist of Ark is revoked. Gen Waul will report to Gen Magruder for assignment to duty.

1/27/64 #27 G O #16 is amended to permit all enlisted men of the state troops of conscript age to join Co's of their choosing in the following commands:
1st​ -Waul's Legion
2nd​-2nd​ Tex Infy
3rd​-Green's Cav Div

4/12/64 Dist to Gen Greer-assign all conscripts between 18 & 45 to be assigned to the 2nd​ Tex Infy much reduced. The remaining material in this Regt is excellent troops & it is the Gen'ls opinion that with the conscripts a very fine Regt could be formed

5/30/64 Magruder to Boggs-in reference of yours as to assignment of conscripts, & stating the oldest Regts & Bns should be filled to the max first. The 2nd​ Tex Infy is one of the oldest in the District & numbers only about 250 & I very much desire to fill it up. I also want men for the Btrys left after sending Taylor 4 splendid Btrys.

1/10/65 Houston, Col A. Smith of 2nd​ Tex Infy-showing the failure of the conscript service to fill his Regt as ordered by Gen Smith.
Endorsed-When called upon by me to know why the 300 conscripts now at Camp Greer have not been assigned to this Regt as ordered by the Gen cdg, Capt Bragg informs me that his instructions from Col Martin do not warrant any further assignment of conscripts. I request that this Regt now reduced to a hand full be filled up for immediate service.

3/2/65 Walker to Boggs-I have published no order yet as to a Bgde for Col A Smith. It is a most delicate subject & has to be approached cautiously

3/22/65 to Gen Greer cdg conscript bureau-The IG reports that the 2nd​ Tex Regt has not been filled up with conscripts. The cdg Gen directs that you explain why this has not been done.

 

[Pollaco]

After being exchanged in November of 1863 the unit (2nd Texas) was stationed at Camp Bee.From what I gather that was in Galveston or in that vicinity.Which Bee was honored with a camp named after them? Was it named for Hamilton or his brother Barnard?

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Great photos @1stMS-Arty !

I've always loved that lesser known site.

I think the majority of folks only see the cemetery monuments and (out of respect) never stop to look around.
... they have no idea that was a major part of the Confederate lines.

 

[J. D. Stevens]

After being exchanged in November of 1863 the unit (2nd Texas) was stationed at Camp Bee.From what I gather that was in Galveston or in that vicinity.Which Bee was honored with a camp named after them? Was it named for Hamilton or his brother Barnard?

According to Adjutant General RG 401 Civil War Records, 1861-1865 - Texas State Archives -
Camp Barnard Bee (1864 - 1865), East Columbia - A CSA encampment located on the Brazos River, just east of West Columbia. This was the end of the railroad line from Harrisburg.
There were a couple more camps named Bee. One near Seguin and one near San Antonio.

 

[Pollaco]

According to Adjutant General RG 401 Civil War Records, 1861-1865 - Texas State Archives -
Camp Barnard Bee (1864 - 1865), East Columbia - A CSA encampment located on the Brazos River, just east of West Columbia. This was the end of the railroad line from Harrisburg.
There were a couple more camps named Bee. One near Seguin and one near San Antonio.

I think there was one in Virginia as well.