Stryker65
Captain
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2023
- Location
- William & Mary
The 8th Texas Infantry Regiment was one of the few units that was a Legion in all but name, and served as such throughout the entire war. The unit was organized by consolidating an infantry battalion, an artillery battalion, and several independent companies, viz.:
The 8th Texas Infantry Battalion was organized on May 14, 1862 by Texas congressman (later Major) Alfred Marmaduke Hobby, primarily with men from Bexar, Goliad, Guadalupe, Nueces, Refugio, and Victoria counties. The battalion intially contained three companies under Captains Robert E. Jones, William E. McCampbell, and P. H. Breeden. A fourth company, organized from surplus men of the other three, was created on June 20 under Captain Edwin E. Hobby (Major Hobby's older brother). Finally, a fifth company, composed mostly of Tejanos (Mexican-Texans), under Captain José M. Peñaloza was added, at an unknown date. The battalion trained at Camp Charles Russell (named after a Confederate envoy to Mexico), near the town of Banquete, until July 19, when the battalion was ordered to Corpus Christi.
The 4th Texas Artillery Battalion was organized on December 10, 1861, from two independent artillery batteries that had both organized that summer. The first, known as the Van Dorn Guards, had been raised under Captain Daniel D. Shea and Lieutenant John A. Vernon in Calhoun County, and was assigned as Company A of the new battalion in December of 1861. Meanwhile, the Indianola Artillery Guards, raised in that city under German immigrant Dr. Joseph M. Reuss, became Company B of the battalion. Shea was promoted to major and commander of the battalion, and Vernon became the new captain of Company A. The battalion remained in the Indianola area for a while, skirmishing occasionally with Union Navy landing parties at Aransas Pass (February 13, 1862), Saluria Bayou (March 4, 1862), and Lavaca (October 31-November 1, 1862; whilst being severely understrength due to a yellow fever outbreak).
A separate Corpus Christi battalion had been operational since February of 1861, when the local US forces pulled out subsequent to General Twiggs' surrender of the military department. Composed of an infantry company (Capt. John Ireland), a cavalry company (Capt. James A. Ware), and an artillery company (Capt. Benjamin F. Neal), the battalion defended Corpus Christi until October, 1861, when Captain Ware's company was transferred to the newly-formed 1st Texas Mounted Rifles. However, the town was soon reinforced by the 8th Texas Battalion, with Major Hobby taking over command of the defenses. Union forces attacked on August 12, 1862, and while the town was shelled, it held.
Meanwhile, Tejanos had been organizing cavalrymen as well (primarily in Bexar and Refugio counties), with famous names such as the Benavides brothers forming companies for service on the western frontier. One of these was Captain José Ángel Navarro III, a Harvard-educated Texas congressman, who, along with his brother Sixto, formed a cavalry company in Atascosa County, which participated in the capture of Union forces at Indianola in April, 1861. Navarro's influence was such that he was able to negotiate the transfer of dozens of Tejanos in the Second Texas Cavalry (recently returned from Sibley's New Mexican campaign) to his company. In August, 1862, the company constituted 80 men.
In February, 1863, the multitude of independent battalions were merged to form the 8th Texas Infantry Regiment. Major Shea's 4th Texas Artillery Battalion was first, with its Companies A and B becoming the same in the 8th Regiment. Next, Major Hobby's battalion became Companies C, D, E, F, and G of the new regiment. Captain Navarro's Tejano cavalry company was then assigned as Company H of the regiment, closely followed by Captain Ireland's independent company from Corpus Christi as Company I. Finally, Captain Neal's Corpus Christi Artillery was assigned as Company K, completing the unit's organization. Major Hobby of the 8th Battalion became colonel, Major Shea of the 4th Battalion became lieutenant colonel, and Captain Ireland of the Corpus Christi battalion became major (he being replaced at Company I by William N. Maltby). The unit remained in the Corpus Christi vicinity for the remainder of the war. Lieutenant Colonel Shea would die of disease on May 14, 1864, and would be replaced by Major John Ireland, who in turn would be replaced as major by Captain John A. Vernon. As the primary function of the regiment was coast defense, Benjamin F. Neal would also be promoted to major in order to superintend the artillery portion of the regiment.
(Company G (Capt. Edwin E. Hobby) totaled 64 men with 40 arms on May 5, 1863 (V15 pp 404)).
In November, 1863, the Union 13th Army Corps invaded Texas, capturing Brownsville and dispersing the cavalry brigade stationed there. The Corpus Christi region was their next target, and Mustang Island soon fell, with Company I of the 8th surrendering to the overwhelming Union attack force, and Company F, sent as reinforcements, narrowly avoiding the same fate (V26P1 pp 436). The remainder of the 8th was deployed to Matagorda Island, at Fort Esperanza, and when the Union forces attacked, Confederate colonel William R. Bradfute decided to abandon the island instead of surrender, and thereby saved the regiment. That December, the regiment was ordered to Galveston to defend that area, but the regiment, most likely fearing field service, suffered sixty desertions in one night along the march (V26P2 pp 530). After their arrival, the regiment was dispersed among Galveston's defenses, and Vernon's company was converted to artillery and placed at Bolivar Point (V34P2 pp 1044). The records indicate that the regiment remained in the defenses until the end of the war, even quelling a mutiny of the garrison there on May 14 (V48P2 pp 1308), and then most likely surrendered.
Strengths (only 1864-1865 are known):
The 8th Texas Infantry Battalion was organized on May 14, 1862 by Texas congressman (later Major) Alfred Marmaduke Hobby, primarily with men from Bexar, Goliad, Guadalupe, Nueces, Refugio, and Victoria counties. The battalion intially contained three companies under Captains Robert E. Jones, William E. McCampbell, and P. H. Breeden. A fourth company, organized from surplus men of the other three, was created on June 20 under Captain Edwin E. Hobby (Major Hobby's older brother). Finally, a fifth company, composed mostly of Tejanos (Mexican-Texans), under Captain José M. Peñaloza was added, at an unknown date. The battalion trained at Camp Charles Russell (named after a Confederate envoy to Mexico), near the town of Banquete, until July 19, when the battalion was ordered to Corpus Christi.
The 4th Texas Artillery Battalion was organized on December 10, 1861, from two independent artillery batteries that had both organized that summer. The first, known as the Van Dorn Guards, had been raised under Captain Daniel D. Shea and Lieutenant John A. Vernon in Calhoun County, and was assigned as Company A of the new battalion in December of 1861. Meanwhile, the Indianola Artillery Guards, raised in that city under German immigrant Dr. Joseph M. Reuss, became Company B of the battalion. Shea was promoted to major and commander of the battalion, and Vernon became the new captain of Company A. The battalion remained in the Indianola area for a while, skirmishing occasionally with Union Navy landing parties at Aransas Pass (February 13, 1862), Saluria Bayou (March 4, 1862), and Lavaca (October 31-November 1, 1862; whilst being severely understrength due to a yellow fever outbreak).
A separate Corpus Christi battalion had been operational since February of 1861, when the local US forces pulled out subsequent to General Twiggs' surrender of the military department. Composed of an infantry company (Capt. John Ireland), a cavalry company (Capt. James A. Ware), and an artillery company (Capt. Benjamin F. Neal), the battalion defended Corpus Christi until October, 1861, when Captain Ware's company was transferred to the newly-formed 1st Texas Mounted Rifles. However, the town was soon reinforced by the 8th Texas Battalion, with Major Hobby taking over command of the defenses. Union forces attacked on August 12, 1862, and while the town was shelled, it held.
Meanwhile, Tejanos had been organizing cavalrymen as well (primarily in Bexar and Refugio counties), with famous names such as the Benavides brothers forming companies for service on the western frontier. One of these was Captain José Ángel Navarro III, a Harvard-educated Texas congressman, who, along with his brother Sixto, formed a cavalry company in Atascosa County, which participated in the capture of Union forces at Indianola in April, 1861. Navarro's influence was such that he was able to negotiate the transfer of dozens of Tejanos in the Second Texas Cavalry (recently returned from Sibley's New Mexican campaign) to his company. In August, 1862, the company constituted 80 men.
In February, 1863, the multitude of independent battalions were merged to form the 8th Texas Infantry Regiment. Major Shea's 4th Texas Artillery Battalion was first, with its Companies A and B becoming the same in the 8th Regiment. Next, Major Hobby's battalion became Companies C, D, E, F, and G of the new regiment. Captain Navarro's Tejano cavalry company was then assigned as Company H of the regiment, closely followed by Captain Ireland's independent company from Corpus Christi as Company I. Finally, Captain Neal's Corpus Christi Artillery was assigned as Company K, completing the unit's organization. Major Hobby of the 8th Battalion became colonel, Major Shea of the 4th Battalion became lieutenant colonel, and Captain Ireland of the Corpus Christi battalion became major (he being replaced at Company I by William N. Maltby). The unit remained in the Corpus Christi vicinity for the remainder of the war. Lieutenant Colonel Shea would die of disease on May 14, 1864, and would be replaced by Major John Ireland, who in turn would be replaced as major by Captain John A. Vernon. As the primary function of the regiment was coast defense, Benjamin F. Neal would also be promoted to major in order to superintend the artillery portion of the regiment.
(Company G (Capt. Edwin E. Hobby) totaled 64 men with 40 arms on May 5, 1863 (V15 pp 404)).
In November, 1863, the Union 13th Army Corps invaded Texas, capturing Brownsville and dispersing the cavalry brigade stationed there. The Corpus Christi region was their next target, and Mustang Island soon fell, with Company I of the 8th surrendering to the overwhelming Union attack force, and Company F, sent as reinforcements, narrowly avoiding the same fate (V26P1 pp 436). The remainder of the 8th was deployed to Matagorda Island, at Fort Esperanza, and when the Union forces attacked, Confederate colonel William R. Bradfute decided to abandon the island instead of surrender, and thereby saved the regiment. That December, the regiment was ordered to Galveston to defend that area, but the regiment, most likely fearing field service, suffered sixty desertions in one night along the march (V26P2 pp 530). After their arrival, the regiment was dispersed among Galveston's defenses, and Vernon's company was converted to artillery and placed at Bolivar Point (V34P2 pp 1044). The records indicate that the regiment remained in the defenses until the end of the war, even quelling a mutiny of the garrison there on May 14 (V48P2 pp 1308), and then most likely surrendered.
Strengths (only 1864-1865 are known):
| Officers PFD | Men PFD | |
| April, 1864 (V34P3 pp 800) | 19 | 348 |
| May, 1864 (V34P4 pp 638) | 17 | 370 |
| June, 1864 (V34P4 pp 701) | 22 | 371 |
| July, 1864 (V41P2 pp 1092) | 18 | 350 |
| September, 1864 (V41P3 pp 965) | 18 | 340 |
| November, 1864 (V41P4 pp 1084) | 19 | 334 |
| December, 1864 (V41P4 pp 1137) | 12 | 256 |
| January, 1865 (V48P1 pp 1355) | 13 | 227 |
| February, 1865 (V48P1 pp 1408) | 15 | 224 |
| March, 1865 (V48P1 pp 1459) | 21 | 312 |
| April, 1865 (V48P2 pp 1292) | 15 | 294 |
| April 27, 1865 (V48P2 pp 1288) | 11 | 151 |
| May 10, 1865 (V48P2 pp 1297) | 9 | 159 |
Bringing the