Confederates on the frontier?

[G Low]

This is NBF's aunt. She is his mother's older sister.

Mary Ann “Polly” Beck Hart - Hittson (1798-1879)...

A Christian's race on earth is run. Her soul borne home on angels wings. Grave where is thy Victory now. Death where is thy sting.

www.findagrave.com

And here are her children.

Aaron H. Hart (1826-1867) - Find a Grave Memorial

In 1860, Aaron and Caroline and their children, James, 13 yrs., John, 12 yrs., Frances, 7 yrs., and Mary, 3 yrs, lived in Pleasant Valley, Palo Pinto, Texas, neighbors of his half brother John Nathan Hittson and his family. Aaron was a farmer, John was a stockraiser. They provided for their...

www.findagrave.com

John Nathan “Cattle Jack” Hittson Sr. (1831-1880)...

Bringing family and history together. The Hittson Project Jack Hittson. -- John Hittson's ranch is in Palo Pinto County, on the Brazos River, where he has 50,000 cattle; he has 300 saddle horses and 50 herders. He drives about 10,000 head of cattle north annually. Eighteen years ago he was...

www.findagrave.com

William B. Hittson (1834-1905) - Find a Grave...

Bringing family and history together ~~ The Hittson Project Confederate States of America Cavalry Commanding Officer Dillahunty, J.H. Capt Co. A, 1st Front District, Palo Pinto Co Pr. No. 1 Major William Quayle Comm. TST F.1 -- 64 in Palo Pinto County Served 13 days at $2 -- $26 Age 34 R&F 76...

www.findagrave.com

These men were pioneers, frontiersmen, cattlemen, cowboys, Indian fighters, confederate soldiers and NBF's first cousins. I have read galvanized Yankees from the South were sent west during the war. My question is "were any galvanized confederates sent to the Texas frontier to defend confederate territory?"

 

[Desert Kid]

The regiments that guarded the 1200 mile Texas frontier while everybody else was being sent east was the 1st Frontier Regiment and the 33rd Texas Cavalry.

The 1st Frontier Regiment straddled the line between Texas State Troops and Confederate troops on an as-needed basis. The Frontier Regiment was made up entirely of deputized Texas Rangers. That's what became of the Texas Rangers during the conflict, they were still a law enforcement agency but became folded in under the Texas State Troops under orders of the governor and consisted of roughly 1000 men from 9 companies that consisted of 100-150 men each. It was an almost endless game of whack-a-mole fighting Comanches, Kiowas, Kickapoo and Lipan Apaches up and down the stretch from Hardeman County to the Mexican Border.

The 33rd Texas Cavalry primarily operated throughout South Texas, South Central Texas and the Hill Country. And they had to do the typical stuff. Stopping bandits, stopping indian raids, rounding up deserters, enforcing the draft, stopping border crossings from Mexico, aiding in the cotton smuggling that got Confederate cotton down to Matamoros so they could get to European markets.

 

[gary]

I read the book about Galvanized Yankees and from what I recall they were sent to places like the Dakotas, Nebraska and even Colorado. There was no way they would be sent to Texas where they could desert and rejoin the Confederacy. Actually they could but they had a long trek through Indian territory if they tried.

One purpose of the Red River expedition was to establish a Federal presence in Texas to threaten the French in Mexico. They would not use galvanized troops for that. Remember there was a promise that one didn't have to fight their own countrymen.

The same was offered by the British to American prisoners who were captured in the Revolution. They could serve the crown (and be off those horrid prison hulks) and wouldn't have to fight their fellow Americans. They were sent to the Caribbeans.

 

[G Low]

I read the book about Galvanized Yankees and from what I recall they were sent to places like the Dakotas, Nebraska and even Colorado. There was no way they would be sent to Texas where they could desert and rejoin the Confederacy. Actually they could but they had a long trek through Indian territory if they tried.

One purpose of the Red River expedition was to establish a Federal presence in Texas to threaten the French in Mexico. They would not use galvanized troops for that. Remember there was a promise that one didn't have to fight their own countrymen.

The same was offered by the British to American prisoners who were captured in the Revolution. They could serve the crown (and be off those horrid prison hulks) and wouldn't have to fight their fellow Americans. They were sent to the Caribbeans.

I wanted to know if there were confederates on the frontier fighting Indians. Possibly some galvanized confederates too? The Hart and Hittson families fought off Indian raiders during the war from camp Davis. Arron Hart was a Texas ranger after the war.

 

[Stryker65]

I wanted to know if there were confederates on the frontier fighting Indians. Possibly some galvanized confederates too? The Hart and Hittson families fought off Indian raiders during the war from camp Davis. Arron Hart was a Texas ranger after the war.

Recommend you look into the Battle of Dove Creek. Texas rangers and Confederate cavalry launched a two-pronged attack on a camp of Kickapoos and were defeated. Largest frontier battle between Native Americans and Confederates during the war, I believe.

 

[gary]

I wanted to know if there were confederates on the frontier fighting Indians. Possibly some galvanized confederates too? The Hart and Hittson families fought off Indian raiders during the war from camp Davis. Arron Hart was a Texas ranger after the war.

Yes, but not in Texas. Galvanized Yankees served in the areas mentioned in my previous post.

 

[G Low]

Yes, but not in Texas. Galvanized Yankees served in the areas mentioned in my previous post.

I'm talking about galvanized confederates, Yankees who converted to confederates.

 

[gary]

The galvanized Confederates served in those places I mentioned.

 

[G Low]

The galvanized Confederates served in those places I mentioned.

Where? Yankees converted to confederate?

 

[gary]

A handful of Yankees deserted but I'm not aware of any Yankee deserters sent to the frontier.

The book I read about Confederates who wore the blue to get out of prison was Dee Brown's The Galvanized Yankees.

 

[G Low]

I be

The regiments that guarded the 1200 mile Texas frontier while everybody else was being sent east was the 1st Frontier Regiment and the 33rd Texas Cavalry.

The 1st Frontier Regiment straddled the line between Texas State Troops and Confederate troops on an as-needed basis. The Frontier Regiment was made up entirely of deputized Texas Rangers. That's what became of the Texas Rangers during the conflict, they were still a law enforcement agency but became folded in under the Texas State Troops under orders of the governor and consisted of roughly 1000 men from 9 companies that consisted of 100-150 men each. It was an almost endless game of whack-a-mole fighting Comanches, Kiowas, Kickapoo and Lipan Apaches up and down the stretch from Hardeman County to the Mexican Border.

The 33rd Texas Cavalry primarily operated throughout South Texas, South Central Texas and the Hill Country. And they had to do the typical stuff. Stopping bandits, stopping indian raids, rounding up deserters, enforcing the draft, stopping border crossings from Mexico, aiding in the cotton smuggling that got Confederate cotton down to Matamoros so they could get to European markets.

l believe Arron was in the 1rst Frontier Regiment, and then a Texas ranger. So sad about his untimely demise by his own son.

 

[FZ11]

The regiments that guarded the 1200 mile Texas frontier while everybody else was being sent east was the 1st Frontier Regiment and the 33rd Texas Cavalry.

The 1st Frontier Regiment straddled the line between Texas State Troops and Confederate troops on an as-needed basis. The Frontier Regiment was made up entirely of deputized Texas Rangers. That's what became of the Texas Rangers during the conflict, they were still a law enforcement agency but became folded in under the Texas State Troops under orders of the governor and consisted of roughly 1000 men from 9 companies that consisted of 100-150 men each. It was an almost endless game of whack-a-mole fighting Comanches, Kiowas, Kickapoo and Lipan Apaches up and down the stretch from Hardeman County to the Mexican Border.

The 33rd Texas Cavalry primarily operated throughout South Texas, South Central Texas and the Hill Country. And they had to do the typical stuff. Stopping bandits, stopping indian raids, rounding up deserters, enforcing the draft, stopping border crossings from Mexico, aiding in the cotton smuggling that got Confederate cotton down to Matamoros so they could get to European markets.

Great info!!

 

[Stryker65]

I'm talking about galvanized confederates, Yankees who converted to confederates.

There were only four units of Galvanized Confederate units ever formed:
- Tucker's regiment: Served as pioneers at Greensboro their entire service, surrendered with Johnston April 26, 1865
- Fouche's battalion: Served as provost guards at Salisbury and were captured there April 12, 1865
- Brooks's battalion: Served at Savannah but were disbanded after a failed mutiny (@Bloody7th wrote a book on this)
- O'Neil's regiment: Served in northern Mississippi and were captured there December 28, 1864

 

[rvbgrif]

This isn't about the Texas frontier, but it is about a bandit who started as a Confederate and in Texas. "Soapy" Smith is a famous bandit in Alaska.

He was from Georgia originally, his grandfather was a legislator who owned a plantation, and his father was an attorney. His family was financially ruined after the Civil War and moved to Round Rock, Texas. It was there he started his career as a confidence man.

Soapy would run all sorts of confidence schemes, his most famous one was the prized soap racket. He would sell soap, and offer prize money hidden in some of the soap, but through sleigh of hand, only his fellow gangsters would buy the prize winning soap.

He took over three cities, Denver and Creed Colorado, and Skagway Alaska, by buying off the local US Marshall Deputy and integrating his criminal empire into the local justice system.

Eventually, though, Soapy's corruption became so overt that even crooked sheriffs and politicians couldn't be associated with him. He packed his bags and left Colorado for Alaska, to take advantage of the gold rush.

His life would end after a miner named John Douglas Stewart, arrived with $2700 in Gold (equivalent to $102,000 today). He lost a large sum on Soapy's card games and refused to pay, which resulted in Soapy's toughs stealing the bag and walking off. The "Committe of 101", a local group of vigilantes opposed to corruption and Soapy, demanded he give the money back. Soapy insisted he won it fairly.

A shootout soon took place called the Shootout on Juneau Wharf. Soapy would be killed and his gang run out of Skagway.