Controversy over "Waco Guards" button article.

[major bill]

The "Waco Guards" button is considered a rare Civil War button from Texas. While the button is rare, an article in the Journal of the Company of Military Historians fall 2025 issue has an interesting article by Joe L. Walker, "Confederate Gen. H. B. Granbury's Company from Waco: Were They Really the "Waco Guard"?

Mr. Walker concludes they probably were not named the Waco Guards and believes the "Waco Guards" buttons were 'general issue' to some Confederate companies from the Waco area, Company, but were orrigally associated with a Pre War militia company. The author goes in to some depth about why he believes this. While just over 3 pages long there are 22 footnotes and plenty of information. Although I have little knowledge about Confederae Texas companies, I found the article interesting.

 

[RedRover]

From 1861, the Waco Guards, under Captain Ryan, were pronounced the best outfitted volunteer company in Texas...

Captain Ryan's "Waco Guards" were rendevouzing at Harrisonburg to be incorporated into a regiment for service in Virginia...

They served the Confederacy as Company E of the 4th Texas Volunteers, 1861-65...

Perhaps Hiram Granbury was a member who did not volunteer with the company into Confederate service in the summer, but who reconstituted another company at Waco for service with the 7th Texas, which was organized in the fall of 1861.


The folks about Waco considered Granbury the organizer of the Waco Guards with the 7th Texas... From an 1893 account...

Atlanta Constitution, Dec. 19, 1893.

By the late 1870s there was a "Hook and Ladder" fire Company at Waco denominated the "Waco Guards."

Brenham Weekly Banner, Brenham, TX, May 17, 1878.

 

[RaggedAssSecond]

Waco Guards, Company A, 7th Texas Infantry | Relic Hunting & Collecting

For the past several years there has been talk of a forthcoming article on the Waco Guards (Company A, 7th Texas) button. Rumor has it that the author had conclusive proof that this button was not worn by Company A of the 7th Texas. Does anyone know if this article was ever published? If yes...

civilwartalk.com

 

[major bill]

It is difficult to sumerize a three page article by Mr. Joe L. Walker on CivilWarTalk. So it was not my task to support or not support his conclusions. What I wanted to do was to inform forum members that an article about the Waco Guards had been published. I am not able to evaluate how accurate Mr. Walkers conclusions are due to my lack of knowledge about the Waco Guards.