J. D. Stevens
Sergeant
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2016
- Location
- Deep In The Heart of Texas
Last week I visited a truly "forgotten fortification" called Fort Waul in Gonzales, Texas. Other than the good folks who live in Gonzales, few people, even Texans, know about or even heard of Fort Waul. For those of you who are not Texans, Gonzales was the home of the "Come and Take It" cannon which launched the revolution for Texas independence in 1835. The most remarkable fact about Fort Waul is it is in town, has not been leveled, and the land used for some type of development. The entire original 250 feet by 750 feet earthworks are still visible. A couple of the bastions are gone, but the rest of the layout is pretty much like it was in 1864. It was built after Federal troops occupied Indianola. For a time, there was a threat of invading the central area of the state. The invasion did not materialize, no epic battle was fought, and the fort may not have been entirely completed. The focus shifted away from Texas coast in 1864. Fort Waul may have played a trivial part in the Civil War, but it was still fortification built for a purpose.
There are a couple of interesting names on the historical marker associated with this fort.
First, Colonel Albert Miller Lea graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1831, fifth out of 33 cadets and was assigned to the engineers. He resigned in 1836, worked in several engineering capacities, and earned his master's degree in engineering in 1844. He moved to East Texas in 1855. During the Civil War Lea was an engineering officer in the Confederate Army. During the Battle of Galveston on New Year's Day 1863, his 25-year-old son, Lt. Commander Edward Lea of the Union Navy, was mortally wounded while serving on the USS Harriet Lane. Albert Lea was among the Confederate officers on General Magruder's staff. Albert found his son on the captured ship shortly before his death. On seeing his father, Edward is reported to have said, "My Father is here" before he died.
Second, Thomas N. Waul was a lawyer and a judge before moving to Gonzales County, Texas in 1850 and becoming a planter. He recruited and organized a legion for Confederate service early in the war. The legion consisted of 12 companies of infantry, 6 troops of cavalry, and a 6-gun battery. At Vicksburg Colonel Waul and his infantry defended the Railroad Redoubt. After the surrender, he was sent to prison until exchanged in October 1863. Waul was promoted to brigadier general and given command of a brigade in Walker's Texas Division in the Trans-Mississippi. General Waul's brigade fought in the Red River Campaign at the Battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, Louisiana and then went to Arkansas where he was wounded at the Battle of Jenkins' Ferry.
Historical Marker for Fort Waul
This is a Google Map shot of the fortification. The northwest and southwest bastions no longer exist, but the rest of the fort's earthworks can still be seen.
Fort Waul's interior looking north from the south wall.
The south wall looking east.
Southeast bastion
This Fort Waul information display is located downtown at the Texas Heroes Square. I am not exactly sure what is meant in the first sentence by "a fort of this type." There were a number of earthen embankment forts built in the Trans-Mississippi. Maybe some one on this forum with a better knowledge of fort types can enlighten me.
The Confederate monument at Texas Heroes Square. Gonzales has a nice one.
I threw this picture in as a bonus for the artillery buffs. The original "Come and Take It" cannon. Of course, the carriage is not original, but the cannon is the real McCoy. Doesn't seem like much of a cannon to start a war over and eventually change the entire make up of the United States.
There are a couple of interesting names on the historical marker associated with this fort.
First, Colonel Albert Miller Lea graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1831, fifth out of 33 cadets and was assigned to the engineers. He resigned in 1836, worked in several engineering capacities, and earned his master's degree in engineering in 1844. He moved to East Texas in 1855. During the Civil War Lea was an engineering officer in the Confederate Army. During the Battle of Galveston on New Year's Day 1863, his 25-year-old son, Lt. Commander Edward Lea of the Union Navy, was mortally wounded while serving on the USS Harriet Lane. Albert Lea was among the Confederate officers on General Magruder's staff. Albert found his son on the captured ship shortly before his death. On seeing his father, Edward is reported to have said, "My Father is here" before he died.
Second, Thomas N. Waul was a lawyer and a judge before moving to Gonzales County, Texas in 1850 and becoming a planter. He recruited and organized a legion for Confederate service early in the war. The legion consisted of 12 companies of infantry, 6 troops of cavalry, and a 6-gun battery. At Vicksburg Colonel Waul and his infantry defended the Railroad Redoubt. After the surrender, he was sent to prison until exchanged in October 1863. Waul was promoted to brigadier general and given command of a brigade in Walker's Texas Division in the Trans-Mississippi. General Waul's brigade fought in the Red River Campaign at the Battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, Louisiana and then went to Arkansas where he was wounded at the Battle of Jenkins' Ferry.
Historical Marker for Fort Waul
This is a Google Map shot of the fortification. The northwest and southwest bastions no longer exist, but the rest of the fort's earthworks can still be seen.
Fort Waul's interior looking north from the south wall.
The south wall looking east.
Southeast bastion
This Fort Waul information display is located downtown at the Texas Heroes Square. I am not exactly sure what is meant in the first sentence by "a fort of this type." There were a number of earthen embankment forts built in the Trans-Mississippi. Maybe some one on this forum with a better knowledge of fort types can enlighten me.
The Confederate monument at Texas Heroes Square. Gonzales has a nice one.
I threw this picture in as a bonus for the artillery buffs. The original "Come and Take It" cannon. Of course, the carriage is not original, but the cannon is the real McCoy. Doesn't seem like much of a cannon to start a war over and eventually change the entire make up of the United States.
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