{⋆★⋆} MG Maxey, Samuel B.

Samuel Bell Maxey

:CSA1stNat:

Born: March 30, 1825
Maxey1.jpg


Birthplace: Tompkinsville, Kentucky

Father: Rice Maxey 1800 – 1878
(Buried: Evergreen Cemetery, Paris, Texas)​

Mother: Lucy Pope Bell 1794 – 1866
(Buried: Evergreen Cemetery, Paris, Texas)​

Wife: Marilda Cass Denton 1833 – 1908
(Buried: Evergreen Cemetery, Paris, Texas)​

Children:

Dora Belle Rowell Maxey Lightfoot 1857 – 1884​
(Buried: Evergreen Cemetery, Paris, Texas)​

Education:

1846: Graduated from West Point Military Academy – (58th in class)
Maxey.jpg

Occupation before War:

1846 – 1847: Brevet 2nd Lt. United States Army, 7th Infantry Regiment​
1847: 2nd Lt. United States Army, 8th Infantry Regiment​
1847: Brevet 1st Lt. for Gallantry in Two Mexican War Battles​
1847 – 1849: 1st Lt. United States Army, 7th Infantry Regiment​
1849: Resigned from United States Army on September 17th
1851 – 1857: Attorney in Clinton County, Kentucky​
1852 – 1856: Clerk of Circuit Courts and Master in Chancery​
1857 – 1861: Attorney in Paris, Texas​
1858 – 1859: United States District Attorney in Lamar Co., Texas​

Civil War Career:

1861: Delegate to Texas State Secession Convention​
1861 – 1862: Colonel of 9th Texas Infantry Regiment​
Built Bridges near Chattanooga, Tennessee​
1862 – 1865: Brigadier General of Confederate Army Infantry​
1863: Participated in the Siege of Port Hudson​
1863 - 1864: Confederate Commander of Indian Territory
Maxey 2.jpg
He prevented the Union Army Invasion of Texas​
1864 – 1865: Major General of Confederate Army Infantry​
1865: Division Commander in Houston, Texas​
1865: Resigned from Army on May 22, 1865​

Occupation after War:

1866 – 1875: Attorney in Paris, Texas​
1867: Pardoned by President Andrew Johnson on July 20, 1867​
1872: Unsuccessful Candidate for United States Representative​
1873: Declined to be Judge of 8th District Court of Texas​
1875 – 1887: United States Senator from Texas​
Improved Postal and Rail Service in Texas Argued against tariff increase​

Died: August 16, 1895

Place of Death: Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Age at time of Death: 70 years old

Cause of Death: Intestinal Problems

Burial Place: Evergreen Cemetery, Paris, Texas
 
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1/25/62 Col Maxey's Regt of Texas Infy reached here [Little Rock] 1/25 en route for Columbus. The Regt is a fine-looking body of men, well-armed & clothed, & full of zeal & enthusiasm. Woe be unto the Yankees who may be so unfortunate as to meet with these brave & dashing fellows. --1/26 Little Rock Daily State Journal

2/8/62 Memphis, Capt John Adams cdg post to Mackall reporting arrival at this post of Col Maxey's Regt of Texas troops-Maxey has not yet made a report to these Hqs. Due to an accident on the Memphis & Little Rock RR some 200 of their guns are badly broken-The men are worn out by a long march & ask to remain here a few days to recuperate

3/29 Knoxville, Kirby Smith cdg Dept East Tenn to Gen Maxey Cdg, &c., Chattanooga-Your letter of 27th​ [not found] has just been received. Use every effort to obstruct the Nashville & Stevenson road as far toward Nashville as possible. Secure the rolling stock by all manner of means. The bridge over Elk River & the tunnel should be destroyed. Make arrangements for 5,000 men from Dalton, Ga., who are ordered to Chattanooga. Select some suitable camping ground in that vicinity, where their discipline & instruction can be attended to. These troops will be forwarded from Dalton as fast as the arms now en route from Richmond arrive. I will organize a Bgde & place it under your command as soon as unassigned Regts arrive.
Keep me constantly advised of the movements of the enemy coming from Nashville. My information is that about 4,000 Federals are at or near Murfreesboro. None are at Nashville. Their columns are moving from that place down the valley of the Ms.
You must take such steps for the protection of the bridge over the Tenn to the east of Stevenson, as the means at your disposal will admit.


4/26 Beauregard to Maxey-No one must fall back unless compelled to or ordered to do so; we are fighting for our homes & firesides. When necessary, one place is as good as another to die. Let him hold Purdy, if possible, then Bethel & Bolivar.

10/11/62 Maxey with 5000 men & 1 Btry was assigned to Breckinridge & sent 10/11 into Ky
10/15 orders recalled them


12/13/62 Murfreesborough, Gen Bragg, The President directs me to request you to order as follows:
First -Major-Gen Buckner to command at Mobile.
Second- Brig Gen F. Gardner is appointed Major-Gen, & will report to Gen Pemberton for duty, the President having bestowed upon him this commission.
Third- Brig-Gen Maxey to report to Gen Pemberton for duty

1/7/63 Port Hudson, Gen Gardner G O #5-The troops of this post will be organized into Bgdes, arranged at the breastworks as follows:
I Gregg's Bgde to take post on the right, extending from the river; Maxey's Bgde the center, & Beall's Bgde the left

5/6/63 extract from S O #120 by Maj Gen Gardner ordering Maxey, with his Bgde, except the Watson Btry, to proceed to Jackson, Ms via Clinton & Osyka.


8/18/63 Richmond orders-Gen Maxey is assigned to the Trans-Ms Dept, & will report to Gen Holmes

12/11/63 Letter from Andrews, to Maxey: Gen Smith has assigned him to duty as Cdr of Forces in Indian Territory; white & Indian troops are to be separated under Brig Gen William Steele & Brig Gen D.H. Cooper.

12/29/63 Letter from Maxey, Doaksville, to wife, including discussion of his duties---cdr of troops (no Infy) to defend country & recover lost territory, ex officio Supt. of Indian Affairs to feed hundreds of indigent Indians & settle intertribal difficulties.

5/10/64 G O #24 by Gen K Smith, Hqs Trans Miss Dept, Promoting Maxey to Maj Gen, as of 4/18

10/1/64 K Smith to Gen Cooper-I have the honor respectfully to request that S O # 171, Richmond, of July 21, 1864. * be revoked. I believe that serious injury would result to the service were this order enforced. I have delayed its publication, awaiting further instructions. Gen Maxey, cdg the district of the Indian country, has with skill, judgment, & success administered his duties. I have satisfactory evidence for believing that he gives satisfaction to both Indian & white troops. His removal, besides being an injustice to him, would be a misfortune to the Dept. Gen Cooper has been assigned to the Div of Indian troops serving under Gen Maxey in the Indian Territory. I would respectfully refer the Dept to Col Scott, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, for particulars regarding the civil administration of Gen Maxey's district

2/17/65 Boggs to Wharton-proceed to Hempstead with your whole command-After assembling at that point you are directed to dismount nine Regts- Maj-Gen Maxey will be assigned to the command of the new Infy Div to be formed using some of these dismounted Regts

4/24/65 Dist of Tex orders-XXX- Gen Maxey, having reported for duty to these Hqs in accordance with instructions from the Gen cdg the TM Dept, is hereby assigned to the command of the Infy Div, as organized by S O #105/XXIII, current series, from these Hqs
 
He was a brigadier in the Confederate Army (March 7, 1862) but his being a Major General was by appointment from General Kirby Smith and never confirmed or recognized by the Confederate Senate.
Handbook of Texas states that his promotion to major general was approved by Davis and confirmed by the Confederate Senate though Maxey did not learn that until after the War.
 
I'm more than a little puzzled about Maxey being told by "Texas Confederate Senator H.C.Burnett" about Maxey's being promoted to major general.I'm pretty sure Burnett was a Kentucky Senator and Texas had no senator by that name. In the Confederate Senate it was Wigfall and Oldham.If the Handbook of Texas can get this one incident wrong they can surely get another bit of misinformation in there. I still contend that Maxey was a "Kirby Smith General" and never approved by Richmond. I may very well be wrong.
 
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That Senator H C. Burnett is an interesting character, him and Maxey were both from Kentucky.So it seems he would probably have an interest in Maxey. And reading about the Senator, he died before his 41st birthday.
 
In a strange and remotely coincidental bit of history: After Maxey had been transferred east of the Miss River with his 9th Texas regiment, he issued an order organizing a battalion of Texas sharpshooters for his brigade.

There are many twists and curves as this battalion is organized in Texas by an officer of Maxey's regiment. It is then ordered east of the river to join Maxey's brigade. The battalion has many adventures along this journey that would be movie worthy were it not a Confederate unit.

The remote coincidence is that this battalion was commanded by a Major James Burnet.

Attached is a brief summary of their travels back and forth across the Miss River as they follow Maxey.
 

Attachments

  • Burnet.pdf
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