Rating the Texas Generals

There are several "generals" on the list that were appointed to the rank of Brigadier General by Kirby Smith, Samuel Maxey already was a brigadier commissioned by Richmond in 1862 but was appointed a Major General by Kirby Smith in 1864. Don't really know that it means anything as far as ranking just thought I'd point it out.
 
Pollock, very interesting point and to add on about Kirby Smith it seems he had a tough time getting Davis and the Senate to approve quite a few of these men's promotion's to general even though he had free autonomy where he was at. I believe a total of 13 "not officially approved by Richmond" maybe, I missed a few.

1. Charles W. Adams
2. Arthur P. Bagby (2 promotions)
3. Santos Benevides
4. Joseph L. Brent
5. Xavier B. Debray
6. Benjamin F. Gordon
7. Sidney D. Jackman
8. Alexander C. Jones
9. Wilburn H. King
10. Levin M. Lewis
11. Robert P. Maclay
12. Horace Randal
13. Alexander W. Terrell


.
 
I'd like to just mention Joseph Hogg. He died before he could ever really lead troops into battle, but he existed, and shouldn't be forgotten.

I'd likely give an "incomplete."
After secession, Joseph L. Hogg became a captain in the 3rd Texas Cavalry, a unit he helped organize, with his older son Thomas E. Hogg serving in the company as well. Shortly afterwards Captain Hogg was appointed colonel by Texas Governor Edward Clark. On February 12, 1862, he was appointed brigadier general, & confirmed a day later.

2/14/62 Hogg was commissioned by his close friend, President Davis, as a B Gen. He was given command of the 1st Tex Bn DC, McCray's Ark Bn, the 10th & 11th Tex Infy [DC], & Goodes' (later Douglas') Btry, all brigaded for service with the Army of the West.

3/19 Hogg accepts commission as BGen to rank from 2/14

Hogg arrived after McCulloch's death at the disastrous battle of Elk Horn Tavern in early March. There he was given command of a Bgde consisting of Greer's 3rd, Locke's 10th, & Young's 11th ​Tex Cav Regts; Crump's Bn Tex DC; Maj McRae's [McCray’s] Bn of Ark Infy; & Good's Tex Btry. [but see other sources that indicate he was given Bgde at Des Arc, Memphis or Corinth]

4/6 The 3rd Tex Cav waited for boats several days at Devall’s Bluff. Hogg, a new Brig Gen came to us here. He would take command at Memphis of a new Bgde incl 3rd ​Tex DC & 10 Tex DC.

Joseph Hogg was appointed Gen by the War Dept in Feb 1862. When his commission came, he was ordered to report for duty at Memphis, where he would be assigned to the command of a Bgde of Tex troops. After the battle of Elkhorn, a number of Tex Regts were ordered to cross the Ms River, among them the 3rd & 10th Tex Cav, & these two Regts formed part of the Bgde.

Gen Hogg met the 3rd Tex at Devall's Bluff on White River, where we dismounted, sent horses home, and went by steamer to Memphis, accompanied by Gen Hogg.

Gen Hogg's staff was composed of civilians who had never seen service in the army, & this proved to be an unfortunate time of the year for men not inured to camp life to go into active service.

After several days' waiting a steamboat came up the river, landing at the bluff, & we were crowded upon it for our journey down White River into the Ms & up to Memphis, & it was hard to realize that the booming, navigable river we were now on was the same stream we had forded so many times in the mountains of northern Ark on the night we went in search of our lost Arty. When we got on the Ms we found it very high, numbers of houses along the banks being surrounded by water up to the front doorsteps, where numerous small skiffs could be seen moored. These skiffs furnished the residents their only means of going from house to house.

Shiloh was fought [4/6-4/7] while we were on the boat “Scotland” for Memphis.

Arrive Memphis & marched out Poplar Street to the suburbs, & camped in a grove, where we remained several days, spending the time in preparation for the move to Corinth. Here Gen Hogg took formal command of his Bgde, &, having told me that he wanted Tom Johnson & me at his Hqs, he had us detailed, —Tom to the ordnance Dept & me in the QM's Dept, while John A. Boyd was detailed to work in the commissary Dept.

Word having finally come for us to proceed to Corinth, we were crowded into a train on the Memphis & Charleston RR, en route to that city.
Here is where Hogg took formal command of his Bgde-we had one or two new Tex Regts come into our Bgde

At Corinth, the 3rd ​Tex Cav was placed in a new Bgde under Gen Hogg [but see at Memphis]
After the delay incident to the formation of the Bgde, getting up necessary supplies, etc., we were transported by rail, in command of Gen Hogg, to Corinth, or rather we were dumped off on the side of the RR some two or three miles west of that town. Here Gen Hogg remained in command of his Bgde until he was taken sick & removed

4/9/62 Des Arc S O #45
-Brig Gen Hogg is assigned to command of Bgde now under Greer to which Locke’s Tex Cav Regt is added. He is to go to Memphis at once for organizing his Bgde.

4/18 Memphis S O #55 Hqs Army of the West,
I- Until the organization into Bgdes, Gen Hogg is assigned to the camp of troops not included in Price’s Div

4/21 Hqs Army of the West, Memphis, Gen Hogg-Post a proper guard at the public stores near the race track

5/16 Hogg died near Corinth

5/26/62 Corinth-From Camp to Richmond AG-report of Gen Hogg's death
 
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Earl Van Dorn resigned from the United States military and was appointed a brigadier general of the Mississippi Militia on January 23, 1861. He resigned this commission however, and was made a brigadier general in the regular Confederate army on June 5, 1861. He was first sent west to Texas, where men under his command helped capture U.S. Army soldiers in the state before they could make it North. He was promoted to major general on September 19, 1861, and was briefly transferred to Virginia, where he was made commander of the Army in the West in the Trans-Mississippi Theatre.
 
I think some of those union soldiers were making their way to the Port of Indianola where they were going to board the Star of the West for passage north. Didn't Van Dorn also have something to do with the capture of that ship in Matagorda Bay?
 
It should be noted that after Gen Hogg's death, the successive brigade commanders were:
Cabell
McCray
Ector

Other brigade commanders in the Army of the West having Texas units under their command
Louis Hebert
C W Phifer
 
10/28/64 K Smith to Adjt Gen Cooper-I have the honor to enclose the return of the army serving in this Dept for the month ending 30th of Sept, 1864.* A more complete Dept return will be forwarded when the returns made from the blanks furnished district cdrs are received.

I would respectfully call the attention of the President to the General officers acting with increased rank under Dept Orders, #s13, 15, 16, 21, 24, current series, & request his decision in their case.+ By reference to the return, it will be seen that these officers are all exercising commands proportionate to the grade for which they are recommended. Gen Parsons may be an exception; his command has been reduced below that appropriate to a Div cdr. If his promotion be refused the Bgdes will be consolidated & added to the Div of Ark Infy. The promotion of Brig-Gen Maxey I would especially urge. His command is large & important, & he has won advancement both by his military services & his successful administration, under difficulties, of the District of the Indian Territory. The appointment of Brig-Gen’ls I respectfully request may be given as follows: Gray & King to date from the 8th of April, 1864. Waterhouse & Maclay to date from 30th of April, 1864, to command Infy Bgdes; Bagby & Gano to date from March 17, 1864; Debray to date from April 8, 1864, to command Cav Bgdes.

I recommended the promotion of Col W. P. Hardeman, now commanding 3rd Texas Cav Bgde; it is deserved & will give satisfaction. I recommended the promotion of Col J. L. Brent, to command the La Cav Bgde, serving in District of La. It is merited & will advance the interests of the service. The two Bgdes of La Cav, as reported on the return, have been ordered to be consolidated into one efficient Bgde of Cav, commanded by Col Brent, the surplus Regts to be dismounted & added to the La Infy Bgdes. There is not a Col serving with the Regts of La Cav in this Dept that I can recommend for promotion. Should the President disapprove my action, & decline to make the appointments requested above, I would respectfully present for his consideration & action the names of Col J. E. Harrison, 15th Texas Infy, & Col W. P. Lane, Texas Cav, as best meriting promotion-the former for an Infy & the letter for a Cav Bgde. I respectfully request that Capt Meem & Maj Cunningham may, under G O #53, Richmond, June 17, 1864, receive the promotion to which as aides-de-camp they are entitled.

+To wit: Brig-Gen’ls Churchill, Fagan, Marmaduke, Maxey, Parsons, & Polignac, acting as Maj-Gen’ls; Col’s Bagby, Clark, Debray, Gray, King, Randal, & Waterhouse, & Maj Maclay, acting as Brig-Gen’ls, & some subordinate State officers.

There are at present 29 Bgdes & 22 Brig-Gen’ls regularly commissioned in the Trans-Ms. Gen Smith recommends the following additional appointments: Gray, King, Waterhouse, Maclay, Bagby, Gano, Debray, Hardeman, Brent, Harrison, & Lane. All but last four have already been promoted, & assigned by Gen S.

Of those recommended scarcely anything is known. Gray has been recently elected to Congress, & will quit the army. King it is said served as Col under Gen Green & is a good officer. He was placed, when promoted by Gen S., in charge of the Bgde commanded by Col J. E. Harrison, who has been especially recommended for promotion, but without reference to any special Bgde. It might be well to transfer King, if appointed by the President, to Maclay's Bgde, which is in the same Div to which King belonged. Maclay's appointment has caused very great dissatisfaction & the arrangement suggested might be judicious. Maclay is represented to have been a staff officer of Gen Walker, but in what branch of the service he was commissioned cannot be ascertained.

This arrangement would make a place for Col Harrison, who is doubtless a deserving officer. Waterhouse was Col of some Regt, & is pronounced a good officer. Of Bagby nothing can be learned. Gano is thought to be the officer who was thrown out of a Kentucky Regt at the reorganization & went to Trans-Ms. Debray, Hardeman, & Lane are pronounced superior Cav officers-the best Bgde cdrs in Trans-Ms. The first two are already exercising Bgde command. Col Brent, who is recommended to command the consolidated La Bgde, is supposed to be an Arty officer. Upon an examination of the field return, it will be observed that a judicious assignment of the several officers already commissioned would prevent the necessity for appointing all those recommended.

12/23/64 Richmond, Gen S Cooper to K Smith-Your letter of 10/28, recommending the appointment of certain General officers therein named, has been received.

From the last return, 9/30, it appears that there are twenty-nine Gen’ls in the Trans-Miss Dept, organized into eleven Div’s & four Corps. To command these there are in the Dept one Lt-Gen, eight Maj-Gen’ls, & twenty-two Brig-Gen’ls. Three of the Corps are scarcely more than equal to Div’s, & most of the Div’s enumerated are too small to warrant the appointment of Div cdrs.

If the exigencies of the service are such that the troops cannot be brought together so that the Div’s may be enlarged they must be commanded by the senior brigadiers respectively present, & the place of each brigadier thus cdg must be filled by the senior officer of his Bgde.

The Div of Gen Parsons should be broken up as you suggest, & the two La Bgdes consolidated
. If this be done it does not appear that there will be vacancies for all the officers recommended.

The President has, therefore, nominated only three of the officers recommended by you, viz, Col’s J. E. Harrison & W. P. Hardeman, & Lt Col W. P. Lane, to be Brig-Gen’ls. No other can be appointed until it appears that there are vacancies in properly organized Bgdes.

In this connection the President instructs me to say that it is improper for you to announce the promotion of Gen officers & assign them to duty before they are appointed by him. Any recommendations you may make will be duly & promptly considered, but action here must take place before they can be promoted & assigned to duty.

In the designation of commands, the course adopted in all the armies east of the Miss is recommended to you, viz, to give to the command the name of the Gen cdg. This is in many respects preferable to the numerical designation.

In making recommendations you are requested to state the former position or command & the services of the officer recommended
 
It should be noted that after Gen Hogg's death, the successive brigade commanders were:
Cabell
McCray
Ector

Other brigade commanders in the Army of the West having Texas units under their command
Louis Hebert
C W Phifer
It also should be noted that Hogg did not die in battle. He died from dysentery that was ravaging the troops in the Spring 0f 1862
 
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