Steele's Command,Co.A, Texas Cavalry.

[cowdensman]

I am looking for any information on Steele's Command,Texas Cavalry,CSA, especially Co.A. I believe this unit was part of Waul's Texas Legion and was organized in Texas right after the fall of Vicksburg. Lt.Col. Oliver Steele was the CO. I have looked all over the internet and very little has been written about this unit. There must be a roster somewhere. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Legion Para]

You have probably seen this.

http://www.history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs62x/txcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?md=read;id=15995

Oliver Steele

Handbook of Texas Online, Aragorn Storm Miller, "Steele, Oliver,"
On June 11, 1862, he joined Waul's Texas Legion as adjutant at Brenham. During the siege of Vicksburg, Steele received mention for distinguished service from his superiors. He was taken prisoner after the fall of Vicksburg. Following his exchange, Steele returned to Texas where he served as commander of the port of Gonzales and later as lieutenant colonel of the third military sub-district headquartered at Victoria.

Here is a summary of information regarding Oliver Steele's "Texas Command" after he was detached from serving with Waul's Texas Legion:

12/27/63 Magruder commanding District of Texas, Arizona & New Mexico to Alston-I have placed Maj O Steele of Waul's Legion in command of the post of Gonzales. This is an important post…

Lt Col O Steele-Waul's Legion/Timmons' Infy shown on Regtal return of March 1864 as dropped from rolls-in command of post/Gonzales

4/5/64 Lt Col Steele will assemble the Cav of Waul's Bn at Victoria & other points he may designate

4/6/64 Col Duff with his Regt & Fulcrod's Bn will proceed to Hempstead where he will receive further orders. The Cav of Waul's Legion on duty with Col Duff will report to Lt Col Steele at Victoria
The 3rd Dist have been recently made for Col Duff will now fall to the next ranking officer, which is Lt Col Steele until further orders

4/19/64 Lt Col O Steele cdg 3rd s d t Victoria [sub district of Texas]

5/6/64 Gen Drayton having reported at these Dist Hqs is hereby assigned to the districts currently commanded by Col Bates & Lt Col O Steele

Abstract from return of the Western Sub-District of Tex, Brig Gen Thomas F Drayton commanding, for the month of Aug 1864 (a)
O Officers Agg present
M Men B Agg P & A
P Present for duty C Pieces of field Arty
---P------
Command O M A B C
General Hqs 7
Eagle Pass, Col C L Pyron
Camp Placide, Lt Col O Steele 7 104 140 219
San Antonio, Capt O G Jones 4
San Antonio, Capt S L Scott 19 105 124 167
Total 26 209 264 393 4

10/31/64 Gen Drayton cdg, Columbus-Asks as to what troops are under his command-Endorse: all troops in the boundaries of your district which includes as of now:
13th Tex Infy
Good's unattached Co of Cav at Velasco
Dunn's unattached Co of Cav at Cedar Lake
Hughes Lt Btry
All above under the command of Col Bates
Lt Col Steele cdg at Victoria

Next are references that may indicate a connection [of sorts] between the 24th Texas Cavalry [aka 2nd Texas Lancers] and Lt Col Oliver Steele's "Texas Command"

Note: At the capture of Arkansas Post some men of the various units were not present for the surrender. Late in the war some of the Texas units attempted to reform the fragments of their commands, and this included the 24th Texas Cavalry as follows:

 

[DixieRifles]

4/5/64 Lt Col Steele will assemble the Cav of Waul's Btn at Victoria & other points he may designate

Is Waul's Battalion different from Waul's Legion??
That date is 1 week before Battle of Fort Pillow. By then the Cavalry regiments {edited: this should be companies} had been removed from Wauls Legion and placed under command of Col. Willis. That cavalry was in Jackson, TN & vicinity on that date.

At the top, you stated he returned to Texas after release from PW camp. And it seems these dates appear relate to events in Texas. So they must have recruited an replacement unit. Explain if you can.

 

[cowdensman]

You have probably seen this.

http://www.history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs62x/txcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?md=read;id=15995

Oliver Steele

Handbook of Texas Online, Aragorn Storm Miller, "Steele, Oliver,"
On June 11, 1862, he joined Waul's Texas Legion as adjutant at Brenham. During the siege of Vicksburg, Steele received mention for distinguished service from his superiors. He was taken prisoner after the fall of Vicksburg. Following his exchange, Steele returned to Texas where he served as commander of the port of Gonzales and later as lieutenant colonel of the third military sub-district headquartered at Victoria.

Here is a summary of information regarding Oliver Steele's "Texas Command" after he was detached from serving with Waul's Texas Legion:

12/27/63 Magruder commanding District of Texas, Arizona & New Mexico to Alston-I have placed Maj O Steele of Waul's Legion in command of the post of Gonzales. This is an important post…

Lt Col O Steele-Waul's Legion/Timmons' Infy shown on Regtal return of March 1864 as dropped from rolls-in command of post/Gonzales

4/5/64 Lt Col Steele will assemble the Cav of Waul's Bn at Victoria & other points he may designate

4/6/64 Col Duff with his Regt & Fulcrod's Bn will proceed to Hempstead where he will receive further orders. The Cav of Waul's Legion on duty with Col Duff will report to Lt Col Steele at Victoria
The 3rd Dist have been recently made for Col Duff will now fall to the next ranking officer, which is Lt Col Steele until further orders

4/19/64 Lt Col O Steele cdg 3rd s d t Victoria [sub district of Texas]

5/6/64 Gen Drayton having reported at these Dist Hqs is hereby assigned to the districts currently commanded by Col Bates & Lt Col O Steele

Abstract from return of the Western Sub-District of Tex, Brig Gen Thomas F Drayton commanding, for the month of Aug 1864 (a)
O Officers Agg present
M Men B Agg P & A
P Present for duty C Pieces of field Arty
---P------
Command O M A B C
General Hqs 7
Eagle Pass, Col C L Pyron
Camp Placide, Lt Col O Steele 7 104 140 219
San Antonio, Capt O G Jones 4
San Antonio, Capt S L Scott 19 105 124 167
Total 26 209 264 393 4

10/31/64 Gen Drayton cdg, Columbus-Asks as to what troops are under his command-Endorse: all troops in the boundaries of your district which includes as of now:
13th Tex Infy
Good's unattached Co of Cav at Velasco
Dunn's unattached Co of Cav at Cedar Lake
Hughes Lt Btry
All above under the command of Col Bates
Lt Col Steele cdg at Victoria

Next are references that may indicate a connection [of sorts] between the 24th Texas Cavalry [aka 2nd Texas Lancers] and Lt Col Oliver Steele's "Texas Command"

Note: At the capture of Arkansas Post some men of the various units were not present for the surrender. Late in the war some of the Texas units attempted to reform the fragments of their commands, and this included the 24th Texas Cavalry as follows:

Thank you for this information. Do you know where I can find a roster for Company A which I believe was part of Steele's Command? Also the 2nd Texas Lancers? I am trying to track down an ancestor,James L. Lockley, who,I believe, served in Waul's Legion and possibly in Steele's Command towards the end of the CW.

 

[beat5five]

Co. A was organized by Joseph Carroll Rowland at Caldwell, Burleson Co. He went as first Lt. and was shortly after promoted to Capt.--he served until the end of the war, There exists an affidavit confirming this that was sworn by two of his men that allowed his widow to enter the Confederate Widow's Home in Austin.

 

[cowdensman]

Co. A was organized by Joseph Carroll Rowland at Caldwell, Burleson Co. He went as first Lt. and was shortly after promoted to Capt.--he served until the end of the war, There exists an affidavit confirming this that was sworn by two of his men that allowed his widow to enter the Confederate Widow's Home in Austin.

Thanks for this info....I believe it was this Captain Rowland who commanded Co.A in Wauls Texas Legion.

 

[beat5five]

Company A Steele's Calvary was organized July 1862--as per affidavit sworn by W.H. Montague and ----Wallin.

 

[cowdensman]

Company A Steele's Calvary was organized July 1862--as per affidavit sworn by W.H. Montague and ----Wallin.

Was this A.P.Wallin? Please see my posting below.

 

[cowdensman]

Was this A.P.Wallin?

I am very interested in this affidavit by A.H. Montague and Wallin....Were they members of Steele's Command? Wallin's name stands out since someone named Alexander(A .P. )Wallin swore under oath that my grandfather James Lockley was a member of his unit...Waul's Legion Co.A Cavalry..... during the CW,thus securing his approval for a Texas Confederate pension back in 1913. There was a Leckley(no first name) listed in Co.A of Steele's Cavalry Command,and I have always wondered if they were one and the same.