Chapter I: Front Matter

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THE LONE STAR DEFENDERS

THE LONE STAR DEFENDERS

A Chronicle of the Third Texas Cavalry, Ross’ Brigade

by

S. B. BARRON

Of the Third Texas Cavalry

New York and Washington The Neale Publishing Company 1908

TO
MY COMRADES
SURVIVORS OF ROSS’ BRIGADE OF TEXAS CAVALRY
AND
TO OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN
I AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATE
THIS VOLUME.

CONTENTS

PAGE

INTRODUCTION 11

CHAPTER I

THE OUTBREAK OF THE WAR

Journey to Texas—John Brown’s Raid—My Secession
Resolution—Presidential Election—Lincoln Elected—Excitement in
the South—Secession Ordinances—“The Lone Star Defenders”—Fort
Sumter Fired On—Camp Life—The Regiment Complete—Citizens’
Kindness—Mustered In—The Third Texas Cavalry—Roster 15

CHAPTER II

OFF FOR THE FRONT

Organization of Regiment—Officers—Accouterment—On the
March—Taming a Trouble-maker—Crossing the Red River—In the
Indian Territory—The Indian Maid—Fort Smith—The March to
Missouri—McCulloch’s Headquarters—Under Orders—Preparation for
First Battle 26

CHAPTER III

OUR FIRST BATTLE

On the March—Little York Raid—Under Fire—Our First
Battle—Oak Hill (Wilson’s Creek)—Death of General
Lyon—Our First Charge—Enemy Retires—Impressions of First
Battle—Death of Young Willie—Horrors of a Battlefield—Troops
Engaged—Casualties 39

CHAPTER IV

THE WAR IN MISSOURI

Personal Characteristics—Two Braggarts—Joe Welch—William
Hood—We Enter Springfield—Bitter Feeling in Missouri—Company
Elections—Measles and Typhoid—Carthage, and My Illness
There—We Leave Carthage—Death of Captain Taylor—Winter
Quarters—Furloughed—Home Again 52

CHAPTER V

THE WAR IN MISSOURI—_Continued_

I Rejoin the Command—Sleeping in Snow—Ambushed—Battle
of Elkhorn Tavern (Pea Ridge)—Capturing a Battery—Deaths
of Generals McCulloch and McIntosh—Battle
Continued—Casualties—Keetsville—Official Reports—March
Southward—Foraging—Lost Artillery—Illness Again 63

CHAPTER VI

THE SIEGE OF CORINTH

Leave Winter Quarters—The Prairies—Duvall’s Bluff—Awaiting
Transportation—White River—The Mississippi—Memphis—Am
Detailed—En Route to Corinth—Corinth—Red Tape—Siege of
Corinth—“A Soldier’s Grave”—Digging for Water—Suffering and
Sickness—Regiment Reorganized—Evacuation of Corinth 79

CHAPTER VII

BATTLE OF IUKA

Camp at Tupelo, Miss.—Furloughed—Report for Duty—Camp
Routine—“The Sick Call”—Saltillo—Personnel of the
Brigade—Baldwin “Contraband”—On to Iuka—Iuka—Battle of
Iuka—Casualties—Retreat 96

CHAPTER VIII

BATTLE OF CORINTH

Captain Dunn, the “Mormon”—Paroles—Baldwin—On to
Corinth—Conscription—Looking for Breakfast—The Army
Trapped—A Skirmish—Escape—Holly Springs—Battle of
Corinth—Casualties—Cavalry Again 111

CHAPTER IX

HOLLY SPRINGS RAID

At Grenada—Scouting—Engagement at Oakland—Chaplain Thompson’s
Adventure—Holly Springs Raid—Jake—The Bridge at Wolf River—I
Am Wounded—Bolivar—Attack on Middleburg—Christmas 127

CHAPTER X

THE ENGAGEMENT AT THOMPSON’S STATION

January, 1863—Jake Arrested—Detailed—My Brother Visits
Me—Elected Second Lieutenant—Battle of Thompson’s Station—Duck
River—Capture of the Legion—The “Sick Camp”—Murder of General
Van Dorn 143

CHAPTER XI

THE SURRENDER OF VICKSBURG

Moving Southward—I Lose My Horse—Meet Old Huntsville
Friends—A New Horse—In Mississippi—“Sneeze Weed”—Messenger’s
Ferry—Surrender of Vicksburg—Army Retires—Fighting at
Jackson—After Sherman’s Men—A Sick Horse—Black Prince—“Tax in
Kind”—Ross’ Brigade—Two Desertions 156

CHAPTER XII

BATTLE AT YAZOO CITY

Midwinter—Through the Swamps—Gunboat Patrols—Crossing
the Mississippi—Through the Ice—Ferrying
Guns—Hardships—Engagement at Yazoo City—Harrying
Sherman—Under Suspicion—A Practical Joke—Battle at Yazoo
City—Casualties—A Social Call—Eastwood—Drowning Accident—A
Military Survey 173

CHAPTER XIII

UNDER FIRE FOR ONE HUNDRED DAYS

Corduroy Breeches—Desolate Country—Conscript Headquarters—An
“Arrest”—Rome, Ga.—Under Fire for One Hundred Days—Big and
Little Kenesaw—Lost Mountain—Rain, Rain, Rain—Hazardous
Scouting—Green Troops—Shelled—Truce—Atlanta—Death of
General MacPherson—Ezra Church—McCook’s Retreat—Battle near
Newman—Results 190

CHAPTER XIV

KILPATRICK’S RAID

Kilpatrick’s Raid—Attack on Kilpatrick—Lee’s Mill—Lovejoy’s
Station—The Brigade Demoralized—I Surrender—Playing ’Possum—I
Escape—The Brigade Reassembles—Casualties 205

CHAPTER XV

UNION SOLDIER’S ACCOUNT OF KILPATRICK’S RAID

Kilpatrick’s Raid—Ordered to the Front—Enemy’s Artillery
Silenced—We Destroy the Railroad—Hot Work at the Railroad—Plan
of Our Formation—Stampeding the Horses—The Enemy
Charges—Sleeping on Horseback—Swimming the River—Camped at
Last 216

CHAPTER XVI

CLOSE OF THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN

Sherman Changes His Tactics—Hood Deceived—Heavy
Fighting—Atlanta Surrenders—End of the
Campaign—Losses—Scouting—An Invader’s Devastation—Raiding
the Raiders—Hood Crosses the Coosa—A Reconnaissance—Negro
Spies—Raiding the Blacks—Crossing Indian Creek—A Conversion 228

CHAPTER XVII

MY LAST BATTLE

Tories and Deserters—A Tragic Story—A Brutal Murder—The
Son’s Vow—Vengeance—A Southern Heroine—Seeking Our
Command—Huntsville—A Strange Meeting—We Find the Division—The
Battle in the Fog—My Last Battle 245

CHAPTER XVIII

ROSS’ REPORT OF BRIGADE’S LAST CAMPAIGN

Ross’ Report—Repulse a Reconnoitering Party—Effective
Fighting Strength—Advance Guard—The Battle at
Campbellsville—Results—Thompson’s Station—Harpeth
River—Murfreesboro—Lynville—Pulaski—Sugar Creek—Losses
During Campaign—Captures—Acknowledgments 254