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| The following are
excerpts highlighting Civil War soldiers. These soldiers
are giving recounts of their time serving in the war. Many of them enlisted at, or marched through, Jefferson, Texas. More stories can be found by following the link in the title at the top of the page. |
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| ADDISON CONWAY
SMITH, Atlanta, Texas-- Born Aug. 2, 1838, near Grand
Gulf, Miss. Enlisted in the Confederate Army in February, 1862, at Jefferson, Texas as Quartermaster in Company A, Nineteenth Texas Infantry, McCulloch's Brigade, Walker's Division, Kirby Smith's Corps, Trans-Mississippi Department. W.L.Crawford, first Captain, and Dick Waterhouse, first Colonel. Was never captured, changed, wounded nor promoted. Was in the battles of Mansfield, Pleasant Hill, Jenkins Ferry and Milliken's Bend. I served as Quartermaster throughout the war. THOS J. CALHOUN, Austin, Texas--Born November, 1836, at Greenville, S.C. Enlisted in the Confederate Army in May 1861, at Jefferson, Texas, as private in Company C, First Texas Regiment, Gen. Hood's Texas Brigade, Gen. Whiting's Division, Gen. Longstreet's Corps, Army of Northern Virginia; A.G. Dickerson, first Captain, and L.T. Wigfall, first Colonel. In 1864 was transferred to the Trans-Mississippi Department, and was an enrolling officer at Crockett, Texas. At the battle of Malvern Hill, I lost my left leg. Was in the battles of Gaines Mill, Malvern Hill, Wilderness and Chickamauga. A.P. LANDERS, Sulphur Springs, Texas.--Born March 4, 1845, near Batesville, Ark. Enlisted in the Confederate Army Nov. 22, 1861, at Jefferson, Texas as private in Company D, First Texas Battalion, Ector's Brigade, French's Division, Polk's Corps, Army of Tennessee. My first Captain was J.A. Weaver and my first Colonel was Phil Crump. I remained in the same part of the army, but after the reorganization we were in Copmpany D, Thirty-second Regiment, commanded by Col. J.A. Andrews, and were afterwards in Stewart's Division. I escaped any serious wounds. Col. Wilkes, Capt. Booty and I were captured at Kirk's Ferry on Tensas Bayou and I remained in the swamps from Monday till Saturday, finally making my escape. I was under Gen. Joseph E. Johnston and Gen. Hood in the Georgia campaign and was discharged at Cold Hill. R.N. ODOM, Dallas, Texas.--born in Wayne County, Miss. Enlisted in the Confederate Army in March, 1862, at Rusk, Tex., as a private in Bonner's Company, Eighteenth Texas Infantry, Ochiltree's Regiment, McCulloch's Brigade, Walker's Division, E. Kirby Smith's Corps, Army of the Trans-Mississippi Department. Was severely wounded in the right thigh at the battle of Mansfield on April 8, 1864. Was never taken prisoner nor promoted. Was in the battles of Richmond and Mansfield, La. I left Rusk, Cherokee County, in April, 1862, and went to Jeffeson, Texas, and organized our regiment, after which we were furloughed home a few days, some time in May. It was a sad day when we went to return to camps. I left a wife and three children. I left my wife sick and crying and never saw her again, as she died in 1862. We left Jefferson and went to Arkansas and stayed twelve months and then went to Louisiana. We were not in many battles, but were kept running here and there to head off the enemy. In March, 1865, we were ordered to Texas and were at Hempstead when the war closed. I saw three men shot, two privates at Pine Bluff, and one Captain at Camden, Ark. We went out with over 100 men in 1862 and I know of but one more besides myself. I am a tottering old man of 78, living in Oak Cliff, Dallas, Texas. R.J. OLIPHANT, Dallas, Texas.--born Aug. 6, 1836, near Holly Springs, Miss. Enlisted in the Confederate Army May 1, 1862, at Jefferson, Texas., as Quartermaster Sergeant in Capt. Pratt's Battery. After enlisting we were marched to Little Rock, Ark., and assigned to duty there with Col. Parsons' Twelth Regiment of Cavalry, Col. Carter's Twenty-first Regiment, Col. Bufford's Nineteenth Cavalry Regiment, Morgan's Battalion and three other companies constituted Parsons' Brigade west of the Mississippi. Was in the battle of Cotton Plant, Ark.; Arkansas Post, Oak Ridge, Mo. We captured Fort Patterson on our way to Cape Girardeau, Mo. Our company was reduced until we had to recruit from the cavalry. Only seventeen of the original seventy-two were alive when we were discharged after Lee's surrender. Was discharged near Crockett, Texas. J.P. O'REAR, Atlanta, Texas.--Born Feb. 9, 1837, near Sparta, Ga. Enlisted in the Confederate Army May 10, 1861, at Linden, as private in Company D, First Texas Infantry, Hood's Brigade, Longstreet's Corps, Army of Northern Virginia. My fist Captain was A.G. Clopton and first Colonel, Lewis T. Wigfall. Was changed to Bragg's army to strengthen him at Chickamauga. Was never promoted. Was at the Seven Days Fight around Richmond, Second Manassas, Boonsboro Mountain, from Princeton to sharpsburg and back to Virginia. Here our army was reorganized and we went to Gettysburg and back to Virginai. My first Captain lives (1909) at Jefferson, Texas. We left Linden, May 17, 1861, and marched to Jefferson, Texas where we took boats for New Orleans. One of our men, Henry Colley, was drowned here. We received orders to proceed to Richmond, where we landed on June 20, 1861. About the 10th day of July we were ordered to Manassas. On the way to Manassas we were in a railroad wreck. The Kentucky troops lost 32 men killed and wounded, but we escaped without the loss of a man. We did not get into the battle at Manassas, but here we saw the first horrors of war. We camped there two or three days and our men went over the battlefield and saw the graves of the soldiers and the destruction of the battle. From here we were ordered to Evansport on the Potomac River, and remained in camp till March, 1862. We had a very pleasant time, as the winter was mild, and we had felt none of the effects of war. Occasionally a gunboat would pass and shoot at us, but nothing of note happened. We lost two men here of pneumonia, Henry Sanser and Charley Covey. We were ordered to Fredericksburg where we joined Hood's Brigade, which at that time consisted of four regiments, First, Fourth and Fifth Texas, and Eighteenth Georgia. Here we lost two men, Henry and John Oliver. About the 1st of April, 1862 we were ordered by Joseph E Johnston to Yorktown where we met the enemy under Gen. McClellan. About the 1st of May we were ordered to fall back to Richmond and the next day Gen. Longstreet fought the battle of Williamsburg. We then went to Pamunky and fought our first battle and lost one man killed and two wounded. Our Colonel, Black, was killed and our Captain was promoted to Major. We drove the enemy back to their gunboats and marched back and camped west of Chickahominy Creek. Here we reorganized and re-enlisted for the war. In a few days the battle of Seven Pines was fought. We were in line but not in the charge. The enemy was driven back across Chickahominy Creek. Gen. Johnston was wounded and Gen. Lee was put in command. We were ordered to take the train for Charlottsville, then to Staunton, and then back to Gordonsville, and on to Ashland, twenty miles north of Richmond, where we struck McClellan's pickets and drove them back. The movement was made to surround McClellan, but it was reoprted that we were going to reinforce Gen. Jackson. When we came to McClellan's pickets we drove them back, and the next day Jackson fought McClellan's army from 10 o'clock till 4 p.m., when Hood's Brigade charged McClellan's army and routed them, and we continued skirmish fighting from there to Malvern Hill where McGruder fought McClellan, while Jackson was surrounding him. McClellan retreated that night to the James River uneder cover of his gunboats. Then Lee's army went back to Richmond, arrriving sometime in August, 1862. From here we were ordered to reinforce Jackson at Sudder Mountain, near Manassas, where Pope had joined McClellan, and the second battle of Manassas was fought. I was detailed to wait on the sick and wounded and did not go with the army into Maryland. I remained in the hospital about two months and rejoined my company when it returned from this campaign. We remained in the camp seven miles south of Richmond for about three months with nothing of interest occurring and were then ordered to Suffolk, N.C., where we stayed fifteen or twenty days. And then we returned to Richmond and went from there to Fredericksburg where we were attacked by Burnsides' army. In the spring of 1863, Gen. Lee reorganized his army and we went to Culpepper Court House where we had a general review and inspection and then to Gettysburg, crossing the Potomac River at Williamsport. As there was no bridge or ferry we had to wade the river, which was about 300 yards wide. We reached Gettysburg on the first of July and lines were formed and the battle began about 1 p.m., continuing till about 4 p.m. Here was some of the hardest fighting which I saw or was in during the war. I visited one of the hospitals where the sick and wounded were being taken care of. It was a horrible sight. Men were wounded in every conceivable way and the intensity of their suffering was heartrending. We marched from here to Hagerstown where we formed a line of battle, but the enemy would not attack us and we crossed the Potomac River at Fallingwater. We retreated back into Virginia and established picket lines along the Rappahannock River till September when Longstreet's Corps (our Corps) was ordered to Georgia to support Gen. Bragg. We landed at Dalton Sept. 19, 1863, and went from there to Resaca, where we attacked the enemy and drove them back to Chickamauga Creek. There we fought that battle and drove them back to Chattanooga. We remained here a month and I was detailed to help wait on the sick and wounded and rejoined my company at Lookout Mountain. About the 1st of November we were ordered to Knoxville, Tenn. Here we drove the enemy into their forts and kept them there till Gen. Grant sent reenforcements to our rear and compelled us to retreat across the Tennessee River. We spent the winter at Morristown. Here we suffered for food and clothing. In February, 1864, I was detailed to collect supplies for the army and gathered up beef, cattle, sheep, hogs, goats and corn, or anything that the army would need for food. The first of April the army was ordered back to Virginia where we arrived on May 7th and fought the battle of the Wilderness. Our company lost heavily here. I was not in the battle but rejoined the company soon after the battle was over. After this we continued shirmishing until Oct. 7, 1864, when we attacked the enemy's bulwarks ten miles east of Richmond. Here a Yankee bullet struck me just below the knee, breaking the bone. I was captured, taken to the field hospital, and my leg was amputated. Was then taken to the Federal hospital near Petersburg where I was well treated by good, kind nurses. Was taken to Fortress Monroe where I remained seven months before I was able to travel. While in the hospital I saw the horrible side of war. Although I was kindly treated I suffered much and the groans of the wounded were never out of my ears day or night. Then came the news of the surrender with thoughts of home and the lost cause, and of my condition, being 1,200 miles form home and in the hands of the enemy. I don't see how I lived through it all. I got my discharge on the 27th of May, 1865, and arrived home on the 17th of October of that year. GEO. T. TODD, Jefferson, Texas--Born May 6, 1839, at Matthew Court House, Va. Enlisted in the Confederate Army in May, 1861, at New Orleans, as private in Company A, First Texas Infantry, Hood's Brigade, Whitin's Division, Longstreet's Corps, Army of Northern Virgiinia. My first Captain was H.H. Black, and first Colonel was Louis T. Wigfall. Was sent to Bragg in Georgia, to help in the battle of Chickamauga, September 1863. Was wounded by a shell in the foot at Sharpsburg (Antietam). Was never taken prisoner. Was appointed Sergeant Major of the Regiment in 1861 by Col. Wigfall. At the close of the first twelve months' service, the army was reorginized and I was elected Captain of my company. Was in the battles of West Point (Eltham's Landing), May 7, 1862; Gaines' Farm, Seven Pines, Malvern Hill, Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Chickamauga and several smaller ones. I was transferred from Georgia in 1864 to Lane's Cavalry Regiment west of the Mississippi River, as Adjutant, and joined the regiment at Pleasant Hill, La., after the battle at Mansfield in 1864, where I served the balance of the war. Was never surrendered but received my parole; the regiment under Col. Phil Crump, had retreated home. |
