Texas Brigade
Encyclopedia
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
in the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
that distinguished itself for its fierce tenacity and fighting capability during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Organization
The original Texas Brigade was organized on October 22, 1861, primarily through the efforts of John Allen WilcoxJohn Allen Wilcox
John Allen Wilcox was a politician from Mississippi and Texas who served in the United States House of Representatives in the early 1850s and then in the Confederate Congress during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
, a member of the First Confederate Congress
First Confederate Congress
The First Confederate Congress was the first regular term of the legislature of the Confederate States of America. Members of the First Confederate Congress were chosen in elections mostly held on 6 November 1861.-Sessions:...
from Texas who remained as the brigade's political patron until his death in 1864. The brigade was initially and briefly under the command of Louis T. Wigfall until he took a seat in the Confederate Senate. Command was then given to John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood
John Bell Hood was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness...
(hence the Texas Brigade was often known as "Hood's Brigade" or "Hood's Texas Brigade").
For much of the war, it was assigned to Longstreet’s
James Longstreet
James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate generals of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Horse." He served under Lee as a corps commander for many of the famous battles fought by the Army of Northern Virginia in the...
Corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
, General Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
's Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
, and commanded for much of the war by Brig. Gen.
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
Jerome B. Robertson
Jerome B. Robertson
Jerome Bonaparte Robertson was a doctor, Indian fighter, Texas politician, and a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
. It initially comprised the 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
s, the 18th Georgia Infantry
18th Georgia Volunteer Infantry
The 18th Georgia Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Originally brigaded with the three Texas regiments of John Bell Hood's Texas Brigade, it was transferred to Thomas R.R. Cobb's Georgia Brigade after the Battle of Antietam in...
and (after the Battle of Seven Pines
Battle of Seven Pines
The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive up the Virginia Peninsula by Union Maj. Gen....
) Hampton's (South Carolina) Legion. After the general reorganization of Lee's army following the battle of Antietam in late 1862, the Georgians and South Carolinians were reassigned to brigades from their respective states and the 3rd Arkansas Infantry
3rd Arkansas Infantry
3rd Arkansas, or 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment was a Confederate Army regiment during the American Civil War, and the most celebrated unit from that state. Formed and initially commanded by Colonel Albert Rust, and later falling under the command of Colonel Van H...
was added due to their being the only other trans-Mississippi regiment and single Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
regiment serving with Lee's army.
Battle actions
The brigade distinguished itself as a hard fighter during the Seven Days Battle where it routed the enemy at Gaines' MillBattle of Gaines' Mill
The Battle of Gaines's Mill, sometimes known as the First Battle of Cold Harbor or the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place on June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as the third of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War...
, captured a battery of guns, and repulsed a cavalry counterattack. Its reputation was furthered when it spearheaded Longstreet's assault on Pope's left at the battle of Second Manassas. The brigade overran two Union regiments, nearly annihilated the 5th New York Zouaves
5th New York Volunteer Infantry
The 5th New York Volunteer Infantry was a volunteer infantry regiment that fought during the American Civil War, led by Colonel Abram Duryée. It is also known as the "Duryée's Zouaves," named after their colorful Zouave uniforms...
, and captured a battery of guns. It reputation for fighting was sealed at the Battle of Sharpsburg, when it sealed a gap in the Confederate line and drove back the two Union Corps that were attacking. However, this was not without cost. Out of 854 that went into battle at Sharpsburg, 550 of the Texas Brigade were killed or wounded.
The brigade's most famous action took place on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
, during its fight for Devil's Den
Devil's Den
Devils Den is a boulder-strewn Gettysburg Battlefield hill used by artillery and infantry during the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, Second Day...
. Though the Confederacy ultimately lost that battle, the 1st Texas
1st Texas Infantry
The 1st Texas Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the "Ragged Old First," was an infantry regiment raised in Texas for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
, 4th Texas, 5th Texas, and 3rd Arkansas distinguished themselves in taking Devil's Den despite being greatly outnumbered and suffering heavy casualties, to include General Robertson being wounded.
By the war's end, the Texas Brigade had fought in all the battles engaged in by the Army of Northern Virginia except Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
. Battles included the Battle of Seven Pines
Battle of Seven Pines
The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive up the Virginia Peninsula by Union Maj. Gen....
, Seven Days Battle, Battle of South Mountain
Battle of South Mountain
The Battle of South Mountain was fought September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles were fought for possession of three South Mountain passes: Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's Gaps. Maj. Gen. George B...
, Battle of Sharpsburg, Battle of Fredericksburg
Battle of Fredericksburg
The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
, Battle of Gettysburg, and the Battle of the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...
. They later fought with the Army of Tennessee
Army of Tennessee
The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating in most of the significant battles in the Western Theater...
at Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
and during the Knoxville Campaign
Knoxville Campaign
The Knoxville Campaign was a series of American Civil War battles and maneuvers in East Tennessee during the fall of 1863. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside occupied Knoxville, Tennessee, and Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. James Longstreet were detached from Gen...
, as well as with Longstreet at Suffolk
Siege of Suffolk
The Siege of Suffolk was fought around Suffolk, Virginia, from April 11 to May 4, 1863, during the American Civil War.-Background:In 1863 Lt. Gen. James Longstreet was placed in command of the Confederate Department of Virginia and North Carolina. Longstreet was given four objectives: 1) to...
. Of the estimated 5,353 men who enlisted in the three Texas and one Arkansas regiments, only 617 remained to surrender on April 9, 1865, at Appomattox Court House
Appomattox Court House
The Appomattox Courthouse is the current courthouse in Appomattox, Virginia built in 1892. It is located in the middle of the state about three miles northwest of the Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, once known as Clover Hill - home of the original Old Appomattox Court House...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. The Texas Brigade, along with the Stonewall Brigade
Stonewall Brigade
The Stonewall Brigade of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, was a famous combat unit in United States military history. It was trained and first led by General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, a professor from Virginia Military Institute...
from Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, were considered to be the Army of Northern Virginia's shock troops
Shock troops
Shock troops or assault troops are formations created to lead an attack. "Shock troop" is a loose translation of the German word Stoßtrupp...
.
Orders of battle
- Battle of Eltham's LandingBattle of Eltham's LandingThe Battle of Eltham's Landing, also known as the Battle of Barhamsville, or West Point, took place on May 7, 1862, in New Kent County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. Brig. Gen. William B. Franklin's Union division landed at Eltham's Landing and was attacked...
(May 7, 1862); assigned to Whiting's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. John Bell Hood- 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry Regiments
- 18th Georgia Infantry Regiment18th Georgia Volunteer InfantryThe 18th Georgia Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Originally brigaded with the three Texas regiments of John Bell Hood's Texas Brigade, it was transferred to Thomas R.R. Cobb's Georgia Brigade after the Battle of Antietam in...
- Battle of Seven PinesBattle of Seven PinesThe Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive up the Virginia Peninsula by Union Maj. Gen....
(May 31 – June 1, 1862); assigned to Whiting's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. John Bell Hood- 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry Regiments
- 18th Georgia Infantry Regiment18th Georgia Volunteer InfantryThe 18th Georgia Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Originally brigaded with the three Texas regiments of John Bell Hood's Texas Brigade, it was transferred to Thomas R.R. Cobb's Georgia Brigade after the Battle of Antietam in...
- Battle of Gaines' MillBattle of Gaines' MillThe Battle of Gaines's Mill, sometimes known as the First Battle of Cold Harbor or the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place on June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as the third of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War...
(June 27, 1862) (the primary engagement of Seven Days Battle); assigned to Whiting's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. John Bell Hood- 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry Regiments
- 18th Georgia Infantry Regiment18th Georgia Volunteer InfantryThe 18th Georgia Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Originally brigaded with the three Texas regiments of John Bell Hood's Texas Brigade, it was transferred to Thomas R.R. Cobb's Georgia Brigade after the Battle of Antietam in...
- Hampton (South Carolina) LegionHampton's LegionHampton's Legion was an American Civil War military unit of the Confederate States of America, organized and partially financed by wealthy South Carolina plantation owner Wade Hampton III...
- Second ManassasSecond Battle of Bull RunThe Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive campaign waged by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia against Union Maj. Gen...
(August 28 – August 30, 1862); assigned to Hood's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. John Bell Hood- 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry Regiments
- 18th Georgia Infantry Regiment18th Georgia Volunteer InfantryThe 18th Georgia Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Originally brigaded with the three Texas regiments of John Bell Hood's Texas Brigade, it was transferred to Thomas R.R. Cobb's Georgia Brigade after the Battle of Antietam in...
- Hampton (South Carolina) LegionHampton's LegionHampton's Legion was an American Civil War military unit of the Confederate States of America, organized and partially financed by wealthy South Carolina plantation owner Wade Hampton III...
- AntietamBattle of AntietamThe Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
(September 17, 1862); assigned to Hood's Division; Brigade commanded by Col. William T. WoffordWilliam T. WoffordWilliam Tatum Wofford was an officer during the Mexican-American War and a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
- 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry Regiments
- 18th Georgia Infantry Regiment18th Georgia Volunteer InfantryThe 18th Georgia Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Originally brigaded with the three Texas regiments of John Bell Hood's Texas Brigade, it was transferred to Thomas R.R. Cobb's Georgia Brigade after the Battle of Antietam in...
- Hampton (South Carolina) LegionHampton's LegionHampton's Legion was an American Civil War military unit of the Confederate States of America, organized and partially financed by wealthy South Carolina plantation owner Wade Hampton III...
- FredericksburgBattle of FredericksburgThe Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
(December 11 – December 15, 1862); assigned to Hood's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. Jerome B. RobertsonJerome B. RobertsonJerome Bonaparte Robertson was a doctor, Indian fighter, Texas politician, and a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
- 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry Regiments
- 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment
- GettysburgBattle of GettysburgThe Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
(July 1 – July 3, 1863); assigned to Hood's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. Jerome B. Robertson- 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry Regiments
- 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment
- ChickamaugaBattle of ChickamaugaThe Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
(September 18 – September 20, 1863); assigned to Hood's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. Jerome B. Robertson- 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry Regiments
- 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment
- WildernessBattle of the WildernessThe Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...
(May 5 – May 7, 1864); assigned to Field's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. John GreggJohn Gregg (CSA)John Gregg was an American judge, politician, and general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He was killed in action during the Siege of Petersburg.-Early life and career:...
- 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry Regiments
- 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment
- Cold HarborBattle of Cold HarborThe Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
(May 21 – June 3, 1864); assigned to Field's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. John Gregg- 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry Regiments
- 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment
External links
- The Texas Brigade website
- Regimental flag of Fifth Texas Infantry, Hood's Texas Brigade
- Re-union of Hood's Brigade at Shady View Park, Dallas, Texas, June 27th and 28th 1884, hosted by the Portal to Texas History
- "For Ninety Nine Years or the War" The Story of the 3rd Arkansas at Gettysburg
- Brig. Gen. J. B. Robertson, after action report, Devil's Den
