The 9th Texas Cavalry Regiment was a unit of mounted volunteers that fought in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. The regiment fought at Round Mountain and Bird Creek (Chusto-Talasah) in 1861, Pea Ridge,

Siege of Corinth The siege of Corinth, also known as the first battle of Corinth, was an American Civil War engagement lasting from April 29 to May 30, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi. A collection of Union forces under the overall command of Major General Henry H ...

, Second Corinth, Hatchie's Bridge and the

Holly Springs Raid The Holly Springs Raid (December 20, 1862) saw Earl Van Dorn lead Confederate cavalry against a Union supply depot at Holly Springs, Mississippi during the American Civil War. The mounted raiders achieved complete surprise, capturing the Federal ga ...

in 1862, and in the Atlanta campaign,

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People and characters * Franklin (given name), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (surname), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (class), a member of a historic ...

, and

Murfreesboro Murfreesboro is a city in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Its population was 165,430 according to the 2023 census estimate, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010 United States census, 2010. Murfreesboro i ...

in 1864. The unit fought dismounted at Second Corinth and Hatchie's Bridge before being remounted as cavalry for the remainder of the war. The regiment surrendered to Federal forces on 4 May 1865 and its remaining personnel were paroled.

History

Formation

The 9th Texas Cavalry was mustered into service on 2 October 1861 at Brogden's Springs near Pottsboro in

Grayson County, Texas Grayson County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 135,543. The county seat is Sherman, Texas, Sherman. The county was founded in 1846 and is named ...

. The field officers were Colonel William B. Sims, Lieutenant Colonel Nathan W. Townes, and Major William Quayle. A number of Texas counties were represented as follows: In 1861, as many as 1,050 men enrolled in the regiment.

Indian Territory

The regiment first saw action in

Indian Territory Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...

at the

Battle of Round Mountain The Battle of Round Mountain was the first battle in the Trail of Blood on Ice campaign for the control of Indian Territory during the American Civil War that occurred on November 19, 1861. Its main purpose was to prevent Union supporters of th ...

on 19 November 1861 and at the

Battle of Chusto-Talasah The Battle of Chusto-Talasah, also known as Bird Creek, Caving Banks, and High Shoal, was fought December 9, 1861, in what is now Tulsa County, Oklahoma (then Indian Territory) during the American Civil War. It was the second of three battles ...

on 9 December. Most of the tribes in

supported the Confederacy, but several thousand native Americans remained loyal to the Union. The pro-Union Indians with their leader

Opothleyahola Opothleyahola (also spelled Opothle Yohola, Opothleyoholo, Hu-pui-hilth Yahola, Hopoeitheyohola, and Hopere Yahvlv, – March 22, 1863) was a Muscogee Creek Indian chief, noted as a brilliant orator. He was a Speaker of the Upper Creek Co ...

fled toward

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

with their families, possessions, and livestock. They were pursued by Douglas H. Cooper and over 1,400 horsemen including the 9th Texas Cavalry Regiment and pro-Confederate Indians. At Round Mountain, the Texans galloped ahead, hoping to defeat Opothleyahola's band on their own. Instead, they rode straight into an ambush in the dusk and were repulsed. The 20 missing men were found the next day with their skulls bashed in. Reinforced to a strength of 2,000, Cooper continued his pursuit of the pro-Union Indians. At Chusto-Talasah (Bird Creek) there was another clash where Cooper lost 15 killed and 37 wounded. Discouraged, Cooper ordered his column to return to

Fort Gibson Fort Gibson is a historic military site next to the modern city of Fort Gibson, in Muskogee County Oklahoma. It guarded the American frontier in Indian Territory from 1824 to 1888. When it was constructed, the fort was farther west than any ot ...

and a Confederate cavalry brigade under

James M. McIntosh James McQueen McIntosh (c. 1828 – March 7, 1862) was a career American soldier who served as a brigadier general in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Noted as an aggressive and popular leader of cavalry, he was killed in action at ...

took up the pursuit.Monaghan named the 4th Texas, an early name for the 9th Texas. After the 9th Texas Cavalry moved to Arkansas in February 1862, two companies went on Lawrence Sullivan (Sul) Ross's raid into Missouri.

Pea Ridge

In early 1862, the regiment formed part of

's 3,000-man cavalry brigade, together with the 3rd Texas, 6th Texas, and 11th Texas Cavalry Regiments, and the 1st Texas Cavalry and

1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion The 1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion (Stirman's) (1864–1865) was a Confederate Army cavalry battalion during the American Civil War. The unit was also known as Brooks 1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, Stirman's, 1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, Sti ...

s. The brigade was part of

Benjamin McCulloch Brigadier-General Benjamin McCulloch (November 11, 1811 – March 7, 1862) was a soldier in the Texas Revolution, a Texas Ranger, a major-general in the Texas militia and thereafter a major in the United States Army (United States Volunteers) ...

's division which was soon incorporated into a Confederate army led by

Earl Van Dorn Earl Van Dorn (September 17, 1820May 7, 1863) was an American Major General who started his military career as a United States Army officer and became famous for successfully leading two defenses of a Native American settlement from the Comanch ...

. At the

Battle of Pea Ridge The Battle of Pea Ridge (March 7–8, 1862), also known as the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern, took place during the American Civil War near Leetown, Arkansas, Leetown, northeast of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas. United States, Feder ...

on 6 March 1862, the cavalry brigade advanced east on the Ford Road toward an intended junction with a second Confederate division under

Sterling Price Sterling Price (September 14, 1809 – September 29, 1867) was an American politician and military officer who was a senior General officers in the Confederate States Army, officer of the Confederate States Army, fighting in both the Weste ...

at Elkhorn Tavern. At mid-morning, without warning, a force of Union cavalry and three artillery pieces appeared to the south and began shelling the Confederate horsemen. McIntosh's cavalry launched a massed charge that overran the guns and scattered the outnumbered Federal cavalry. During the clash, Colonel Sims received a wound in the arm so command of the 9th passed to Lieutenant Colonel Quayle. Screened by a belt of woods, McCulloch formed his division facing south in two lines. He placed his infantry in the first line and the cavalry units, including the 9th Texas, in the second line. At this time, Union artillery south of the woods began firing blindly over the trees, causing some casualties. Before launching an attack McCulloch rode into the woods to scout, rode into range of a group of Federal skirmishers, and was shot dead. Fearing that the soldiers might lose heart, McCulloch's staff foolishly did not notify the second-line regimental leaders. Informed of McCulloch's death, second-in-command McIntosh rode forward to lead the attack and was immediately killed. The first-line Confederate regimental commanders decided to await orders from the third-in-command

Louis Hébert Louis Hébert (; c. 1575 – 25 January 1627) is widely considered the first European apothecary in the region that would later become Canada, as well as the first European to farm in said region. He was born around 1575 at 129 de la rue Sa ...

. Meanwhile, Hébert was now out of touch, leading several infantry units into the woods farther east. During the confused fighting, Hébert became separated from his troops and was later captured. After several hours of idleness under a demoralizing shelling, the Confederate unit commanders finally found out about the deaths of their leaders at 3:00 pm. At this time,

Albert Pike Albert Pike (December 29, 1809April 2, 1891) was an American author, poet, orator, editor, lawyer, jurist and Confederate States Army general who served as an List of justices of the Arkansas Supreme Court, associate justice of the Arkansas Supr ...

led some units on a roundabout path to join with Price's division, while other units marched back to camp. Quayle and the commanders of three other cavalry units and two artillery batteries refused to obey Pike's orders and remained on the field. During the night the 9th Texas and other units marched to join Van Dorn and Price at Elkhorn Tavern for the second day of battle.

Corinth

In mid-May 1862, 22,000 men from Van Dorn's army transferred to the east bank of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. At this time, the 9th Texas Cavalry numbered 657 effectives and was still led by Sims. It was dismounted to serve as infantry and took part in the

, including a skirmish at Farmingham on 9 May 1862 and on several other occasions. The 9th was present during the

Battle of Iuka The Battle of Iuka was fought on September 19, 1862, in Iuka, Mississippi, during the American Civil War. In the opening battle of the Iuka-Corinth Campaign, Union Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans stopped the advance of the Confederate Army of ...

on 19 September, but not engaged. During the

Second Battle of Corinth The Second Battle of Corinth (which, in the context of the American Civil War, is usually referred to as the Battle of Corinth, to differentiate it from the siege of Corinth earlier the same year) was fought October 3–4, 1862, in Corinth, M ...

on 3–4 October 1862, the 9th Texas Cavalry served dismounted in Charles W. Phifer's brigade in the division of

Dabney H. Maury Dabney Herndon Maury (May 21, 1822 – January 11, 1900) was an officer in the United States Army, instructor at West Point, author of military training books, and a major general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. ...

. Also assigned to Phifer's brigade were the 3rd Arkansas and 6th Texas Cavalry Regiments (dismounted), Stirman's Arkansas Sharpshooter Battalion, and McNally's battery. In the first day's action, the 9th Texas captured a two gun section of John Welker's Battery H, 1st Missouri Light Artillery. On the second day, Phifer's soldiers attacked the Union lines a short distance east of Battery Robinett. The 6th and 9th Texas Cavalry fought two Ohio regiments from John W. Fuller's brigade. After Texans' first charge was stopped by a storm of bullets, they fell back about 20 yards and engaged in a furious fusillade. A second charge was also repulsed. The officers of the 6th and 9th regiments finally ordered a retreat after a terrific and costly fight with the two sides as close as eight yards apart. At Corinth, the 9th Texas reported losing 3 officers and 16 enlisted men killed, 12 officers and 41 men wounded, and 21 men missing, for a total of 93 casualties. The 9th Texas Cavalry fought at the

Battle of Hatchie's Bridge The Battle of Hatchie's Bridge, also known as Battle of Davis Bridge or Matamora, was fought on October 5, 1862, in Hardeman County and McNairy County, Tennessee McNairy County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the ...

on 5 October. Leading Van Dorn's retreat, John Creed Moore's brigade was ambushed by Federals and lost 300 men on the west bank of the

Hatchie River The Hatchie River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed June 3, 2011 river in northern Mississippi and southwestern Tennessee. It is of considerable geographic, culture, cu ...

. Phifer's brigade, led by Sul Ross and

William Lewis Cabell William Lewis Cabell (January 1, 1827 – February 21, 1911) was an American engineer, lawyer, businessman, and politician who served as the 14th, 16th and 20th mayor of Dallas (1874–1876, 1877–1879 and 1883–1885). Prior to that, he ...

's brigade successfully defended the east bank, inflicting 570 casualties on the Union forces. In this contest, Ross's troops only sustained losses of seven killed and 22 wounded. In the two battles, Maury's division lost 2,500 out of 3,900 men. At Hatchie's Bridge, the 9th Texas reported losing 4 enlisted men wounded and 20 missing, for a total of 24 casualties.

Later operations

A new Texas cavalry brigade formed on 23 October 1862 with John Wilkins Whitfield appointed to lead it. The brigade consisted of the 3rd Texas, 6th Texas, 9th Texas, and 27th Texas Cavalry Regiments. By December 1862, the regiment remounted and served in the

. In this operation, Van Dorn led 3,500 Confederate cavalry from

Grenada Grenada is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean Sea. The southernmost of the Windward Islands, Grenada is directly south of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and about north of Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad and the So ...

Holly Springs, Mississippi Holly Springs is a city in and the county seat of Marshall County, Mississippi, Marshall County, Mississippi, United States, near the border with Tennessee to the north. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 6,96 ...

. Taking the Federal garrison by surprise, the Confederate horsemen captured 1,500 men and burned supplies worth US$1.5 million. The raiders continued north to

Bolivar, Tennessee Bolivar, officially the City of Bolivar, is a city in and the county seat of Hardeman County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 5,417. History Bolivar was named for South American revolutionary leader Si ...

, attacking Union posts along the way, then they escaped to Grenada. The raid convinced

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...

to withdraw his army to

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Mem ...

On 5 March 1863, Whitfield's Texas cavalry brigade fought at the

Battle of Thompson's Station The Battle of Thompson's Station took place during the American Civil War on March 5, 1863, in Williamson County, Tennessee. In a period of relative inactivity following the Battle of Stones River, a reinforced Union Army, Union infantry brigad ...

. On 4 March, a Federal infantry brigade led by John Coburn marched south from

Franklin, Tennessee Franklin is a city in and the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. About south of Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, it is one of the principal cities of the Nashville metropolitan area and Middle Tennessee. As of 2020 Uni ...

on a reconnaissance. The Federals ran into elements of

William Hicks Jackson William Hicks "Red" Jackson (October 1, 1835 – March 30, 1903) was a career United States Army officer who graduated from West Point. After serving briefly in the Southwest and resigning when the American Civil War broke out, he served in th ...

's Confederate cavalry division, but continued to advance. The next morning Coburn's brigade approached Thompson's Station and drove Confederates from two hills north of town. At this time, the Union artillery and cavalry units suddenly left the field. Van Dorn ordered Jackson's troopers to dismount and attack Coburn's soldiers from the front, while

Nathan Bedford Forrest Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821October 29, 1877) was an List of slave traders of the United States, American slave trader, active in the lower Mississippi River valley, who served as a General officers in the Confederate States Army, Con ...

's division circled around from behind. Forrest's men captured Coburn's wagon train and blocked the Union escape route. After fighting for five hours, the Federals surrendered when they ran out of ammunition. Confederate casualties numbered 357 while the Union troops lost 1,600 killed, wounded, and captured. In May 1863, the regiment was part of

Joseph E. Johnston Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 – March 21, 1891) was an American military officer who served in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) and the Seminole Wars. After Virginia declared secession from ...

army that tried unsuccessfully to relieve the

Siege of Vicksburg The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Major General Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed th ...

. The unit fought in many skirmishes but there were no major actions. On 4 June 1863, W. H. Jackson reported that Whitfield's cavalry brigade numbered 123 officers and 1,354 men present for duty in the 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 27th Texas. The 9th Texas was commanded by Colonel Dudley W. Jones. In 1864 the regiment seized the gunboat . During the 1864 Atlanta campaign, the 9th Texas Cavalry under Colonel Jones was part of Lawrence Sullivan "Sul" Ross's brigade in W. H. Jackson's cavalry division. This unit transferred from Mississippi to Georgia with

Leonidas Polk Lieutenant-General Leonidas Polk (April 10, 1806 – June 14, 1864) was a Confederate general, a bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana and founder of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Confederate States of America, which separat ...

's corps at the start of the campaign. It was composed of the same units as Whitfield's brigade. Starting on 15 May 1864, for 112 days Ross's brigade was in continuous action. The 9th Texas Cavalry took part in the Franklin–Nashville Campaign in late 1864, fighting at the

Battle of Franklin The Battle of Franklin was fought on November 30, 1864, in Franklin, Tennessee, as part of the Franklin–Nashville Campaign of the American Civil War. It was one of the worst disasters of the war for the Confederate States Army. Confederate L ...

on 30 November and the

Third Battle of Murfreesboro The Third Battle of Murfreesboro, also known as the Battle of Wilkinson Pike or the Battle of the Cedars, was fought December 5–7, 1864, in Rutherford County, Tennessee, as part of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign of the American Civil War. ...

on 5–7 December. The unit served as part of the

rearguard A rearguard or rear security is a part of a military force that protects it from attack from the rear, either during an advance or Withdrawal (military), withdrawal. The term can also be used to describe forces protecting lines, such as Line of c ...

during the retreat after the

Battle of Nashville The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting west of the coastal states in the American Civil War. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 18 ...

. In early 1865, the 9th Regiment was near

Corinth, Mississippi Corinth is a city in and the county seat of Alcorn County, Mississippi, Alcorn County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,622 at the 2020 census. Its ZIP codes are 38834 and 38835. It lies on the state line with Tennessee. His ...

. The Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and eastern Louisiana surrendered to Federal forces on 4 May 1865 and members of the regiment signed their paroles on 15 May.

Notes

;Footnotes ;Citations

References

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