Matthew Duncan Ector (February 28, 1822 – October 29, 1879) was an American legislator, a

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

jurist, and a general 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 ...

Early life

Ector was born in

Putnam County, Georgia Putnam County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 22,047. The county seat is Eatonton. Since the early 21st century, the county has had a housing b ...

, to Hugh and Dorothy Ector. The family moved to

Greenville, Georgia Greenville is a city in and the county seat of Meriwether County, Georgia, United States. The population was 794 at the 2020 census, down from 876 in 2010. The city is located southwest of Atlanta and is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area ( ...

, soon after. He was educated at

Centre College Centre College, formally Centre College of Kentucky, is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky, United States. Chartered by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1819, the col ...

Danville, Kentucky Danville is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city and the county seat of Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 17,236 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micr ...

, before reading for law in the office of Hiram B. Warner. Ector served a single term in the

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

state legislature in 1842 before moving to Texas in 1850. Ector was admitted to the bar in 1851 in

Henderson, Texas Henderson is a city and the county seat of Rusk County, Texas, United States. Its population was 13,271 at the 2020 census. Henderson is named for James Pinckney Henderson, the first governor of Texas. The city has functioned as a major crossr ...

, and began the practice of law. That same year, he married Letitia Graham, who died in 1859. In 1856, he was elected to the

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. There are no Term limits in the United States, term limits. The ...

from Rusk County. In Atlanta in 1864, he wed Sarah P. "Sallie" Chew. One daughter of this marriage, Anne Ector, became the wife of Louisiana Governor Ruffin Pleasant (1916–1920).

Civil War

When the Civil War broke out, Ector enlisted as a private in the

3rd Texas Cavalry Regiment The 3rd Texas Cavalry Regiment or South Kansas-Texas Mounted Volunteers was a unit of mounted volunteers that fought in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The regiment fought at Wilson's Creek and Chustenahlah in 1861, ...

of the

Confederate army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fi ...

. He was soon elected

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

. He served as adjutant to Brigadier General Joseph L. Hogg and saw action in Texas and

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

. He was promoted to

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

and given command of the 14th Texas Cavalry Regiment. Then in August 1862, he was promoted again to brigadier general and assigned command of a

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

. He fought at the

Battle of Murfreesboro The Battle of Stones River, also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Ci ...

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and Chickamauga in Georgia. His men and he were then assigned duty in

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

, returning in time for the Atlanta Campaign in the summer of 1864. At the

Battle of Stones River The Battle of Stones River, also known as the Second Battle of Murfreesboro, was fought from December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863, in Middle Tennessee, as the culmination of the Stones River Campaign in the Western Theater of the American Ci ...

on December 31, 1862, Ector commanded a brigade in

John P. McCown John Porter McCown (August 19, 1815 – January 22, 1879) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War and a career U.S. Army officer who saw fighting in the Mexican–American War and in the Seminole Wars. Early life and career Jo ...

's division, William J. Hardee corps. The brigade included dismounted cavalry regiments fighting as infantry. These were the 10th Texas, 11th Texas, 14th Texas, and

32nd Texas Cavalry Regiment The 32nd Texas Cavalry Regiment, sometimes incorrectly named Andrews's 15th Texas Cavalry Regiment, was a unit of volunteer cavalry mustered into the Confederate States Army in May 1862 and which fought during the American Civil War. The regiment ...

s, and

Douglas's Texas Battery Douglas's Texas Battery (also known as the Good-Douglas Texas Battery or Dallas Light Artillery Battery) was an artillery battery that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. In June 1861, the unit was formed by combin ...

. Losses were 28 killed, 276 wounded, and 48 missing. At the

Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 18–20, 1863, between the United States Army and Confederate States Army, Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a U.S. Army offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign, in southe ...

on September 19–20, 1863, Ector's brigade was part of

States Rights Gist States Rights Gist (September 3, 1831 – November 30, 1864) was a lawyer and militia general in South Carolina, and later a Confederate Army brigadier general during the American Civil War. He gained prominence during the war but was killed at t ...

's division, William H. T. Walker's corps. The brigade consisted of Stone's Alabama Battalion, Pound's Mississippi Battalion, the 29th North Carolina Infantry, 9th Texas Infantry, and the dismounted 10th, 14th, and 32nd Texas Cavalry Regiments. It sustained losses of 59 killed, 239 wounded, and 138 missing. During the Atlanta Campaign in the summer of 1864, Ector's brigade was in Samuel G. French's division,

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. The brigade comprised Jaques's Battalion, the 29th and 39th North Carolina, and 9th Texas Infantry, and the dismounted 10th, 14th, and 32nd Texas Cavalry Regiments. Ector's military career essentially ended on July 27, 1864, in fighting near

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

. He was severely wounded and his left leg was amputated at the knee. The war ended before his recovery was complete, although he did travel to

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...

, to assume command of the defenses there late in early 1865. Three brigades under

Randall L. Gibson Randall Lee Gibson (September 10, 1832 – December 15, 1892) was an American attorney and politician, elected as a United States House of Representatives, member of the House of Representatives and List of United States Senators from Louisi ...

, James T. Holtzclaw, and Ector fought in the

Battle of Spanish Fort The Battle of Spanish Fort took place from March 27 to April 8, 1865, in Baldwin County, Alabama, as part of the Mobile Campaign of the Western Theater of the American Civil War. After the Union victory in the Battle of Mobile Bay, Mobile ne ...

on 8 April 1865 near Mobile. The much larger Union army seized part of the defenses, forcing the Confederates to evacuate Spanish Fort with the loss of 93 killed, 395 wounded, 250 missing, and 50 cannons. On May 4, the Confederate army formally surrendered at

Citronelle, Alabama Citronelle is a city on the northern border of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 3,946. It is included in the Mobile metropolitan statistical area and is about north of Mobile. History The area ...

Postbellum

Matthew returned to Texas and moved to

Marshall Marshall may refer to: Places Australia *Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria ** Marshall railway station Canada * Marshall, Saskatchewan * The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia Liberia * Marshall, Liberia Marshall Is ...

in 1868. After serving in several local judicial roles, he was elected to the Texas Court of Appeals in 1875, serving until his death in

Tyler, Texas Tyler, officially the City of Tyler, is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, United States. As of 2020, the population is 105,995. Tyler was the List of municipalities in Texas, 38th most populous city in Texas (as well as the m ...

, in 1879. His remains were returned to the

Methodist church Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

in Marshall, and he is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery there.

Honors

Ector County, Texas Ector County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In the 2020 census, its population was 165,171. Its county seat is Odessa. The county was founded in 1887 and organized in 1891. It is named for Matthew Ector, a Confederate gene ...

, is named for him.

References

External links

*
Entry about Mathew Duncan Ector
from th
''Biographical Encyclopedia of Texas''
published 1880, hosted by th
Portal to Texas History.Photo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ector, Mathew 1822 births 1879 deaths People from Putnam County, Georgia Confederate States Army brigadier generals People of Texas in the American Civil War People from Marshall, Texas Members of the Georgia House of Representatives Members of the Texas House of Representatives Texas state court judges Texas lawyers People from Greenville, Georgia Centre College alumni 19th-century Texas state court judges 19th-century American lawyers Military personnel from Texas 19th-century members of the Texas Legislature 19th-century members of the Georgia General Assembly