The Texas Brigade (also known as Hood's Brigade) was an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

formation 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 ...

that distinguished itself in 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 ...

. Along with the

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 Ins ...

, they were considered the Army of Northern Virginia's shock troops. It fought in every major battle of the Eastern Theater except Chancellorsville.

Organization

The Texas Brigade was organized on October 22, 1861, primarily through the efforts of John Allen Wilcox, afterwards a member of

congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

from

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 ...

, 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 (June 1 or June 29, 1831 – August 30, 1879) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood's impetuosity led to high losses among his troops as he moved up in rank. Bruce Catton wrote that "the decision to replace ...

(hence the Texas Brigade was often known as "Hood's Brigade" or "Hood's Texas Brigade"). The brigade left Texas poorly armed and many men had no weapons at all. Others took whatever was available; this resulted in soldiers carrying almost anything that would shoot—shotguns, hunting rifles, pistols, old flintlock muskets used in the

Texas Revolution The Texas Revolution (October 2, 1835 – April 21, 1836) was a rebellion of colonists from the United States and Tejanos (Hispanic Texans) against the Centralist Republic of Mexico, centralist government of Mexico in the Mexican state of ...

, model 1841 Mississippi rifles, Colt revolving rifles, and more. At least two companies are reported to have carried model 1855 Springfield rifles, which would have been the only modern weapons in the brigade. The Texans were held in high regard thanks to the legend of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution, and the Confederate government made sure that they got the best equipment available. Most of the brigade were soon issued Enfield rifles aside from the 1st Texas Infantry, which had mostly smoothbore muskets and appear to have still been using them well into 1864. The brigade was originally assigned as part of Maj. Gen. Gustavus W. Smith's division, which was sometimes commanded by Brig. Gen. William H.C. Whiting. For much of the war, it was assigned to Lt. Gen.

James Longstreet James Longstreet (January 8, 1821January 2, 1904) was a General officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War and was the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Ho ...

Corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was formally introduced March 1, 1800, when Napoleon ordered Gener ...

in General

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a general officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War, who was appointed the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate ...

's Army of Northern Virginia. It was commanded for much of the war by Brig. Gen. Jerome B. Robertson. It initially comprised the 1st Texas, 4th Texas, 5th Texas, and 18th Georgia Regiments. After the

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. The Union's Army of the Po ...

, Hampton's Legion from South Carolina joined the brigade. After the general reorganization of Lee's army following the

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam ( ), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the Southern United States, took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virgi ...

in September 1862, the Georgians and South Carolinians were reassigned to brigades from their respective states; the 3d Arkansas was added because it was the only other trans-Mississippi regiment serving with Lee's army.

Battle actions

The brigade's first general engagement was at Eltham's Landing on May 7, 1862, where it lost 36 men killed and wounded. During the

, it was directed to support Longstreet's command. Although the rest of Whiting's division was heavily engaged with considerable casualties, the Texas Brigade sat mostly idle during the battle and lost just 10 men killed and wounded. The brigade distinguished itself during the Seven Days Battle where it routed the enemy at Gaines' Mill, captured a battery of guns, and repulsed a cavalry counterattack. Casualties at Gaines Mill were severe, amounting to at least 25% of the Texas Brigade's total strength. At Malvern Hill, the brigade was held in reserve despite Hood's requests to assault the Union entrenchments on the hill. Following the Seven Days Battles, Whiting went on sick leave and by early August, Robert E. Lee named Hood as permanent division commander. During the week following Malvern Hill, Lee wrote to Senator Wigfall that 1,336 new recruits were needed to replenish the depleted brigade, which likely numbered fewer than 1000 men in early July. Within a month, the Texas Brigade was brought back up to strength with new recruits and men with minor wounds returning to duty and it had close to 3000 men at the start of the Northern Virginia Campaign. Its reputation increased 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, and captured a battery of guns, losing 628 men in the battle. Its reputation for fighting was sealed at the

Battle of Sharpsburg The Battle of Antietam ( ), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the Southern United States, took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virgin ...

, when it closed a gap in the Confederate line and drove back the two Union Corps that were attacking. 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 The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

, during its fight for Devil's Den. Though the Confederacy ultimately lost that battle, the 1st Texas, 4th Texas, 5th Texas, and 3d Arkansas distinguished themselves in taking Devil's Den despite being greatly outnumbered and suffering heavy casualties, to include General Robertson being wounded. The brigade's failure to take

Little Round Top Little Round Top is the smaller of two rocky hills south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—the companion to the adjacent, taller hill named Big Round Top. It was the site of an unsuccessful assault by Confederate troops against the Union left ...

marked the failure of that day's fighting. By the war's end, the Texas Brigade had fought in all the battles engaged in by the Army of Northern Virginia except Chancellorsville. Battles included the

, Seven Days Battle,

Battle of South Mountain The Battle of South Mountain, known in several early Southern United States, Southern accounts as the Battle of Boonsboro Gap, was fought on September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles ...

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat between the Union Army, Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Major general ( ...

, Battle of Gettysburg, and the

Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant general (United States), Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General (C ...

. They later fought with the

Army of Tennessee The Army of Tennessee was a Field army, field army of the Confederate States Army in the Western theater of the American Civil War, Western Theater of the American Civil War. Named for the Confederate States of America, Confederate state of Tenn ...

at Chickamauga and during the Knoxville Campaign, as well as with Longstreet at

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

.Frameset Hq
/ref> 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 in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. The Texas Brigade, along with the

from

, were considered to be the Army of Northern Virginia's shock troops.

Orders of battle

Battle of Eltham's Landing The 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 ...

(May 7, 1862); assigned to Whiting's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen.

1st First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry regiments ** 18th Georgia Infantry Regiment *

(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 Regiment * Battle of Gaines' Mill (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 Regiment ** Hampton (South Carolina) Legion * Second Manassas (August 28–30, 1862); assigned to Hood's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. John Bell Hood ** 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry regiments ** 18th Georgia Infantry Regiment ** Hampton (South Carolina) Legion * Antietam (September 17, 1862); assigned to Hood's Division; Brigade commanded by Col. William T. Wofford ** 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry regiments ** 18th Georgia Infantry Regiment ** Hampton (South Carolina) Legion * Fredericksburg (December 11–15, 1862); assigned to Hood's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. Jerome B. Robertson ** 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry regiments ** 3d Arkansas Infantry Regiment * Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863); assigned to Hood's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. Jerome B. Robertson ** 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry regiments ** 3d Arkansas Infantry Regiment * Chickamauga (September 18–20, 1863); assigned to Hood's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. Jerome B. Robertson ** 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry regiments ** 3d Arkansas Infantry Regiment *

Wilderness Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plurale tantum, plural) are Earth, Earth's natural environments that have not been significantly modified by human impact on the environment, human activity, or any urbanization, nonurbanized land not u ...

(May 5–7, 1864); assigned to Field's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. John Gregg ** 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry regiments ** 3d Arkansas Infantry Regiment *

Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Army, Union Lieuten ...

(May 21 – June 3, 1864); assigned to Field's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. John Gregg ** 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry regiments ** 3d Arkansas Infantry Regiment

References

External links

Regimental flag of Fifth Texas Infantry, Hood's Texas BrigadeRe-union of Hood's Brigade at Shady View Park, Dallas, Texas, June 27th and 28th 1884
hosted by th
Portal to Texas History"For Ninety Nine Years or the War" The Story of the 3rd Arkansas at Gettysburg
{{Texas Confederate units navbox, state=collapsed 1861 establishments in Virginia 1865 disestablishments in Virginia Confederate States of America monuments and memorials in Texas John Bell Hood Military units and formations established in 1861 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865

Organization

Battle actions

Orders of battle

See also

References

Further reading

External links