Thomas Neville Waul (January 5, 1813 – July 28, 1903) was a brigadier 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 ...

(Civil War). Before the Civil War, he was a teacher, lawyer, judge and planter. He served for a year in the

Provisional Confederate Congress The Provisional Congress of the Confederate States, fully the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States of America, was a unicameral congress of deputies and delegates called together from the Southern States which became the governing ...

from Texas. He was captured at the fall of

Vicksburg, Mississippi Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat. The population was 21,573 at the 2020 census. Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vicksburg ...

, on July 4, 1863, and exchanged in October 1863. After his promotion, Waul served in the Confederate

Trans-Mississippi Department The Trans-Mississippi Department was a territorial department of the Confederate States Army that embraced Arkansas, Louisiana west of the Mississippi river, Texas (including what is now New Mexico and Arizona), and the Indian Territory. It w ...

. He was wounded at the

Battle of Jenkins' Ferry The Battle of Jenkins' Ferry, also known as the Engagement at Jenkins' Ferry, was fought on April 30, 1864, in Hot Spring and Saline counties (present-day Grant County), Arkansas, during the American Civil War The American Civil War ...

. After the Civil War, Waul worked as a farmer and lawyer in Texas until his death at age 90.

Early life

Thomas N. Waul was born January 5, 1813, in the Sumter District, now

Sumter County, South Carolina Sumter County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 105,556. Its county seat is Sumter. Sumter County comprises the Sumter, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included ...

, near Stateburg.Eicher, John H., and

David J. Eicher David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...

. ''Civil War High Commands''. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. . p. 557. Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. . pp. 328–329. He attended South Carolina College, now the

University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...

, until his junior year, then moved to

Florence, Alabama Florence is a city in, and the county seat of, Lauderdale County, Alabama, Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the state's northwestern corner, and had a population of 40,184 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Florence is l ...

, where he was a teacher.Faust, Patricia L. "Waul, Thomas Neville" in ''Historical Times Illustrated History of the Civil War'', edited by Patricia L. Faust. New York: Harper & Row, 1986. . p. 809. He moved to

, in 1830 where he became a lawyer in 1835 and a judge.Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. ''The Civil War Dictionary''. New York: McKay, 1988. . First published New York, McKay, 1959. pp. 896–897. In 1850, he moved to

Gonzales County, Texas Gonzales County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Texas, adjacent to Greater Austin-Greater San Antonio, San Antonio. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 19,653. The county is named for i ...

, and became a

planter Planter or Planters may refer to: Common meanings * A flowerpot or box for plants ** ''Jardiniere'', one such type of pot, mostly indoor types ** Cachepot, another term for the same ** Flower box, another type of planter, mostly for outdoors ** ...

. Waul made an unsuccessful run for a seat in the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

in 1854. He served as a delegate to the Texas secession convention.

American Civil War

Thomas N. Waul was a member of the

from Texas between February 19, 1861, and February 17, 1862, when a permanent Confederate government was established.Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts On File, 1988. . p. 698. He served on the Committee on Commercial Affairs and Committee on Indian Affairs. He opposed the African slave trade as a diplomatic effort and restrictions on the cotton trade. He supported establishment of the central government, free trade, and local defense. Waul lost his run for a seat in the

First Confederate Congress The 1st Confederate States Congress, consisting of the Confederate States Senate and the Confederate States House of Representatives, convened between February 18, 1862, and February 17, 1864. This assembly took place during the first two years ...

of the regular

Congress of the Confederate States The Confederate States Congress was both the Provisional government, provisional and permanent Legislature, legislative assembly/legislature of the Confederate States of America that existed from February 1861 to April/June 1865, during the Ame ...

. On May 17, 1862, Waul entered

service as

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 ...

Waul's Legion Waul's Legion was a combined arms force from Texas that fought for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. Raised in the spring of 1862 at the Glenblythe Plantation near Gay Hill, Washington County, Texas by Brigadier Gen ...

, which he recruited. Waul was captured when Vicksburg fell, on July 4, 1863. Waul was promoted to brigadier general on September 18, 1863, although he was not exchanged until October 16, 1863. His performance and leadership were commended by then Major General Stephen D. Lee. Waul then commanded a brigade in John G. Walker's Texas Division in the

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

. Waul's brigade fought in the Red River Campaign at the

Battle of Mansfield The Battle of Mansfield, also known as the Battle of Sabine Crossroads, on April 8, 1864, in Louisiana formed part of the Red River Campaign during the American Civil War, when Union forces were attempting to occupy the Louisiana state capit ...

and the

Battle of Pleasant Hill The Battle of Pleasant Hill on April 9, 1864, in Louisiana formed part of the Red River Campaign during the American Civil War, when Union Army, Union forces were attempting to occupy the Louisiana state capital, Shreveport, Louisiana, Shrevepo ...

, in

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

. On April 30, 1864, after being transferred to

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 ...

to oppose Union Major General Frederick Steele's

Camden Expedition The Camden Expedition (March 23 – May 3, 1864) was the final Military campaign, campaign conducted by the Union Army in south Arkansas during the American Civil War, Civil War. The Offensive (military), offensive was designed to cooperate w ...

, Brigadier General Waul was wounded in the left arm at the

. He returned to service in September 1864 and until December 1864 commanded Brigade I, Division I, I Corps of the Trans-Mississippi Department. From January 1865 to May 26, 1865, he commanded Brigade I, Division I, of the District of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona in the Trans-Mississippi Department. There is no record of his parole.

Later life

After the Civil War, Waul returned to Texas where he was elected to the first Texas

Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Union ...

convention. After practicing law at

Galveston Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...

, Waul retired to

Hunt County, Texas Hunt 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 99,956. Its county seat, seat of government is Greenville, Texas, Greenville. The county is named f ...

, near Greenville, where he was a farmer on his property named Cherry Hill Plantation. A marker still stands to this day on the property, honoring General Waul's life. Thomas Neville Waul died in

, on July 28, 1903.Faust, 1986, p. 809 gives the date as July 28, 1908 but again, this is an apparent typographical error. He is buried in Oakwood Cemetery at

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...

. Waul had no blood relatives at the time of his death. File:Brig. Gen. Thomas Neville Waul.jpg, Waul in the Civil War File:21-32-150-waul.jpg, Bust of Waul by T.A.R. Kitson at

Vicksburg National Military Park Vicksburg National Military Park preserves the site of the American Civil War Battle of Vicksburg, waged from March 29 to July 4, 1863. The park, located in Vicksburg, Mississippi, flanking the Mississippi River, also commemorates the greater ...

Notes

References

* Boatner, Mark Mayo, III. ''The Civil War Dictionary.'' New York: McKay, 1988. . First published 1959 by McKay. * Eicher, John H., and

, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . * Faust, Patricia L. "Waul, Thomas Neville" in ''Historical Times Illustrated History of the Civil War'', edited by Patricia L. Faust. New York: Harper & Row, 1986. . * Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts On File, 1988. . * Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Waul, Thomas Neville 1813 births 1903 deaths Confederate States Army brigadier generals Deputies and delegates to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States People from Stateburg, South Carolina People of Texas in the American Civil War Signers of the Confederate States Constitution Signers of the Provisional Constitution of the Confederate States

Early life

American Civil War

Later life

See also

Notes

References