According to Ralph A. Wooster, the author of
Lone Star Regiments In Gray (
Austin: Eakin Press, 2002), only one
Texas battery saw “extensive service east of the
Mississippi River,” (p. 293).
The Good-Douglas Texas Battery, composed of men from
Dallas County and
Smith County, was first commanded by Captain John J. Good, an attorney from
Dallas. The battery first “saw the elephant” at the battle of Pea Ridge, but after that campaign, the battery crossed the Mississippi River where it served near Corinth, Mississippi, and then it joined the Army of Tennessee in its invasion of Kentucky. Thereafter, the battery’s fate was tied to that of the Army of Tennessee, and it served in all of the major campaigns of that force.
I’ve long considered writing a history of this battery. However, sometimes a modern work does not surpass an older one, or in the case of the Good-Douglas Texas Battery, two older works. Lester Newton Fitzhugh edited Cannon Smoke: the Letters of Captain John J. Good, Good-Douglas Texas Battery, CSA, a book published by Hill Junior College in 1971. This well edited volume reproduces the correspondence of Captain Good and his wife, Susan, from April 1861 to May 1862 when Captain Good resigned his commission. Appendices include several rosters of the battery. In 1966, the Smith County Historical Society of Tyler, Texas, published Douglas’s Texas Battery, CSA, edited and compiled by Lucia Rutherford Douglas. The correspondence of 
Captain James P. Douglas, the second (and last) commander of the battery, and his wife, Sallie, are contained in this book. Additionally the book contains the diary of Private Sam Thompson, the 1864 diary of Captain Douglas, a short sketch of the battery by Private James Lunsford, and two rosters. Although this volume is not as extensively edited as Cannon Smoke, it provides a valuable look at this fighting unit throughout the war. When you take into account that few additional primary sources have surfaced on the unit, it seems that a modern history of the unit would add little of significance. Sometimes older is better.
According to Ralph A. Wooster, the author of Lone Star Regiments In Gray (
Captain James P. Douglas, the second (and last) commander of the battery, and his wife, Sallie, are contained in this book. Additionally the book contains the diary of Private Sam Thompson, the 1864 diary of Captain Douglas, a short sketch of the battery by Private James Lunsford, and two rosters. Although this volume is not as extensively edited as Cannon Smoke, it provides a valuable look at this fighting unit throughout the war. When you take into account that few additional primary sources have surfaced on the unit, it seems that a modern history of the unit would add little of significance. Sometimes older is better.
Dear Jane,
ReplyDeleteIndeed some of the "older" volumes are classics, such as Elmo Ingenthron's "Borderland Rebellion." But one argument for a modern version or just an update with a foreword or new introduction comes clear when we cast around for copies of these old chestnuts: Availability. "Douglas's Texas" is available in one hardcover copy at Amazon for $268.00. And only "Cannon Smoke" is available on Alibris in some variety but all pricey. A modern version or a version with a new foreword or introduction, maybe printed on demand, could put a good book back in the hands of the people. Of course, it will take someone really sharp and savvy (like you!) to make the foreword worthwhile, and then there is the matter of finding world and time enough to write it, and then a good publisher, but... it sure is a blessing to have old and good back in print somehow.
I did find several copies of "Cannon Smoke" available on the Advanced Book Exchange (www.abebooks.com) in prices ranging from $51.75 to $139.00. Five copies of "Douglas's Texas Battery" were available in prices ranging from $75.00 to $138.00. I would assume that few readers would be willing to pay those prices, but interested readers unwilling to purchase these could borrow the books via interlibrary loan. I didn't check to see whether either one is available through Google-Scholar. Other than that, I'm not really sure how much demand there really would be for a reprint of either one of these books, although certainly editions with modern forewords or introductions would be attractive. Although not all historians are like this, my personal philosophy is that valuable research time should be spent on a topic that either has not received much attention or has been addressed inadequately by other historians. I agree with you, though, that ideally it's best to have those oldies but goodies in print!
ReplyDeleteI agree that there might not be sufficient demand to make a new project worthwhile, but I would personally like to see a volume that expands on the men in the unit. The Douglas Battery was one of Tyler's two premier units, the other being Co. K, Third Texas Cavalry. These were the first two companies (or I guess rather company and a half) to leave the county, filled with the "hot bloods" of the area. Who were they? Were they all "expendable" young men? How did they all fare during the war? What did they come home to? What did they do after the war? Did they stick around Smith County? Did they wander west? Throw in a comparison to a later 1862 just prior to conscription company perhaps from the 11th Texas Infantry or the 22nd. At this moment Dr. James Newsom here at UT-Tyler is putting the finishing touches on a study of the 7th Texas Infantry, which has a Smith County company, which falls in between chronologically. It might not interest that many people but I would stand in line to buy a copy.
ReplyDeleteVicki Betts
Jane, I love your blog. Is there some way I can received an email notifying me of new postings? I get busy and sometimes forget to stop by and check the site.
ReplyDeleteDear Patrick,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you like my blog! I feel like I'm still a novice at blogging particularly in regard to the technical aspects. However, I've noticed that if you scroll to the bottom of the blog there is a statement that reads Subscribe to Posts (Atom). If you click on that, I think you'll be able to receive some type of notification when I do a posting. If that doesn't work, then please let me know and I'll investigate further.
Dear Vicki,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you're referring to a socio-economic profile of Douglas' Battery. My study of the 28th Texas Cavalry was in part a socio-economic study, and I found that the 28th (formed near the time of conscription) was primarily made up of married, "older" men. My hypothesis is that the men who made up Douglas' Battery were primarily single, younger men. Such a study of Douglas' Battery (with a discussion of the postwar period) might be a worthy journal article--I'll ponder that. I'm glad to hear that someone is doing a study of the 7th Texas. That sounds like something I would stand in line to buy also!
If you decide to do the Douglas Battery article, and you need someone in Smith County to work with, just let me know. Our Genweb page also has a lot of great resources posted, and the SC Historical Society is very helpful. I think James Douglas himself will be part of an upcoming publication on Confederate journalists.
ReplyDeleteVicki Betts
This isn't actually a comment, but a suggestion for another blog post. Last night I finished reading Daniel Sutherland's A Savage Conflict: The Decisive Role of Guerrillas in the American Civil War. Amazing!! The bibliography alone makes the book worthwhile. I ran through your posts and didn't see it as a topic. Have you read the book? What did you think about it? I suppose that Texas was the state least hit by guerrillas of any stripe, except for the brush men in the thickets and Quantrill's brief stay, but there other parts of the Trans-Miss faced them from day one. Anyway, I thought it might make a good topic. And if you've already covered it and I just missed it, my apologies.
ReplyDeleteVicki Betts
Dear Vicki,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind offer to help out in regard to a project on Douglas's Battery--I'll certainly keep that in mind! I purchased a copy of "A Savage Conflict" several weeks ago and just recently was thinking that I really need to start reading it. I just finished reading a book about Daniel Sickles at Gettysburg so this will be a great time to start reading "A Savage Conflict." I'm sure there will be plenty of fodder in there for a posting or several postings. Thanks for your comments about it.
Here's another thing I've been wondering about. I was just over at the Sable Arm blog which is devoted to the USCT. We know that quite a few slaves were used to help haul cotton to the Rio Grande and were supposed to help haul supplies back inland. Some took the opportunity to cross the river to freedom in Mexico. During the spring of 1863 a number of white Texas Unionists in the Matamoras area joined E. J. Davis to head for New Orleans where they organized the 1st Texas Cavalry U.S. Does anyone know of any documentation that might indicate if black Texans also made the trip to join USCT units? Were there Texans in the USCT *during* the war? I'm looking forward to Carl Moneyhon's biography of Edmund J. Davis coming out from TCU Press this spring--I'm sure he has mined out the sources on the 1st Texas US.
ReplyDeleteVicki Betts