A Message in a Bottle

In December, the media widely reported the fascinating story of a message in a bottle. For over one hundred years, the Museum of the Confederacy has owned a message in a small bottle that was donated in 1896 by Captain William A. Smith, the former assistant adjutant general to Major General John G. Walker’s Texas Division. In 2008, the bottle was carefully opened, and the message was extracted and found to be in a secret code known as a Vigenére cipher. Sent to Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton, the commander of the force at Vicksburg, Mississippi, the deciphered message reads:

“July 4^th

Gen’l Pemberton, you can expect no help from this side of the river. Let Gen’l Johnston know, if possible, when you can attack the same point on the enemy’s line. Inform me also and I will endeavor to make a diversion. I have sent some caps. I subjoin despatch from Gen. Johnston.”

Probably originating with General Walker, the message is dated on the day that Vicksburg surrendered. Certainly one of the frustrations of the campaign from the Confederate perspective was the inability of trans-Mississippi Confederates (like Walker’s division) to offer any substantial aid to their comrades across the river in Vicksburg.

An excellent article about the message in the bottle was recently published in the Museum of the Confederacy’s Magazine (Winter 2011) and may be read by following the link.

Joseph P. Blessington: Irish Immigrant and Texan

Among the immigrants arriving in New York City in 1857 was Joseph P. Blessington, age 16 and a native of Ireland. Three years later, he embarked on another remarkable journey this time to Texas. One year later he started on another adventure when he enlisted in the 16^th Texas Infantry, a regiment that served for much of the war in Walker’s Texas Division. Blessington served as a private soldier for most of the conflict, but spent some time as well on Brigadier General William R. Scurry’s staff. A combat veteran, Blessington fought in the battles of Mansfield, Pleasant Hill (where he was wounded), and Jenkins’ Ferry. Blessington remained in Texas after the war ended and was living in Austin when his book The Campaigns of Walker’s Texas Division was published in 1875. Why did he write the book? In the preface, Blessington stated that he wanted “to rescue from probable oblivion the deeds and prowess of ‘Walker’s Division’ of Texas troops of the Confederate States Army” (p. 9). To Blessington, “the task has been a labor of love” (p. 9), and his pride in the accomplishments of this Texas division shows in every chapter of the book. You may have noticed an unusual feature of his book already; it is about an entire division. Although much has been written about the loyalty that Civil War soldiers exhibited toward their regiments, John G. Walker’s Texans were one group of soldiers whose primary loyalty was to their division.

Clearly based on a diary, Blessington’s chronicle is a day-by-day one in several sections. He is at his best in describing camp life and the many marches that Walker’s Texans were involved in, but he is weakest in the chapters about battles. As a “modern” historian, his occasional use of purple prose and generalities in battle descriptions can be annoying and yet there is much emotion, drama, and an eye for detail in his descriptions of battle events. Here are some quotes from the section on the battle of Mansfield:

“On the right of the division and about fifty yards in advance, was our favorite leader, General Walker, surrounded by his staff officers, eating their lunch before they enter the conflict” (p. 186).

“When the gallant Louisianians learned the certainty of their idolized chieftain’s [Mouton] death, many of these lion-hearted men threw themselves in wild grief on the ground, weeping scalding tears in their bitter sorrow” (p. 187).

“As we approached a narrow skirt of timber, and about six hundred yards from the enemy’s position, we beheld General Walker, mounted on his iron-gray horse, with his field-glass to his eye, taking observations of the enemy’s position. His actions and features were a study for the closest scrutinizer of physiognomy. Not a quiver on his face—not a movement of a muscle, to betray anxiety or emotion, notwithstanding the shower of balls whizzing around him” (p. 187-188).

There are many similar nuggets scattered throughout the book showing that Blessington had a keen eye for the dramatic. When I researched my history of the 28^th Texas Cavalry (dismounted) I relied heavily on The Campaigns of Walker’s Texas Division and came away with a great appreciation for this fine work.

Trans-Mississippi Revival

Religious revivalism reached a peak in Walker’s Texas Division in the winter of 1863-1864. At the same time, soldiers in the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of Tennessee also attended frequent revivals. A former captain in the 28^th Texas Cavalry (dismounted), Martin V. Smith, became one of the most important preachers in the revivals that attracted men of Walker’s Texas Division. The Eastern Baptist Convention of Texas petitioned in support of Smith’s request to resign his commission to become a “missionary” to Colonel Horace Randal’s brigade (the 28^th Texas was part of this unit). His resignation request was also accompanied by a petition signed by a number of brigade officers; they contended that his preaching “will satisfy the desire of the religious part of the Command and have a good effect in restraining many from vile practices which soldiers are liable to engage in….” Authorities approved his resignation, and Martin V. Smith joined several other ministers in the evangelizing effort. The revivals reached a peak in late November; by then, Smith had baptized ninety-two men. As the revivals strengthened, card playing and the use of profanity dropped in the division. Interestingly, the division was actively campaigning in Louisiana through much of this time.

Flags of Confederate Trans-Mississippi Units

The flags used during the American Civil War are fascinating to me. Several years ago I had the great pleasure of attending an exhibit of historic Texas flags at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. The exhibit consisted of flags from the Texas Revolution through World War II, but the highlight for me was seeing the flags from the Civil War era. At the time, I had recently completed my books relating to the 28^th Texas Cavalry, and so I was rendered nearly speechless when I viewed a large banner carried by an unidentified unit of Walker’s Texas Division during the Red River campaign. Likewise, I was thrilled to see a flag carried by the 6^th Texas Cavalry Battalion (Gould’s Battalion) that served with the 28^th Texas Cavalry (dismounted) in the same brigade of Walker’s Texas Division. The flags included in this exhibit are illustrated in the book by Robert Maberry, Jr. titled Texas Flags (College Station: Texas A & M Press, 2001), and some are depicted on this website of the Texas Sons of Veterans. Seeing in person the actual flags that were used during the war was quite a moving experience; if only those pieces of cloth could speak!

Today, I received the latest issue of The Museum of the Confederacy Magazine, and it includes an article about their flag conservation project. The Museum of the Confederacy has a fabulous collection of flags, and for a number of years they have worked on conserving these treasures. While still researching the history of the Adams-Gibson Louisiana brigade, I visited the Museum of the Confederacy on a research trip. In advance of my visit I contacted the Museum and arranged to see Randall L. Gibson’s headquarters flag that Union soldiers captured at the battle of Nashville. Although a small banner, I enjoyed seeing an artifact that directly related to this hard fighting Louisiana brigade. On my visit, I also received a tour of the flag conservation area and was amazed at the incredibly time consuming and detailed work that must be done during the conservation process. The Museum of the Confederacy now has online a complete inventory of their flag collection along with color photographs. Follow this link to the inventory and then click on MOC Flag Collection when you get to the site. Although the bulk of their collection consists of flags of regiments from east of the Mississippi, there are some fine Trans-Mississippi flags included too such as the beautiful banner that the 4^th Missouri carried at the battle of Pea Ridge.

Photographs of some of the flags carried by Arkansas troops are shown on the website of the Old State House Museum. And, the following are books that include helpful information about flags carried by Confederate Trans-Mississippi units:

Dedmondt, Glenn. The Flags of Civil War Arkansas. Gretna: Pelican Publishing Co., 2009.

Dedmondt, Glenn. The Flags of Civil War Missouri. Gretna: Pelican Publishing Co., 2009.

Madaus, Howard Michael and Robert D. Needham. The Battle Flags Of The Confederate Army Of Tennessee. Milwaukee: Milwaukee Public Museum, 1976.

Sumrall, Alan K. Battle Flags Of Texans In The Confederacy. Austin: Eakin Press, 1995.

Dismounted Cavalrymen

Horace Randal’s horse soldiers were dismounted in the fall of 1862, only a few months after their organization. A surplus of cavalrymen plus a lack of forage for the animals contributed to the decision to dismount the 28^th Texas along with several other cavalry units. Rather than label themselves as “infantry,” the regiment was now known as the 28^th Texas Cavalry (dismounted). Much to their distress, the unit was never remounted, and the men plodded along as foot soldiers for the remainder of the war. Their fate was ironic in some ways as they were one of the units that made up the often footsore Walker’s Texas Division; this division developed a fine reputation for their marching prowess and was even dubbed “Walker’s Greyhounds” by the enemy.

And The Winner Is...

Last month I mentioned in a post that “The only Confederate division comprised entirely of units from one state was Walker’s Texas Division.” Alert readers (and fellow historians) Jim McGhee and Dr. Bill Gurley pointed out to me that Brigadier General Mosby M. Parsons commanded an all Missouri division, and Brigadier General Thomas J. Churchill commanded an all Arkansas division. Both, according to Dr. Bill Gurley, were established in March 1864 and continued as single state divisions until the end of the conflict.

Walker’s Texas Division is awarded first prize for having the distinction of being a single state division for the longest period of time having been established in November 1862 and disbanding in May 1865. Parsons’ Missouri Division and Churchill’s Arkansas Division receive runner-up awards for being the single state divisions with the next longest tenures. Interestingly, Walker’s Texas Division, Parsons’ Missouri Division, and Churchill’s Arkansas Division served together at the battles of Pleasant Hill and Jenkins’ Ferry during the Red River Campaign.

There are other examples of single state divisions in the Trans-Mississippi such as the all Missouri divisions commanded by Major General Sterling Price at Wilson’s Creek and at Pea Ridge and the Arkansas division commanded by Brigadier General Francis A. Shoup at Prairie Grove.

A “close but no cigar” award goes to Major General Benjamin F. Cheatham’s division of the Army of Tennessee that was made up predominantly (but not entirely) of Tennessee units. The other “close but no cigar” award goes to Major General George Pickett’s division of the Army of Northern Virginia that had three Virginia brigades that fought at Gettysburg; however there were two brigades detached from Pickett’s division that did not serve at Gettysburg—one was a South Carolina brigade commanded by Micah Jenkins.

Uh-Oh!

“The only Confederate division comprised entirely of units from one state was Walker’s Texas Division.” That’s what I wrote in my last posting. Dr. Richard Lowe wrote along similar lines in Walker’s Texas Division, C. S. A. :Greyhounds of the Trans-Mississippi by stating “Walker’s Texas Division, the only one on either side to consist during its entire existence of regiments from a single state, was the largest single body of Texans to fight in the Civil War” (p. xi). The Handbook of Texas Online says of Walker’s Texas Division that it was “The only division in Confederate service composed, throughout its existence, of troops from a single state….”

But are these statements correct? An alert reader, Jim McGhee, noted that Brigadier General Mosby M. Parsons commanded an all Missouri division. After receiving his comment I started looking through my home library and found that Brigadier General Francis A. Shoup commanded an Arkansas division at the battle of Prairie Grove, and Brigadier General John S. Marmaduke commanded a Missouri cavalry division at the battle of Helena. These are all examples from the Trans-Mississippi department, but there is also the example of Major General George E. Pickett’s Virginia division at the battle of Gettysburg.

Well, it’s pretty obvious that my comment on the last posting is inaccurate as there were other Confederate single-State divisions. But was Walker’s Texas Division “the only one on either side to consist during its entire existence [emphasis added] of regiments from a single state” as Dr. Lowe contends? My suspicion (unproven at this point) is that the real distinction for Walker’s Texas division is that it was a single-State division for the longest period of time; the division was created in November 1862 and remained an all Texas division until it disbanded in April and May of 1865.

My challenge to you is to find examples of Confederate divisions made up entirely of units from a single State for their entire existence. Also, determine how long they endured as single-State divisions. Send me your comments about your discoveries, and I’ll compile the findings for a future posting. To the books!

Walker's Greyhounds

The only Confederate division comprised entirely of units from one state was Walker’s Texas Division. Nicknamed the “greyhounds” by their Union opponents for their ability to march long distances quickly, these proud Texans campaigned in Arkansas and Louisiana. The battles they fought in are not well known to those who focus on the eastern campaigns, but the Texans made their most significant mark during the Red River campaign in the spring of 1864 at the battles of Mansfield (Louisiana), Pleasant Hill (Louisiana), and Jenkins’ Ferry (Arkansas). Some parts of the division also fought at Milliken’s Bend and Bayou Bourbeau in Louisiana earlier in the war. These Texans could boast that they helped preserve their state from Union invasion as Texas was the only Confederate State that Federal troops never successfully invaded. Readers wanting to know about the division from the perspective of a soldier who served in it should consult Private Joseph P. Blessington’s, The Campaigns of Walker’s Texas Division. First published in 1875, the book has been reprinted at least twice in recent decades. Blessington’s book is somewhat lacking when it comes to detailed descriptions of battles but makes up for that by solid accounts of marching and camp life. An excellent modern study of the division is Richard Lowe’s Walker’s Texas Division, C. S. A. : Greyhounds of the Trans-Mississippi published by Louisiana State University Press in 2004. Defending Texas, by the way, required much traveling; Dr. Lowe estimates that the Greyhounds marched 3,500 miles during the war and traveled by water another 600 miles.

Here is the organization of Walker’s Texas Division (commanded by Major General John G. Walker) during the Red River campaign:

Brigadier General Thomas N. Waul’s brigade:
12^th Texas Infantry [sometimes referred to as the 8^th Texas Infantry]
18^th Texas Infantry
22^nd Texas Infantry
13^th Texas Cavalry [dismounted]
Captain Horace Halderman’s Texas Battery

Colonel Horace Randal’s brigade:
11^th Texas Infantry
14^th Texas Infantry
6^th Texas Cavalry Battalion [dismounted] (Gould’s Battalion)
28^th Texas Cavalry [dismounted]
Captain J. M. Daniel’s Texas Battery

Brigadier General William R. Scurry’s brigade:
3^rd Texas Infantry [joined the brigade in mid April 1864]
16^th Texas Infantry
17^th Texas Infantry
19^th Texas Infantry
16^th Texas Cavalry [dismounted]
Captain William Edgar’s Texas Battery