Texas Brigade facts for kids
The Texas Brigade was a famous group of soldiers from Texas who fought in the American Civil War. They were known for being tough and brave fighters. This brigade was part of the Confederate Army, specifically in General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. They fought in many important battles and were considered some of the best soldiers.
Forming the Texas Brigade
The Texas Brigade officially started on October 22, 1861. A man named John Allen Wilcox, who later became a member of Congress for Texas, helped a lot to create it. He supported the brigade until he passed away in 1864.
At first, Louis Wigfall briefly led the brigade. But then he became a senator, so command went to John Bell Hood. Because of this, the group was often called "Hood's Brigade" or "Hood's Texas Brigade."
When the soldiers first left Texas, they didn't have many good weapons. Some had no weapons at all! Others brought whatever they could find, like shotguns, hunting rifles, or old muskets from the Texas Revolution. However, because Texans were seen as very brave (thanks to stories like the Battle of the Alamo), the Confederate government made sure they got better gear. Most soldiers soon received modern Enfield rifles.
The brigade was part of a larger group led by Maj. Gen. Gustavus W. Smith. For most of the war, they were assigned to Lt. Gen. James Longstreet's part of General Robert E. Lee's army. Brig. Gen. Jerome B. Robertson led them for a long time.
The brigade first included the 1st Texas Infantry, 4th Texas, 5th Texas, and the 18th Georgia Regiments. After a battle called Battle of Seven Pines, a unit from South Carolina called Hampton's Legion joined them. Later, the Georgia and South Carolina units moved to brigades from their own states. The 3d Arkansas then joined the Texas Brigade. This was because it was the only other regiment from west of the Mississippi River fighting with Lee's army.
Key Battles and Actions
The Texas Brigade's first big fight was at Eltham's Landing on May 7, 1862. They lost 36 men who were killed or hurt. At the Battle of Seven Pines, they mostly waited and only lost 10 men.
The brigade truly showed its courage during the Seven Days Battles. They bravely pushed back the enemy at Battle of Gaines' Mill, captured some cannons, and stopped a cavalry attack. They had many casualties at Gaines' Mill, losing about 25% of their soldiers. After these battles, Robert E. Lee made Hood the permanent leader of their division. The brigade needed many new soldiers to replace those lost, but within a month, they were back to nearly 3,000 men.
Their reputation grew even more at the Second Manassas battle. The brigade led an attack, defeating two Union regiments and capturing more cannons. They lost 628 men in this fight. Their fame as fierce fighters was cemented at the Battle of Sharpsburg. Here, they bravely closed a gap in the Confederate line and pushed back two Union groups that were attacking. Out of 854 men who fought at Sharpsburg, 550 were killed or wounded.
One of their most famous actions happened on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg. They fought hard for a place called Devil's Den. Even though the Confederacy eventually lost Gettysburg, the 1st Texas, 4th Texas, 5th Texas, and 3d Arkansas units fought very well. They captured Devil's Den despite being greatly outnumbered and suffering heavy losses, including General Robertson being wounded. However, they could not take Little Round Top, which was a key goal that day.
By the end of the war, the Texas Brigade had fought in almost every major battle of the Army of Northern Virginia. This included battles like the Battle of Seven Pines, Seven Days Battles, Battle of South Mountain, Sharpsburg, Battle of Fredericksburg, Battle of Gettysburg, and the Battle of the Wilderness. They also fought in other areas, like at Chickamauga and during the Knoxville campaign.
Out of about 5,353 men who joined the three Texas and one Arkansas regiments, only 617 were left to surrender on April 9, 1865, at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. The Texas Brigade, along with the Stonewall Brigade from Virginia, were known as the "shock troops" of the Army of Northern Virginia. This meant they were the elite units used for the toughest attacks.
Key Units and Leaders
The Texas Brigade was made up of several regiments (smaller groups of soldiers). These included:
- The 1st Texas Infantry
- The 4th Texas Infantry
- The 5th Texas Infantry
- The 3d Arkansas Infantry (joined later)
- The 18th Georgia Infantry (part of the brigade early on)
- Hampton's Legion from South Carolina (part of the brigade early on)
Important leaders of the brigade included:
- Brig. Gen. John Bell Hood
- Brig. Gen. Jerome B. Robertson
- Brig. Gen. John Gregg
