1894 by General Dabney Herndon Maury - USA Minister to Colombia, S. A.; Founder of the Southern Historical Society; “To resume my narrative, the final day of our service for the Confederacy was one of the deepest gloom to us. The little army of Mobile had held steadfastly together with the dignity of men who had risked all from a higher motive, and we stood by each other to the last. My own deep sadness was cheered by the sympathy of the noble men who had been my comrades. Gibsons Louisiana brigade had been especially active and enduring in the defense of Spanish Fort; Ectors Texans, the Alabamians, and North Carolinians, and Massenburys Georgians made up that steadfast little garrison. They were all around me now, and the Louisiana band, the only one left in the army, came to my encampment that evening and gave me their farewell serenade. The officers of the Louisiana regiments which had served with me longest came to my Tent in a body and bade me an affectionate goodbye.“[58] The 10th is paroled at Meridian Miss. and given transportation to Shreveport, La.[59] R. Todhunter, Higginsville, Mo., writes: Noting the many prominent commands mentioned from time to time in the VETERAN,[60] I have seen no record of what I consider, with pardonable pride, one of the best brigades in the Confederacy. I refer to Ectors Texas Brigade, composed of the Ninth Texas Infantry, Tenn.th, Eleventh, Fourteenth, and Thirty Second Texas dismounted cavalry, and for the last year of the war the Twenty Ninth and the Thirty Ninth North Carolina Infantry (Eleventh Texas, after the battle of Murfreesboro, remounted). ordered to report to Gen. D. J. Maury, at Mobile. From this place the brigade was sent under Gen. R. L. Gibson to Spanish Fort, there remaining over two weeks, fighting continuously though outnumbered many times by the enemy. Both armies entrenched within three hundred yards of each other. In many of the above engagements, though our loss was from thirty to sixty three per cent of the effective strength (Chickamauga sixty three per cent) no engagement exceeded Spanish Fort in severity. The various campaigns and engagements grouped above will be recalled by members of many brigades in the Armies of Tennessee and Mississippi, as they fought side by side with us. I deem it a duty while esteeming it a privilege to say that we never met a foe in open field whom we did not drive, nor did we ever meet a foe who could drive us. In some battles a brigade or command on the right or left of ours giving way, it was necessary to move by the flank in retreat. In that event firing of small arms did not cease, nor did the enemys loss lessen. In many battles notably Richmond, Ky., Murfreesboro, and Chickamauga, Ectors Brigade was among the first of the infantry to open and the last to close. The regiments comprising this brigade entered the Confederate service over eight thousand strong, and surrendered at Meridian, Miss., under Lieut. Gen. R. Taylor, to Gen. E. R. S. Canby only five hundred and forty men, nearly all of whom were battle scarred. Every commander of this brigade was, during the war, either killed or wounded. Gen. Ector, who commanded longer than any other officer, had his leg shot off at Atlanta. Being an old man at that time, he was never able to resume duty. Some of the most prominent men in the State of Texas to day were members of that brigade.
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 18:50:18 +0000
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