* This company subsequently became Company C, 30th Regiment Texas Cavalry
M323: Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Texas
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30th Texas cavalry Rgt.
Col. Edward J. Gurley, LtCol. Nicholas W. Battle,
Maj. John H. Davenport
The regiment, also called the 1st Texas Partisan Rangers, was formed in
the summer of 1862 with about 800 men at Waco, Texas and included men
from Waco, Round Rock and Hill County. It was assigned to D. H. Cooper,
Gano's, Parsons' brigade, Trans-Mississippi Department. It served in
Arkansas and the Indian Territory. It lost 16 men at Poison Spring and
19 men at Cabin Creek. In May 1865 it disbanded at Austin, Texas.
Submitted by: John Heseltine
Historical Data Systems, Inc.
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O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME XLI/1 [S# 83] pp. 788-792
SEPTEMBER 11-25, 1864.--Operations in the Cherokee Nation, Ind. Ter. ...
No. 13.--Reports of Brig. Gen. Richard M. Gano, C. S Army, commanding brigade.
CAMP SOUTH OF ARKANSAS RIVER TWENTY MILES,
About Sixty Miles from Gibson, September 23, 1864.
GENERAL: I have not written you before because I could not get a courier. We engaged the enemy on the 16th, 17th, 19th, and 20th instant; were successful every time. Killed, wounded, and captured about 323 of the enemy. Lost 23 killed and wounded in all; 7 killed. We captured the entire train (247 wagons and about 700 mules). We are bringing out 130 wagons, 165 prisoners, mules, and stores. I will make out a full official report as soon as I reach camp. We burned all the train not brought out. Our men behaved gallantly. The enemy had strong position at Cabin Creek and held out six hours. God has blessed us.
Your obedient servant,
R. M. GANO.
Brig. Gen. D. H. COOPER.
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CAMP BRAGG, September 29, 1864.
GENERAL: I left camp on the morning of the 14th with 1,200 men from my brigade and Howell's battery. Was accompanied by General Watie with a detachment of 800 men from his brigade to make an expedition north of the Arkansas River. We proceeded to Prairie Springs and encamped on the night of the 14th.
About noon on the 15th instant we arrived at the Arkansas River and found it swollen so as to make it a difficult passage. It required six hours to cross the river; hard work. All the artillery ammunition had to be packed over by hand, and many of our brave boys were plunged beneath the waves in consequence of quicksands. We encamped in the river bottom, two miles above Redbank's Ford and thirteen miles northwest from Fort Gibson.
On the 16th we proceeded on our way, crossing the Verdigris at Sand Town Ford, about eight miles from the hay camp at Flat Rock. From this point I sent Gurley's regiment, accompanied and piloted by a detachment from General Watie's command, around to the rear of the enemy's camp, while we proceeded slowly toward the camp. General Watie and staff with my staff accompanied me to the top of a mountain while the command was halted below, and from our elevated position we could view their camps, and with spy glasses could see them at work making hay, little dreaming that the rebels were watching them. From thence we moved to within one mile of their camp unperceived, and I sent Lieutenant-Colonel Welch to the right with a column composed of the Twenty-ninth and Thirty-first Texas Cavalry (De Morse's and Hardeman's), while General Watie conducted the Indian column to the left, while I carried forward the center, with Howell's battery supported by Martin's regiment, the Gano Guards, under Captain Welch, and Head's and Glass' detachment of companies. I could distinctly see Captain Strayhorn formed in the enemy's rear. The clouds looked somber and the V-shape procession grand as we moved forward in the work of death. Then commenced a running fight with the enemy's cavalry, while with the center I moved down and engaged their infantry. I sent Major Stackpole with a captured Federal lieutenant under flag of truce to demand surrender, but they fired upon my flag and then commenced the work of death in earnest. The sun witnessed our complete success, and its last lingering rays rested upon a field of blood. Seventy-three Federals, mostly negroes, lay dead upon the field.
We captured 85 prisoners and left 5 badly wounded. We captured and destroyed their camps and stores with large quantities of hay. Our loss was 3 wounded.
We slept upon the battle-ground and found next morning the enemy at sunrise on the 17th advancing from north and south. I sent Hardeman's battalion, under Major Looscan, southward to meet the force from Fort Gibson while we proceeded northward and drove off the cavalry without a fight. Major Looscan engaged the enemy, killing 1 and lost none. We now proceeded with the whole force northward toward Fort Scott to meet the expected train. We proceeded almost to Rock Creek, and hearing nothing of the train we feared lest they might have taken the road east of Grand River. We encamped on Wolf Creek midway between the roads; scouted both and learned that the train had not passed.
On the morning of the 18th I proceeded with 400 men and two pieces of artillery toward Cabin Creek, leaving General Watie in command of the camp. I found the enemy at Cabin Creek with a train of 255 wagons and an immense herd of mules grazing on the prairie. We were as yet undiscovered, and I dispatched a courier to General Watie to bring up the balance of our force and the other four guns, which he did without delay. The enemy found us before dark, but my force was secreted and their efforts to ascertain our strength were ineffectual.
General Watie arrived about 12 o'clock, and I immediately moved the whole column forward, Lieutenant-Colonel Welch's command in front with the Gano Guards and Head's company as flankers. When within half a mile of the enemy I formed in line of battle, Colonel Welch on the right, second Major Mayrant, third Howell's battery, supported by the Gano Guards, Head's and Glass' companies; fourth Major Looscan and Captain Strayhorn, commanding Gurley's regiment, on the left. General Watie's command was formed on the left of my brigade. Having ascertained that the enemy were about moving their train, I advanced the entire line to within 500 yards of the enemy's position. An officer came out in the darkness to hold converse, and having informed us that they were Federals and learned that we were rebels, he called on God to damn us, and invited us forward. I asked him if he would receive a flag from us. He said he would answer in five minutes. I waited fifteen, and hearing some wagons moving I advanced my line about 3 a.m., and when within 300 yards or less of their fortifications they opened fire. We replied with small-arms and artillery. The teamsters, demoralized, fled and left their teams to tangle up in the timber and break off wagon tongues. Some teams ran over the cliffs and the wagons crushed the teams to death. Not being able to see the fortifications, and having accomplished my design of stopping the train, I moved my command back under the brow of the hill and awaited daybreak. There was a rest for near one hour, when the wagons began to stir again. I moved forward and gave them several more volleys and retired again.
Soon day broke and the dawn revealed to us what appeared to us to be immense earth-works, but afterward proved to be immense hay ricks, ten in number, and just in the rear of said ricks a strong fortification constructed of logs set up in the earth. To the left the timber along the bluff ot Cabin Creek was filled with wagons and mules, and from behind all these the enemy sent missiles of death. I changed the position of the artillery so as to command the hay ricks and wagons, and got General Watie to send Colonel Vann with the two Cherokee regiments across to capture all wagons that might have left before day. I dismounted Colonel Jumper's command to assist in supporting the battery, and afterward ordered Gurley's regiment to that post and Jumper in the timber to flank the enemy's right. He doubled back their right and drove them full 150 yards, when they came to a stand. Now appeared a crisis, and I charged them with Gurley's regiment, leading them in person, and would have carried the position but for a gully some twenty-five yards in the rear filled with armed men who had not yet participated. They were not visible until within twenty-five or thirty yards of them. We were compelled to fall back, but not one man of the gallant Thirtieth started from that murderous fire until I ordered them to do so. I then ordered Captain Strayhorn, Lieutenant-Colonel Welch, and Major Mayrant to take the timber and drive the right, the Creeks and Seminoles having exhausted their ammunition, while Howell, Looscan, and Captain Welch poured their fire into the original front, now the enemy's flank. Crash after crash of shell swept Yankees, negroes, Pins, and mules away from the land of the living, while every regiment and company poured in volley after volley, and the brave Indians, having replenished with ammunition, came again to the work, and all with a loud shout rushed on to victory, driving the enemy beyond their fortifications, from where they fled in wild confusion to the densely timbered bottoms.
At 9 o'clock (six hours after the first volley was fired) the field was ours, with more than $1,000,000 worth of Federal property in our hands. We burned all the broken wagons and killed all the crippled mules. We brought off 130 wagons and 740 mules. We clothed 2,000 men of the expedition so as to make them comfortable for the present and have some commissaries on hand.
The killed of the enemy at Cabin Creek numbered about 23; the wounded not known; captured 26. The jaded condition of our already weak horses prevented us from capturing as many as we might have done. Our loss was 6 killed, 45 wounded--3 mortally.
As we moved back with our train we met a re-enforcement from Forts Smith and Gibson going up to protect the train, consisting of infantry, artillery, and cavalry. We drove them back three miles and a half, held them in check all night, and created the impression that we had parked the train for the night by running an empty wagon over a rocky place for two hours, while our train was being moved with all possible dispatch toward Arkansas River. The day found us separating rapidly, we following our train, while they were retreating toward Fort Gibson. We expected to fight at Arkansas River, and hurried forward with all dispatch day and night. For three days and nights our boys were without sleep, except such as they could snatch in the saddle or at watering places. They dug down banks, cut out trees, rolled wagons and artillery up hills and banks by hand, kept cheerful, and never wearied in the good cause, and came into camp rejoicing on the 28th instant.
We were out fourteen days, marched over 400 miles, killed 97, wounded many, captured 111 prisoners, burned 6,000 tons of hay and all the reapers or mowers--- destroyed altogether from the Federals $1,500,000 of property, bringing safely into our lines nearly one-third of this amount (estimated in greenbacks).
Our total loss was 6 killed, 48 wounded---3 mortally.
The officers and men behaved gallantly. General Watie was by my side at Cabin Creek, cool and brave as ever. Lieutenant-Colonel Welch, commanding Twenty-ninth; Major Mayrant, commanding Martin's regiment; Major Looscan, commanding Thirty-first; Captain Strayhorn, commanding Thirtieth; Captain Welch, commanding Gano Guards; Colonel Vann and Major Vann, commanding Cherokees, Colonel Jumper, of the Seminoles and Creeks, deserve great praise. Besides captains and lieutenants, many were noticed by me of whom I cannot now speak, for space and time will not allow.
Captain Howell and lieutenants of the battery deserve special mention for gallantry and efficiency. Captains Nicholson and Matthews, Lieutenants Wall and Gano, Adams and Smoot, Majors Stackpole, Eakins, Captain Pulliam and Doctor Sears, of my staff, all were there and did their part well. Also Major Scales and Lieutenant Watie, of General Watie's staff, did nobly. I wish I could name all. The men all did well and laid up for themselves imperishable honors. They fought as the brave patriot fights. Our cause is dear to their hearts, and to say they were in the Cabin Creek fight of the 19th is honor.
While all did their duty, let us give God the praise and thank him that the victory is ours.
Your obedient servant, &c.,
R. M. GANO,
Brigadier-General, Commanding.
General D. H. COOPER,
Commanding Division.
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DALLAS, October 8, 1864.
GENERAL: I notice in looking over my reports that I omitted the name of Colonel Chekote. You will please have his name inserted just after that of Colonel Jumper. No regimental commander was more zealous than Colonel C. Cheerful in the discharge of duty and gallant on the field, I regret the omission, but my report was hurriedly gotten up, as you are aware, and there may have been others who deserve special mention; but where all did so well it is useless to name them. To say they were there is enough.
Your obedient servant, &c.,
R. M. GANO,
Brigadier-General, Commanding.
Major-General MAXEY,
Commanding District.
P. S.--I have just reached home. Will remain five or six days, and then proceed via Doaksville to Shreveport.
R. M. G.
Return of casualties in Gano's brigade in the engagement at Cabin Creek, Ind. Ter., September 19, 1864.
[Compiled from nominal lists of casualties.]
O Officers. A Aggregate. M Men.
Killed. Wounded.
Command. O M O M A
tabletemp29th Texas Cavalry .... 1 (a)2 8 11
30th Texas Cavalry .... 3 (b)2 14 19
Martin's Texas cavalry .... 1 .... 4 5
Hardeman's battalion .... 1 .... 4 5
Head's company cavalry .... .... .... 1 1
Welch's company cavalry .... 1 .... .... 1
Howell's battery .... .... .... 3 3
Total .... 7 4 34 45