For my own personal use, I compile notes from a variety of sources so that I may better understand a particular subject. Those sources include diaries and documents from the special collections of libraries across the country, the Official Records, and pertinent chapters and volumes from RG 109, National Archives. Of course, there is much information shared on this board by others. As my submission is simply from personal notes, they are not offered as complete transcriptions. But, perhaps they will be informative for you.
While studying General Price's Missouri raid of 1864, I uncovered the following information relative to Colonel Tyler:
12/22/63 Lt Col Charles H Tyler PACS Assigned to TM Dept to report for duty to Gen Smith
1/27/64 Col Tyler-Paid at Mobile, 2 months’ pay
8/12/64 Hqs TM Dept, Shreveport to Gen Price-The cdg Gen has directed Col’s Tyler & Claiborne to report to you for duty. He is familiar with the efficiency and ability of both. They have but recently reported to this Dept and are anxious for active service. He desires you will take them with you and make such use of their services as you see best. Should you succeed in rapidly increasing your command, he would recommend them for assignment to the command of Bgdes. They both hold appointments as Col of the line in the PA.
October 10 (Camp No. 41).--At Boonville. All the people turned out to greet us. Crossed a portion of command to north side, but recalled them. (See Shelby's report of capture of the place.) About 300 surrendered; distance, sixteen miles.
After arriving at Boonville a Bgde of Missouri recruits of two Regts was formed and placed under the command of Col Tyler and became a part of Marmaduke’s division.
Besides these there were companies of partisan troops reported by their leaders to Gen Price, but never became a part of the regular organization
Tyler’s Bgde [organized during raid]:
Coffee’s Mo Cavalry Regt, Col John T. Coffee [transferred from Jackman’s Bgde]
Perkins’ Mo Cavalry Regt, Col Caleb J. Perkins [organized during raid]
Searcy’s Mo Cavalry Regt, Col James J. Searcy [organized during raid]
Unorganized recruits
10/25/64 Tyler with Price and under Shelby-Col Freeman proved himself to be a brave and energetic officer, but as his men were mostly unarmed they were not able to render the same brilliant services as other Bgdes that were armed. Col Tyler, who was placed in command of a Bgde of new recruits, for the most part unarmed, deserves great praise for the success with which he kept them together and brought them within our lines, and deserves special mention for the cool gallantry he displayed in charging the enemy with them at an important juncture, thereby greatly aiding in saving the train of the army from destruction.
11/14 Gen Shelby, at his own request, was left behind on the Canadian to recruit.
All of Jackman’s Bgde and one Regt [Slayback’s] of Thompson’s were allowed to leave the army to visit friends in Northern Ark. After these dispersions the army was reduced to Shelby’s old Bgde, Clark’s Bgde, Cabell’s and another Ark Bgde, and Tyler’s recruits.
11/17 marched fourteen miles to the vicinity of Little Boggy, where Col Tyler left the main body with his Bgde of recruits, moving southeast in the direction of Doaksville.
11/18 Boggy Depot, to Major-Gen Maxey: I am directed by Major-Gen Price to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the 14th and 15th instant and to express to you his grateful acknowledgments for supplying the wants of his troops as well as your invitation to himself A portion only of the command will go by Doaksville, Major-Gen Fagan and escort amid Col. C. H. Tyler with his Bgde of recruits.
Tyler’s Bgde is directed to report at Clarksville, Tex. Gen Price himself, with the commands of Gen Shelby and Gen J. B. Clark, will go by the Bonham road to Tex, being governed by the earlier prospect of getting forage on this road and avoiding the rougher roads and streams on the Doaksville road, which on account of the late rains and weakened condition of his stock would be almost impassable. L. A. Maclean, AAG
11/20 Gen Maxey [Indian Territory] to K. Smith cdg TM Dept-reporting what he has heard:
Freeman's, Dobbin's, McCray's, & part of Jackman's Bgdes & Coffee's Regt, went down White River.
Fagan's division (with exception of McCray's and Dobbin's Bgdes), and
Clark's division (except Freeman's Bgde), Shelby's division, and Col Tyler's Bgde are in this district. Wood's Mo Bn has just arrived
12/15/64 Numbers 102. Report of Col Charles H. Tyler, and cdg unarmed Bgde.
HQS TYLER'S BGDE-MAJOR: In obedience to the order of the brigadier-[general] cdg the division to report the part taken by my Bgde in the various actions from Independence to Newtonia, I have the honor to report that owing to its unarmed condition the Bgde was not assigned to duty with either the advance or rear guard of the army, but had been marching on the flanks of the wagon train for its protection.
On the 25th of Oct the army marched from the Marais des Cygnes. Gen Shelby's division was in advance, Gen Fagan's in the center, and Gen Marmaduke commanded the rear. As usual, my Bgde guarded the flanks of the wagon train.
About 10 a. m., while marching with the Regts separated, my attention was called to an action then in progress in the rear. Large numbers of troops were observed pursuing a retreating force and firing upon them with revolvers. Rightly conjecturing that our rear guard had as imposing a line of battle as possible- Soon our retreating troops confirmed my conjectures in respect to the fighting, and at the solicitation of some of the intelligent officers who were retreating I continued in this position until the rear of the train had safely passed. I then assumed the duties of rear guard and continued as such until meeting the cdg general. He hurried me to the front to guard a park of wagons in the advance. Upon my arrival at the park I found the train again in motion and took my position on the right flank, as originally assigned. An order soon came from the cdg general to support a battery of artillery then in position on our right front, and being the senior officer present, to take the command. I formed line of battle as ordered, but before the enemy appeared received another order from the cdg general to march in advance of the train. After advancing three of four miles in front of the train the general cdg, through a staff officer, directed me to form a line of battle faced to the rear. Upon coming up he informed me that our rear guard was being driven and needed support, and directed me to support it morally by an ostentatious display and physically by the armed men under my orders. Accordingly when our retreating rear guard appeared in sight I told my unarmed recruits that the cdg general looked to them alone for the safety of the train; that they must charge the enemy and check him. This they did and very gallantly, considering that they were unarmed recruits and had the example of so many armed fugitive veterans to demoralize them:
The casualties of the charge were:
Killed Wounded
Perkins' Regt. 5 13
Searcy's Regt. 3 4
Coffee's Regt. 3 7
Total 11 24
After the charge the recruits speedily rallied, and I again reported in line of battle to the cdg general. Gen Fagan then assumed command retained me still as a support to the rear. The troops under my command behaved well even if they had been armed veterans. As unarmed recruits they distinguished themselves. During their whole march there is no known instance of lawlessness. In all the demoralization they have behaved well. No insubordinate spirit has been developed. They have reported in greater numbers for duty, comparatively, than any other Bgde.
C. H. TYLER, Col, Cdg Bgde to Major H. EWING, AAG
12/20/64 Magruder to Boggs-… Tyler's Bgde has been organized partly in Mo and partly in Tex since its return. Is its organization legal? Whether so or not I recommend that it be preserved until it can be ascertained if there will be a sufficient number of men to fill up the old Infy organizations without it- If this should prove to be the case it is desirable it should be retained, as it is formed of a good class of men, and mostly neighbors, having been recruited from well-to-do farmers in Mo, and that it should be attached, dismtd to Price's division of Inf. If not so disposed of, I recommend that the men should be transferred to Price's Infy as recruits.
1/7/65 in early Jan, Tyler’s Bgde moved to Fulton, Ark, where the Bgde, including Perkins’ Regt, was dismtd on 1/7. The Regt was reorganized as an Infy Bn of six companies on 1/21 while at Fulton. The reorganization involved the consolidation of the Co’s that had been reduced in numbers through death and desertion. Perkins’ Bn then went into camp with the 1st Bgde, Parsons’ Div
Tyler’s Bgde, including Searcy’s Regt, was dismounted at Fulton on 1/7. The Regt was reorganized as Infy, in fact as a sharpshooter Bn of six Co’s, on 1/21 while at Fulton. The reorganization involved the consolidation of some of the companies, which had been reduced in size by death and desertion. It then went into camp with the 1st Bgde, Parsons’ Mo Infy Division above Fulton on the Red River.
-Tyler is in Richmond for congressional elections.
-Perkins’ Regt reorganized into a Bn and next to the 1st Mo Bgde. Col Searcy’ Regt reorganized and made a Bn and also put into the 1st Bgde
-I went into Miller’s Co A, 9th Mo Regt 1st Bgde Col Mitchell cdr.
Lt John A. Bennett diary
.
1/12/65 TM Hqs to Gen Magruder-Rec’d your S O #7 relieving Col Charles H Tyler from duty in your command and directing him to report to these Hqs. The cdg Gen refers you to G O #33, 1864 series, & to say your S O must revoked & Col Tyler returned to duty in your command until further orders from these Hqs.
1/16/65 Gen Magruder at Dist of Ark to Dept Hqs-Rec’d yours of the 12th directing that I should revoke my S O #7/VII relieving Col Tyler from duty and ordering him to Dept Hqs. The order is revoked but in explanation, Col Tyler informed me, if I understood that he was not ordered to report to Dist Hqs, but was ordered to report to Gen Price for the special duty of going with him on the expedition to Mo. With that ended his mission was accomplished and at his own request after the command to which he was assigned on that expedition had been broken up by me I ordered him to the Dept Hqs, which I did not think in violation of the spirit of G O #53 of Dept Hqs.
I have no duty to assign him to except on the examining board where he would be most valuable. If the enemy advances his services would be valuable to me in the field. Col Tyler is said to be an excellent officer anywhere.