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Re: Madison's Reg't Texas Cavalry (Phillips') - CS

This story was relayed from my great grandfather.In June 1863, my great grandfather Joshua D.Coffee enlisted in Capt.John Henry Damron's Company, Lt. Col.Peter C.Hardeman's 1st Texas Cavalry Regiment at the Warren Supply Depot (old Fort Warren) in Fannin County Texas.My great grandfather was in the regiment from June 1863 until May 1864 and and then was placed in Maj. James Roberson Diamond's Brush Battalion at Oxford Lake in Collin County Texas. He was detailed as a forager, chopped and hauled timber and built shelters until the end of the war.

In July 1863, Capt. Damron's Company was detailed on patrol duty on the Texas Road from the Red River north to the Middle Boggy river and northeast on the Line Road towards Fort Smith. The Line Road as it was then called, was the Fort Smith to Sherman Texas portion of the old Butterfield Stage Line prior to the start of the war.

Just missing the battle of the Middle Boggy by a few days, Damron's 75 man patrol arrived at the Rocky Creek ford on the Line Road which is about three miles northeast of present day Atoka Oklahoma,near the junction of the Line Road and the Texas Road. Capt. Damron's company came upon Quantrill and about 200 of his irregulars camped at the ford. Quantrill and his men were dressed in Union regalia that they captured a year earlier at the battle of Baxter Springs Kansas where they attacked and looted Union Gen. Blunt's supply wagon train. At Rocky Creek an attack on Quantrill's men by Damron's patrol was barely avoided when they were recognized as allies. Quantrill and Damron's company joined forces and proceeded to Camp Hardeman near Doaksville (Fort Towson) where they were reunited with Col. Hardeman's regiment and Gano's Squadron who had arrived from the Warren Supply Depot a few days earlier.

Quantrill's irregulars joined the brigade formed by Hardeman's regiment and Gano's Squadron and later participated in the battle at Massard's Prairie Arkansas. After the battle, Quantrill returned to Missouri where he made plans to go east and assininate President Lincoln. In the fall of 1864, Quantrill's raiders got as far as Kentucky where he abandoned the plan because he saw how much larger the Union forces became as he traveled east. Quantrill's raiders were disbanded in Kentucky and Quantrill was later found and killed by local militia troops.

When Quantrill's fled Texas in April 1864, one of his men remained in Texas near Colbert's Ferry and opened a saloon on the Texas Road after the war. The saloon was called "The First and Last Chance Saloon" because it was the first chance to get liquor when entering Texas and the last chance to get liquor when leaving Texas.

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Madison's Reg't Texas Cavalry (Phillips') - CS
Re: Madison's Reg't Texas Cavalry (Phillips') - CS
Re: Madison's Reg't Texas Cavalry (Phillips') - CS
Re: Madison's Reg't Texas Cavalry (Phillips') - CS
Re: Madison's Reg't Texas Cavalry (Phillips') - CS
Re: Madison's Reg't Texas Cavalry (Phillips') - CS
Re: Madison's Reg't Texas Cavalry (Phillips') - CS
Re: Madison's Reg't Texas Cavalry (Phillips') - CS
Re: Madison's Reg't Texas Cavalry (Phillips') - CS
Re: Madison's Reg't Texas Cavalry (Phillips') - CS
Re: Madison's Reg't Texas Cavalry (Phillips') - CS
Re: Madison's Reg't Texas Cavalry (Phillips') - CS