The Texas Brigade (also known as Hood's Brigade) was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

formation of the Confederate Army that distinguished itself in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. Along with the

Stonewall Brigade The Stonewall Brigade of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, was a famous combat unit in United States military history. It was trained and first led by General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, a professor from Virginia Military ...

, they were considered the Confederate Army's

shock troops Shock troops or assault troops are formations created to lead an attack. They are often better trained and equipped than other infantry, and expected to take heavy casualties even in successful operations. "Shock troop" is a calque, a loose tra ...

. It fought in every major battle of the Eastern Theater except Chancellorsville.

Organization

Portrait of General John Bell Hood in uniform (2)

The Texas Brigade was organized on October 22, 1861, primarily through the efforts of John Allen Wilcox, afterwards a member of

congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

from

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

, who remained as the brigade's political patron until his death in 1864. The brigade was initially and briefly under the command of Louis T. Wigfall until he took a seat in the

Confederate Senate The Confederate States Congress was both the provisional and permanent legislative assembly of the Confederate States of America that existed from 1861 to 1865. Its actions were for the most part concerned with measures to establish a new nat ...

. Command was then given to

John Bell Hood John Bell Hood (June 1 or June 29, 1831 – August 30, 1879) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Although brave, Hood's impetuosity led to high losses among his troops as he moved up in rank. Bruce Catton wrote that "the dec ...

(hence the Texas Brigade was often known as "Hood's Brigade" or "Hood's Texas Brigade"). The brigade left Texas poorly armed and many men had no weapons at all. Others took whatever was available; this resulted in soldiers carrying almost anything that would shoot—shotguns, hunting rifles, pistols, old flintlock muskets used in the Texas Revolution, model 1841 Mississippi rifles,

Colt revolving rifle The Colt New Model Revolving rifles were early repeating rifles produced by the Colt's Manufacturing Company from 1855 until 1864. The design was essentially similar to revolver type pistols, with a rotating cylinder that held five or six rounds i ...

s, and more. At least two companies are reported to have carried model 1855 Springfield rifles, which would have been the only modern weapons in the brigade. The Texans were held in high regard thanks to the legend of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution, and the Confederate government made sure that they got the best equipment available. Most of the brigade were soon issued Enfield rifles aside from the 1st Texas Infantry, which had mostly smoothbore muskets and appear to have still been using them well into 1864. The brigade was originally assigned as part of Maj. Gen.

Gustavus W. Smith Gustavus Woodson Smith (November 30, 1821 – June 24, 1896), more commonly known as G.W. Smith, was a career United States Army officer who fought in the Mexican–American War, a civil engineer, and a Major General (CSA), major general in ...

's division, which was sometimes commanded by

Brig. Gen. Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

William H.C. Whiting William Henry Chase Whiting (March 22, 1824 – March 10, 1865) was a United States Army officer who resigned after 16 years of service in the Army Corps of Engineers to serve in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He ...

. For much of the war, it was assigned to Lt. Gen.

James Longstreet James Longstreet (January 8, 1821January 2, 1904) was one of the foremost Confederate generals of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Horse". He served under Lee as a corps ...

Corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...

in General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia It was commanded for much of the war by Brig. Gen.

Jerome B. Robertson Jerome Bonaparte Robertson (March 14, 1815 – January 7, 1890) was a doctor, Indian fighter, Texas politician, and a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He was noted for his service in the famed Texas Brigade ...

. It initially comprised the 1st Texas, 4th Texas, 5th Texas, and 18th Georgia Regiments. After the

Battle of Seven Pines The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, nearby Sandston, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was th ...

Hampton's Legion Hampton's Legion was an American Civil War military unit of the Confederate States of America, organized and partially financed by wealthy South Carolina planter Wade Hampton III. Initially composed of infantry, cavalry, and artillery battalions ...

from South Carolina joined the brigade. After the general reorganization of Lee's army following the Battle of Antietam in September 1862, the Georgians and South Carolinians were reassigned to brigades from their respective states; the 3d Arkansas was added because it was the only other trans-Mississippi regiment serving with Lee's army.

Battle actions

The brigade's first general engagement was at Eltham's Landing on May 7, 1862, where it lost 36 men killed and wounded. During the

, it was directed to support Longstreet's command. Although the rest of Whiting's division was heavily engaged with considerable casualties, the Texas Brigade sat mostly idle during the battle and lost just 10 men killed and wounded. The brigade distinguished itself during the

Seven Days Battle The Seven Days Battles were a series of seven battles over seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army of the Potomac, comma ...

where it routed the enemy at Gaines' Mill, captured a battery of guns, and repulsed a cavalry counterattack. Casualties at Gaines Mill were severe, amounting to at least 25% of the Texas Brigade's total strength. At

Malvern Hill Malvern Hill stands on the north bank of the James River in Henrico County, Virginia, USA, about eighteen miles southeast of Richmond. On 1 July 1862, it was the scene of the Battle of Malvern Hill, one of the Seven Days Battles of the Americ ...

, the brigade was held in reserve despite Hood's requests to assault the Union entrenchments on the hill. Following the Seven Days Battles, Whiting went on sick leave and by early August, Robert E. Lee named Hood as permanent division commander. During the week following Malvern Hill, Lee wrote to Senator Wigfall that 1,336 new recruits were needed to replenish the depleted brigade, which likely numbered fewer than 1000 men in early July. Within a month, the Texas Brigade was brought back up to strength with new recruits and men with minor wounds returning to duty and it had close to 3000 men at the start of the Northern Virginia Campaign. Its reputation increased when it spearheaded Longstreet's assault on Pope's left at the battle of

Second Manassas The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederat ...

. The brigade overran two Union regiments, nearly annihilated the 5th New York Zouaves, and captured a battery of guns, losing 628 men in the battle. Its reputation for fighting was sealed at the

Battle of Sharpsburg The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...

, when it closed a gap in the Confederate line and drove back the two Union Corps that were attacking. Out of 854 that went into battle at Sharpsburg, 550 of the Texas Brigade were killed or wounded. The brigade's most famous action took place on the second day of the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

, during its fight for

Devil's Den Devil's Den is a boulder-strewn hill on the south end of Houck's Ridge at Gettysburg Battlefield, used by artillery and sharpshooters on the second day of the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. A tourist attraction since ...

. Though the Confederacy ultimately lost that battle, the 1st Texas, 4th Texas, 5th Texas, and 3d Arkansas distinguished themselves in taking Devil's Den despite being greatly outnumbered and suffering heavy casualties, to include General Robertson being wounded. The brigade's failure to take

Little Round Top Little Round Top is the smaller of two rocky hills south of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania—the companion to the adjacent, taller hill named Big Round Top. It was the site of an unsuccessful assault by Confederate troops against the Union left f ...

marked the failure of that day's fighting. By the war's end, the Texas Brigade had fought in all the battles engaged in by the Army of Northern Virginia except Chancellorsville. Battles included the

Battle of South Mountain The Battle of South Mountain—known in several early Southern accounts as the Battle of Boonsboro Gap—was fought on September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles were fought for posses ...

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat, between the Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnsi ...

, Battle of Gettysburg, and the Battle of the Wilderness. They later fought with the

Army of Tennessee The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating i ...

Chickamauga Chickamauga may refer to: Entertainment * "Chickamauga", an 1889 short story by American author Ambrose Bierce * "Chickamauga", a 1937 short story by Thomas Wolfe * "Chickamauga", a song by Uncle Tupelo from their 1993 album ''Anodyne'' * ''Chic ...

and during the Knoxville Campaign, as well as with Longstreet at Suffolk.Frameset Hq
/ref> Of the estimated 5,353 men who enlisted in the three Texas and one Arkansas regiments, only 617 remained to surrender on April 9, 1865, at Appomattox Court House in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. The Texas Brigade, along with the

from

, were considered to be the Army of Northern Virginia's

Orders of battle

Battle of Eltham's Landing The Battle of Eltham's Landing, also known as the Battle of Barhamsville, or West Point, took place on May 7, 1862, in New Kent County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. Brig. Gen. William B. Franklin's U ...

(May 7, 1862); assigned to Whiting's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen.

** 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry regiments ** 18th Georgia Infantry Regiment *

(May 31 – June 1, 1862); assigned to Whiting's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. John Bell Hood ** 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry regiments ** 18th Georgia Infantry Regiment *

Battle of Gaines' Mill The Battle of Gaines' Mill, sometimes known as the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place on June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as the third of the Seven Days Battles (Peninsula Campaign) of the American Civil War. Following the inconc ...

(June 27, 1862) (the primary engagement of

); assigned to Whiting's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. John Bell Hood ** 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry regiments ** 18th Georgia Infantry Regiment ** Hampton (South Carolina) Legion *

(August 28–30, 1862); assigned to Hood's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. John Bell Hood ** 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry regiments ** 18th Georgia Infantry Regiment ** Hampton (South Carolina) Legion *

Antietam The Battle of Antietam (), or Battle of Sharpsburg particularly in the Southern United States, was a battle of the American Civil War fought on September 17, 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union G ...

(September 17, 1862); assigned to Hood's Division; Brigade commanded by Col. William T. Wofford ** 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry regiments ** 18th Georgia Infantry Regiment ** Hampton (South Carolina) Legion * Fredericksburg (December 11–15, 1862); assigned to Hood's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen.

** 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry regiments ** 3d Arkansas Infantry Regiment * Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863); assigned to Hood's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. Jerome B. Robertson ** 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry regiments ** 3d Arkansas Infantry Regiment *

(September 18–20, 1863); assigned to Hood's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. Jerome B. Robertson ** 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry regiments ** 3d Arkansas Infantry Regiment * Wilderness (May 5–7, 1864); assigned to Field's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. John Gregg ** 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry regiments ** 3d Arkansas Infantry Regiment *

Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S ...

(May 21 – June 3, 1864); assigned to Field's Division; Brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. John Gregg ** 1st, 4th, and 5th Texas Infantry regiments ** 3d Arkansas Infantry Regiment

References

External links

Regimental flag of Fifth Texas Infantry, Hood's Texas BrigadeRe-union of Hood's Brigade at Shady View Park, Dallas, Texas, June 27th and 28th 1884
hosted by th
Portal to Texas History"For Ninety Nine Years or the War" The Story of the 3rd Arkansas at Gettysburg
{{Texas Confederate units navbox 1861 establishments in Virginia 1865 disestablishments in Virginia John Bell Hood Military units and formations established in 1861 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 Confederate States of America monuments and memorials in Texas

Organization

Battle actions

Orders of battle

See also

References

Further reading

External links