William Read Scurry (February 10, 1821 – April 30, 1864) was a general in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

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 state ...

Biography

Scurry was born in

Gallatin, Tennessee Gallatin is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Tennessee. The population was 30,278 at the 2010 census and 44,431 at the 2020 census. Named for United States Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin, the city was established on ...

. He moved to

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 ...

in 1839 and became a lawyer and district attorney. Scurry was married to Janette (Jeannitte) B. Sutton on December 17, 1846 and had seven children. He represented Red River County in the Ninth Congress of the

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas ( es, República de Tejas) was a sovereign state in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846, that bordered Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840 (another breakaway republic from M ...

in 1844 and 1845 and served in the House of Representatives in 1845, promoting the annexation of Texas to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

. Enlisting as a private in the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Second Federal Republic of Mexico, Mexico f ...

, Scurry rose to the rank of major by July 1846. Afterward, he practiced law in Clinton, Texas, and was co-owner and editor of the ''Austin State Gazette''. In 1856 Scurry became a delegate to the state Democratic nominating convention, and in 1861 he was a delegate to the Secession Convention. In July 1861, he became a lieutenant colonel in the Fourth Texas Cavalry, part of the Sibley Brigade which launched the New Mexico Campaign at the outset of 1862. He distinguished himself as an officer at the

Battle of Valverde The Battle of Valverde, also known as the Battle of Valverde Ford, was fought from February 20 to 21, 1862, near the town of Val Verde at a ford of the Rio Grande in Union-held New Mexico Territory, in what is today the state of New Mexico ...

, February 21–22, 1862, and as well by commanding the Confederate forces in the

Battle of Glorieta Pass The Battle of Glorieta Pass (March 26–28, 1862) in the northern New Mexico Territory, was the decisive battle of the New Mexico campaign during the American Civil War. Dubbed the " Gettysburg of the West" by some authors (a term describe ...

, March 26–28, 1862. He was promoted to full

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

on March 28, 1862, and subsequently played a key role in leading the Confederate retreat from New Mexico. He was promoted to

brigadier general 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 t ...

on September 12, 1862. Along with fellow New Mexico Campaign veterans, he helped recapture

Galveston, Texas Galveston ( ) is a coastal resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a population of 47,743 in 2010, is the county seat of surrounding Gal ...

on January 1, 1863. Scurry took command of the Third Brigade of Walker's Texas Division in October 1863 and led them into the Battle of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, April 1864. The Third Brigade then transferred to

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the ...

to fight against Gen. Frederick Steele, who was about to invade Texas. Scurry was killed at the

Battle of Jenkins' Ferry The Battle of Jenkins' Ferry, also known as the Engagement at Jenkins' Ferry, was fought on April 30, 1864, at Jenkins' Ferry, southwest of Little Rock (present-day Grant County, Arkansas), during the American Civil War. Although the battle en ...

on April 30, 1864, and was buried in the State Cemetery at

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

in May 1864. Texas erected a thirteen-foot-high white marble shaft over his grave. Scurry County, Texas, is named in his honor.

References

* Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . * Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts On File, 1988. . * Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. .

External links

*
Handbook of Texas Online
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scurry, William Confederate States Army generals 1821 births 1864 deaths People from Gallatin, Tennessee People of Texas in the American Civil War Confederate States of America military personnel killed in the American Civil War Burials at Texas State Cemetery

Biography

See also

References

External links