The Missouri in the Civil War Message Board

Saber charge at Chalk Bluff
In Response To: 3rd Mo. Cav. at Chalk Bluff ()

Bryce, William Martin "Buck" Walton was a first lieutenant of Company B, 21st Texas Cavalry (aka 1st Texas Lancers) during Marmaduke's Raid into southeast Missouri in April of 1863. He had command of the vanguard when Marmaduke came up out of Arkansas, and then command of the extreme rearguard during the Confederate retreat back into Arkansas. Regarding the retreat, Walton referred to a severe hand to hand fight. I would be surprised if men who were carrying sabers and went "hand to hand" with someone else did not use them.

Here is what Walton had to say--"As we were ordered to countermarch, on the retreat, they threw quite a number of shells, but for a wonder, they came not near us. They followed us--at a rapid rate. I was immediately ordered with about five hundred men to take my place as the extreme rear guard. I had strong support in that a brigade of cavalry formed the secondary rear guard. Their horses were fresh--and ours weary. Our main army therefore moved slowly under the circumstances. The enemy had its advance guard also. There was constant conflict between our rear & their advance guard--which continued till we crossed the St. Francis River, into Arkansas. One time we had quite a severe fight when our support was called in--and the fight was general. Of course when the Brigade was drawn in, I no longer commanded--but the Brigade commander. But the fight--a hand to hand conflict--became very hot, and the Brigade commander with part of his command 'retreated too fast--and far' and thus left me to fight 'the fight' out with my own command and a fraction of his. The fight only lasted about half an hour and the enemy retreated to his support which was coming up. This brigade commander reported when he reached the command that me and my command had all been killed or wounded.... The name of the commander I will not give. He is dead--but he so lost caste by his action that he was of no use ever after. He ought to have been cashierd and broken. But he was a weak man at all times and in all things--and was allowed nominally to occupy his position--it was only nominally. He never went in a fight afterwards--indeed I do not believe that his own men would have followed him, had he attempted to lead them."--"An Epitome of My Life," by Major Buck Walton, p. 48.

Walton was later promoted to major, and was elected attorney general of Texas in 1866, but was barred from office by the Reconstructionist government. I have a slew of first person materials on Marmaduke's Raid, and will comb through them to see what else I might have that relate to a possible saber charge. As I am looking, any idea regarding who the commander of the Confederate secondary rearguard who left the fight might have been? You refer to a saber charge against infantry--Walton was mounted, but perhaps the secondary rearguard was unmounted and collapsed in the face of a saber attack by the mounted Federals.

Messages In This Thread

3rd Mo. Cav. at Chalk Bluff
Saber charge at Chalk Bluff
Skirmishing/Confederate positions at Chalk Bluff