Don Bowman:
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Question: Who was this Capt. P.W. Carpenter?
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Below, from my book, is the Cooke County portion of John Henry Brown's HOUSTON TELEGRAPH article referenced on the Confederate Hist. Assn. of Belgium's web page:
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http://history-sites.com/cgi-bin/bbs53x/txcwmb/webbbs_config.pl?read=12780
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Additional facts from a letter written by me at the time to Houston Telegraph (March 13, 1864):
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“... At every house burnt, the savages derisively left hanging a blanket, marked ‘U.S.' During the night of the 23d they made a hasty retreat, left about 50 Indian saddles, blankets and buffalo robes, and considerable of the booty they had taken from houses.
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“In the meantime nearly 1,000 men had reached Gainesville and made pursuit next day as soon as the trail could be found: but a start of 24 hours by fleeing savages cannot be overcome in the short and cold days of winter, when they could travel at night and only be followed in daylight. The pursuit, though energetic under Major [J.R.] Diamond and aided by Chickasaws [probably Tonkawas], was fruitless.
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“As soon as the news reached Col. Bourland, at Bonham, that old veteran spared neither himself nor horse till he was on the ground doing his duty. Captains [S.] Patton, [W.G.] Moseley, and many citizens were in the pursuit under Diamond. Lt-Col. [D.] Showalter [4th Arizona Brigade], with Captains Wm S. Rather [Co B] (then and now of Bell County), [T.A.] Wilson [Co A] and [P.W.] Carpenter [Co E] with their companies made a forced march from Bonham hoping for a tilt with the Indians: but on
reaching Red River, some 20 miles northwest from Gainesville, information from the advanced pursuers rendered the effort hopeless. Being on detailed duty at that time in Bonham, I accompanied Col. Showalter in this severe march.”
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per John Henry Brown's INDIAN WARS & PIONEERS OF TEXAS (1880), pp115-118.
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from my Name Index:
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CARPENTER, P.W. Carpenter, may be G.W. (Co E, Baird's-Showalter's 4th Regt, AZ Brig, TX CSA)
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RATHER, Wm. S. Rather, b-1826 AL; m-M.; 1860 Bell cen p296 (Capt, Co B, Baird's-Showalter's 4th Regt, AZ Brig, TX CSA)
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WILSON, Thomas A. Wilson (Capt, Co A, Baird's Showalter's 4th Regt, AZ Brig, TX CSA)
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Again. Who was this Capt. P.W. Carpenter?
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Patti, prochette@juno.com
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