From messages here on the site and various webpages I have pieced together a history of the 31st to give as part of a ceremony in Kerrvile to celebrate Captain Joseph A. Tivy's Confederate service. Does anyone have anything else to add, or specific comments on Company C, I can add, or are the basic mistakes? It was hard to find info on regimental commanders while brigade commanders were too easy. Of course I will only use a small part, but I want it to be good and will use the rest as a handout.
31st TEXAS CAVALRY REGIMENT, CONFEDERATE STATES ARMY
The following data comes from many sources: The Handbook of Texas On-Line, The Texas in the Confederacy Message Board and excerpts from several books and the Fannin County GenWeb project, ie., “The MacFarlands in the Civil War”, by Mary Hellen Haines. MacFarlands from Fannin County joined the 22nd, 31st, and 34th Texas Cavalry Regiments which generally fought together for the rest of the war. An error at the Trans-Mississippi headquarters caused a lot of confusion about the 31st Regiment and Col. Peter C. Hardeman’s 1st Texas Cavalry, plus the fact that one staff officer (Major Looscan) served on both staffs, as well as two higher headquarters. The two units were separate and distinct. There were several 1st Texas units which was a problem in itself, but only one 31st Texas Cavalry Regiment (Hawpe’s).
The 31st Texas Cavalry Regiment (Also known as Hawpe’s Regiment Texas Cavalry or Mounted Volunteers)organized in Waco and Dallas from men pulled from Dallas and Waco, Fannin and Karnes Counties. The organization in Dallas on May 14, 1862, was of eight companies and was finalized at Fort Washita in the Indian Territories on August 9th, of that year. Hawpe started with four plus companies from Waco and by the time the regiment was organized in August had nine companies. There may not have been a Company K in the regiment as no record has been found.
Detachments from the regiment were involved in several skirmishes while being trained between Fort Washita and Fort Gibson in July and August. In early August, the 31st was fighting a battle of its own. It seems the rigors of camp life had put a lot of the men down with measles. Eighty-eight men were in the hospital while the brigade was camped at Camp Osage.
During September, the brigade move east and north above Fort Smith, Arkansas. Company I received some more MacFarlands who had come of age. The Confederate Congress had changed recruiting laws and had all units released those men younger than 18 and older than 45, later increased to 52. In early September part of the 31st and 34th rode north to attack the main camp of the 2nd Indian Home Guard (Union force composed of a group of fierce Osage warriors). They managed to kill between 60 and 120 men, and captured their cattle and horses. It was a very successful operation
The brigade continued its northward movement and the 22nd performed picket duty near Newtonia, Missouri. On September 27, 1862, Colonel Cooper sent the 31st and an Indian battalion to recon Newtonia. The 22nd was ordered to Granby and the 34th followed to relieve the 22nd. On the 30th the Union forces withdrew from Newtonia, and the 31st was put in charge of securing the town. All three regiments fought dismounted that day and forced the retreat of Union elements. They all fought well. By October 4th a larger Union force arrived and the southern forces retreated from Missouri for the last time, except for one raid by General Price.
Between the confusion of the retreat, another reorganization into a new Texas Brigade without Indians, October also saw three new brigade commanders, Colonel Thomas Coke Bass who was quickly replaced with Colonel William R. Bradfute, who soon fell ill. He was replaced by Colonel Jesse L. Craven, which was not reported to General Hindeman.
Around the first of November General Thomas C. Hindeman decided that all the Texas units would fight dismounted and the horses were returned to Texas. Colonel Hawpe resigned and returned to Texas. By mid-December 1862 he was hauling supplies to the Confederate forces in the Trans-Mississippi Department. He also served as a trustee for the Dallas Male and Female College. On August 14, 1863, he was approached by a man he had put in jail when he was the elected sheriff of Dallas County. The man started an argument, drew a knife and killed Colonel Hawpe on the Dallas Court House steps.
On December 7, 1863 the brigade was in the Battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, which is near Fort Smith. General Hindeman thought to take back the northern part of Arkansas. During the battle the Texas Brigade repulsed the Union charges and answered each with counterattacks of their own. Lieutenant Colonel Guess of the 31st wrote home to his wife.
“Our brigade was posted on the extreme left wing of the Army and was not called into the prominent action but a short time, but not a boy or man of them showed any disposition to flinch. The cannon balls and shells flew and burst around them and the Minnie balls whistled about their ears, but they stood calm and determined to die or win the victory.”
Although they held their ground, a general lack of ammunition caused General Hindeman to withdraw. According to historian, Alwyn Barr “morale fell to a new low and numerous desertions followed a near mutiny in the 31st Texas, when Brig. Gen. Bradfute ordered a man punished by Bucking.(This punishment consisted of putting a pole through a mans legs and arms, while he squatted. He was then tied to the pole in such a way that he would be hung upside down by his knees like a roasted pig. He was always let down before he passed out. Only to be put right back up. Bucking was considered to be severe punishment and only used in the most severe cases.)
On December 31, 1862 the units were camped southeast of Fort Smith. Many men were absent from their units. They were less than three days walk from home.
In January 1863, the units were put under a new commander Colonel Joseph Warren Speight of Waco.
The brigade then moved into winter camp in the Indian Territories. The winter was extremely cold, and the units did not have huts, tents or shelter. Many were without coats and men died every day.
In the spring many of the missing troops returned. The brigade was sent to Louisiana to assist in the protection of Shreveport and under the command of Major General Richard Taylor. The brigade was about 1600 strong, but only the 15th and 31st were ready for combat. The 22nd and 34th had to stay in camp for discipline and drill after a review by General Kirby Smith. The soldiers did not like to be Infantry after their start as Cavalry.
What could have been a good battle occurred at Cabin Springs in July of 1863. About 1500 Confederates lay in wait for a Union supply train. Because high water on two rivers the Confederates were driven off with a few cannon shots. Who was involved in this battle is not known, but it could have been the brigade. The next day on the 4th of July, Vicksburg fell and the course of history was changed. After that it was just a short while until the War ended.
The next battle occurred for the brigade occurred at Stirling’s Plantation near the Mississippi River. On September 29th they launched an attack on a Federal Headquarters. The 15th Texas Infantry, 11th Texas Battalion and the 31st Texas Cavalry (dismounted)overran the plantation and captured or killed everyone. They lost 121 Confederate casualties, while capturing 453 Union soldiers.
Next there was a new reorganization and the command was given to Colonel Camille Armand Jules Marie, Prince de Polignac of France. He was a professional soldier and was given the low morale units of the 15th Texas Infantry and the 17th, 22nd, 31st and 34th Texas Cavalry Regiments all dismounted. The units drilled until January 1864.
Their first action was at Vidalia where they conducted a raid and collected 400 cattle, horses and mules and a new respect for their commander.
The Union started a push up the Red River toward Shreveport the Trans-Mississippi Headquarters of the Confederacy, which set the stage for the next battle.
On March 8th the brigade was ordered west to stop the Union advance. The Battle took place at a place near Mansfield, Louisiana. On April 8th the Texas troops along with Louisiana Brigades charged into Union lines. The Union forces collapsed and began a general retreat. On the 9th there was a second charge, but the Union forces though not routed, continued to retreat. Total casualties for the Brigade were 213 men. The 31st lost 3.
On April the 18th, 1864, the brigade probably had a detachment involved Commanded by Major Looscan, in the Battle of Poison Springs. Several discussions on the Texas Confederate Message Board indicate this possibility while exploring the name entanglement of the 1st and 31st Texas Cavalries. Detail results are not known for the regiment.
Polignac was promoted to Major General over a division and Colonel Wilburn Hill King was made brigade commander and promoted to brigadier general even though he was wounded. Colonel Robert Stone of the 22nd was the acting commander. On May 14, the brigade was following the retreating Union forces. At a place called Bayou de Glaise the Texans fought a force of 18,000 Union soldiers supported by gun- boats and ironclads and the brigade lost 208 men and officers killed or wounded. There were 18 officers down including Colonel Stone who died reporting to his division commander.
The brigade next probably fought again at Cabin Creek and Major Michael Looscan was the probable commander of the 31st. This time low water in the rivers added the Confederates and they returned to Texas in November 1864 with ample supplies and cattle, which was spread out over Fannin county to the poor and needy. David Howard, at the Texas Message Board felt the 31st Returned to Fannin at this time, but it may have been the large number of deserters that made it seem that way.
The Brigade slowly reduced in size and Polignac’s Division had only 1,132 privates in October of 1864.
General Kerby Smith first sent the division into Arkansas for the winter quarters, but then decided that because of morale he moved them to the warmer climate of Louisiana.
In January 1865 the brigade was reorganized again and Colonel James E. Harrison of the 15th became brigade commander and was promoted. The Texans were ordered back to Texas with the exception of the 34th which stayed in Louisiana.
In March the brigade reached Hempstead, and was reorganized again into a new brigade known as the 2nd, and made part of a new division. In April the War ended with the surrender at Appomattox and Lincoln’s death. Though the 31st soldiers swore allegiance to the southern cause after this, on May the 24 Harrison was given the order to march the regiment home and discharge his men.
Barr, Alwyn. “Polignac’s Texas Brigade”, Texas A&M University Press, College Station, Texas 1998.
Cottrell, Steve, “Civil War in the Indian Territory”. Pelican Publishing Company, Gretna, Louisiana, 1995.
Harper Jr., Cecil. “Hawpe, Trezevant C.”, Handbook of Texas Online, TSHA Online.
Kilgore, Deborah K. “Taylor, Robert H.”, Handbook of Texas Online.
Fort Washita History (http://www.civilwaralbum.com/washita/1842_his.htm)