Waul's Texas Legion-CSA

Brigadier General Thomas N. Waul

Waul's Texas Legion consisting of Cavalry, Artillery and Infantry, was organized May 1862 under authority given to Colonel Thomas N. Waul by the Secretary of War on March 6, 1862. It was reorganized October 1862. It then consisted of a Cavalry Battalion of six companies, an Artillery battalion of two companies and two Infantry battalions of six companies each.
After the fall of Vicksburg the Cavalry battalion served east of the Mississippi River and still retained the name of Waul's legion but was also known as Willis' Battalion Texas Cavalry.

Company "C"
Willis' Cavalry Battlion

This company consisted of 89 officers and men of which 73 listed their residence as Gonzales County, Texas.

Muster Roll May 8, 1862

Capt. Benjamin F. Weeks   (Major)
1st Lt. J.F. Conn   (Capt.)
2nd Lt. J.P. Grundy (Deserted-12/63)
Jr. 2nd Lt. Elijah W. Christian (Killed, 11/62)
1st Sgt. Richard J. Price
2nd Sgt. N.F. Miller (2nd Lt., 1st Lt.)
3rd Sgt. H.G. Zumwalt - J.H. Eggleston
4th Sgt. J.T. Howell - J.C. Peevy (Peery)
5th Sgt. J.D. Ellis
1st Corp. N.J. Christian

Privates                                                 Additional Memebers not listed in Original Source       
Pleasant Avant                                       Allen, Alford A.                  
Jasper Beane                                         Berdell, J.                         
John Boykin                                           Boothe, Russell C.
Riley Branch                                          Boykin, William J.
T.J. Barris                                              Buntiing, Jefferson L.
J.R. Burke                                              Burke, Peter P.                                
J.W.H.H Breaker                                   Burke, William (Sgt)    
W.O. Coulter                                         Carley, John
George W. Caraway                              Coulter, Jasper J.
K.S. Caraway                                        Crawford, John A.                                           
M.V. Caraway                                       Ellis, John L.
John Caraway                                        Ellis, John M.  
O.M. Christian                                       Goodrum, W.W.         
H.A. Cooper                                          Head, John L.     
George Christopher                                 Jackson, R.L.                         
Josiah Dodd                                           King, Wilbur F.
William Dodd                                         McCarley, Samu               
J.J. (J.L.) Darnellel                                 Miller, W.F.
W.H.H. Dumont (Dumond)                    Moore, John J.
G.G. (G.J.) Dykes                                  Morgan, J.
Henry Dalton                                          New, George W.                                
J.D. Ellis                                                 Peevey, George M.D.          
Joseph (Josiah) F. Ellis                            Puckett, W.A.
W.P. Eggleston                                       Ragland, F. 
A. Fitzgerald                                           Roberts, Leroy (L.F.)                                      
John A. Fowlkes                                     Russell, Robert M.                                         
S.A. Gates                                              Sanders, Charles H.      
J.D. Gates                                               Simpson, William F.
R.G. Gillespie (Gellaspie)                        Stevens, Samuel
William Galloway                                    Torrence, E.J.
T.W. Hodges
C.A. Holcomb
D.E. Hardin
W.H.H. (W.H.) Hardin
J.W. Heffington
L.G. Hubbard
William W. Henry
S.L. Hopkins
W.P. Holstead
R.J. Johnson (2nd Lt)
W.M. Jones
R.R. Kitchen
James Kelly
J.L. Mooney
J.M. Montgomery
L.P. Puckett
W.W. Pain (Paine)
William Henry Riley* (photo below)
G.W. Reeves
C.A. Reeves
Charley Ritchie
W.S. Sergeant
Harbard Smith
David Smith
W.F. Smith
George C. Tinnelle
W.H. Trammell
John S. Wright
John L. Wilson
J.A. Zumwalt
W.C. Zumwalt
W.A. Ritchie (on seperate roster-age 17)

Most men of this company had prior service in Company "I" of McCulloch's 1st Texas Cavalry also known as !st Texas Mounted Riflemen. Their service in this company was spent stationed at Red River Camp in north Texas.  For more info on the 1st Texas Cavalry read Horse Sweat and Powder Smoke by Stanley McGowen


Source Gonzales County History by the Gonzales County Historical Commission

BATTLES FOUGHT
Fort Pemberton (Mar 11-Apr 5 1863)
Vicksburg Campaign (May- July 1863)
Vicksburg Siege (May-July 1863)
(2 companies)
2nd Vicksburg Assault (May 22 1863)
(2 companies)
Pontotoc (Houston Rd.) (July 12, 1864)
Tupelo (July 14-15 1864)
Smith's 2nd Mississippi
Invasion (Aug 1864)
Abbeville (Aug 23 1864)
Chickasawha Bridge (Dec 10 1864)
Wilson's Raid ( Mar-Apr 1865)

For more detailed information on Field Assignments and Engagement/Actions please go to my other page Waul's Legion Cavalry Details

Pvt. William Henry Riley and wife

After serving in and around Vicksburg, this unit became part of Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrests command until the end of the war.

The Cavalry Battalion was surrendered by Lt. Gen. Richard Taylor, commanding the Dept. of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana at Citronelle, Alabama on May 4, 1865. It was included among the last large organized Confederate troops east of the Mississippi River to lay down their arms.
No reports show how many men surrendered. All the units of N.B. Forrest had been greatly reduced, especially due to losses sustained at Selma on April 2, 1865. Of the over 600 officers and men of the cavalary battalion it is doubtful that 150 were still in the unit when it finally surrendered.

If you have information you are willing to share, diaries, letters, photos, service record, etc. concerning Willis' Cavalry Battalion.  I would be glad to share what I have.  I would eventually like to have a database on this unit that could be shared with others.  Please contact me at ramhed@aol.com

If you have an ancestor from Texas that served in the War for Southern Independence you can check for Confederate Pension Records that are available
from the Texas Archives. You can check for records by clicking on the link below. This will also include Confederate Veteran Widow's Pensions. TSLAC- Confederate Pension Claims Index

The best page on the web. They have a recording of the rebel yell. It was made at the 75th anniv. of Gettysburg. You can hear the Yankee's nervousness when they hear that sound again from the throat of a 90+ year old Reb. This page is worth your time (takes a while to load). Lots of great stuff here. Texas Division FrameSet

WHAT'S NEW?

Revised Company Roster-Names added were not in original source. Some of these men were added to the Company Roster during later years or did not enlist in Gonzales or were not Gonzales Residents as most of the men of this Company were.

Removed link to the US Civil War Center at LSU-This was done to support the SCV in their objection to the "Politically Correct" stance the Center has taken.  

Added link to newest Sons of Confederate Veterans webpage:

I am a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Hood's Texas Brigade Camp#153 located in San Antonio, Texas. If you are interested in becoming a member you can e-mail me at ramhed@aol.com .  We are currently recruiting new members.

Our headquarters homepage: Sons of Confederate Veterans

Last update March 31, 2000

Clip art images and background provided courtesy of the Savage / Goodner Camp 1513 Sons of Confederat...
Other clip art provided by.... Civil War Clipart Gallery

Webrings and Awards

If you are member of a hate group (you know who you are) please take nothing from this page. You have no right to any of the images. You also have no right to the use of any of the banners or flags used by the Confederacy or it's troops. Your improper use of them hurts the truth and sullies the reputation of those that honorably served the Cause.