Robertson County - TXGenWeb

These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format by other organizations or individuals. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material must obtain the written consent of Mrs. Carson's descendants or contact Jane Keppler, Robertson County TXGenWeb coordinator.

Volunteer Jo Ella Snider-Parker (SPJPVine@aol.com) purchased a copy of this thesis from Texas A&M's Cushing Library & beautifully re-typed this work. Mrs. Carson's niece, Janis Hunt, has been contacted to obtain the needed copyright permission.

CHAPTER III: MILITARY CONTRIBUTIONS AFTER STATEHOOD

Civil War Spanish-American War

Civil War

The Civil War hurt Texas perhaps less than any other Confederate State. It was farthest from the center of actual fighting; it was the youngest of the seceding states; and it had relatively few slaves. In that day of poorly developed transportation lines, Texas was more truly western than southern.

Although Robertson County, in east-central Texas, was far removed geographically from the area of the most serious fighting of the war, the county, nevertheless, organized and equipped two companies when Texas seceded from the Union. One company was commanded by William P. Townsend, the other by B. Brooks. These two companies were active in many important battles of the Civil War.

In addition to the soldiers and officers furnished by Robertson County to the cause of the South, the county also supplied to the armies of the Confederacy, money, uniforms, and provisions throughout the course of the conflict. At home funds were raised for the support of destitute families of soldiers, and particularly for the widows and orphans of men killed in service. Cotton cards were shipped in, and home spun jeans were produced locally. Surplus cloth from the State Penitentiary was brought to the county at various times where it was made into clothing. A small factory was set up near Wheelock where coarse clothing was manufactured and furnished to the soldiers.[85]

During the war, and as his own contribution, Samuel B. Wheelock opened his home to the Confederate soldiers for shelter and protection.[86] This, in a manner, was comparable to the present United States Organization (USO).

Today, December, 1953, Robertson County proudly claims one of the five surviving Civil War veterans. He is Walter G. Williams, Franklin, Texas “First Citizen,” who recently celebrated his 111th birthday.

Walter Williams joined Company C of the fifth cavalry, General John B. Hood’s Texas Brigade, stationed then at Corinth, Mississippi, when he was twenty-two years old; he became foragemaster and found it particularly hard to supply the troops in the hard pressed Confederacy.[87]

Williams and a group of other soldiers ambushed some Yankees one morning and killed about one hundred. This was the only time he was in battle. Of the Civil War he says: We quit just five minutes too early. They (the Union) were getting ready to stack arms, and we beat them to it, we didn’t get beat, we were just starved out.[88]

Colonel Williams, who received his title from Governor Shivers in a 1950 ceremony, was born November 14, 1842, in Itawamba County, Mississippi.

At 14, he left his dad’s farm and struck out to Texas on his own, first settling with friends of the family in Brazos County, then moving to his own farm at Franklin.

He now lives with his second wife on a sixty-acre farm where he has lived most of his fifty-eight years of married life. They are living in the original house, which is standing up under the years as well as he.

Spanish-American War

The part played by Texas in the Spanish-American War will long be remembered, for the Roosevelt Rough Riders, who contributed no little to the freeing of Cuba, were a hand picked cavalry regiment made up partly of Texas Rangers. Moreover, nearness to Cuba, together with water transportation, made it relatively easy to send soldiers and material supplies.

When the war became inevitable, Robertson County, in response to her call to the colors, sent the finest men of that day. Some of the men who went into service were: Pink Adkins, Phil Teeling, Will Pryor, Albert McNeel, all from Hearne, and from the other parts of the county came Louis Cashmire, R. L. Morris, the father of John Grace and many, many others. Hearne claims less than one half dozen surviving veterans today. J. W. Horlock, originally from Grimes County, has made his home in Hearne for a greater part of the time since he left the service.[90]

The volunteers were mustered in Houston and trained for a period of time in Navasota. In their period of service, which lasted approximately one year, the leader of their regiment was a colonel by the name of Boone and their captain was Tom Buffington.

Louis Cashmire, a lieutenant in the Spanish-American War, was captain of the State Militia which was stationed in Calvert for a time after the conflict with Spain. The militia had no trouble securing men, as the men who were ineligible for service in 1898, because they were too young, were anxious to be in military service.[91]

[85] Inventory, op. cit., p. 10.
[86] Jacquelyn Allison Leonard, “Tales of the Runaway Scrape,” The Junior Historian, VIII (November, 1947, p.5.
[87] “Col. Walter G. Williams is now 111,” The Franklin Texan, November 19, 1953, p. 1.
[88] Ibid.
[89] Winston Bode, “111 Candles on Cake for Colonel Williams!”, The Houston Press, November 11, 1953, p. 1.
[90] Fred L. Wood, 405 Brenken Street, Hearne, Texas, personal interview.
[91] J. W. Horlock, 308 Brenken Street, Hearne, Texas, personal interview.