HistoricSiteMarkers
Civil War

B. H. Norsworthy

Orange, Orange County, Texas

Marker Inscription

(Nov. 26, 1838-Feb. 21, 1901) Alabama native B. H. Norsworthy migrated to Texas in 1860. During the Civil War he organized a Confederate unit known as the Lone Star Rifles. Wounded at the Battle of Thompson's Station in Tennessee (1863) and the Battle of Jonesboro, Georgia (1864), he attained the rank of lieutenant colonel. In the 1870s Norsworthy moved to Orange, where he worked as a merchant and a rice farmer. He was later elected to three terms as mayor of the city. Recorded - 1980

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

Alabama native B. H. Norsworthy came to Texas in 1860 and, during the Civil War, organized a Confederate unit known as the Lone Star Rifles. He was wounded at the Battle of Thompson's Station in Tennessee and the Battle of Jonesboro in Georgia, rising to lieutenant colonel. After the war he settled in Orange as a merchant and rice farmer and was elected to three terms as the city's mayor.

Why it matters

Norsworthy's life reflects the many Confederate veterans who, after the war, turned to rebuilding Southern towns as merchants, farmers and civic leaders.

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Related people

  • · B. H. Norsworthy

Related events

  • · Battle of Thompson's Station
  • · Battle of Jonesboro

Themes & tags

Civil WarLandmark

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