Dismounted Texas Cavalry
Richmond, Fort Bend County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The 95,000 men of military age in Civil War Texas, unaccustomed to walking, preferred the daring and mobility of the cavalry used to scout the enemy, screen troop movements and make lightning attacks. 58,533 Texans joined it, riding their own horses or ones donated by citizens' groups. Many of Texas' 325,000 horses were sent to other states. Yet footsoldiers were needed, too. The state set up camps of instruction, to teach Texans to walk and fight. By mid-1862 the need for infantry was so great that the following units were unhorsed under strong protest: 6th Texas Cavalry Battalion, 13th, 16th, 18th, 22nd, 24th, 25th and 28th Texas Cavalry regiments. On Aug. 15, 1863, a part of A. W. Terrell's Cavalry regiment at Richmond was ordered to dismount and march to the defense of Galveston. On Sept. 11, an order to dismount still more men caused mutiny, and 91 rode their prized horses north to homes on the Indian frontier or to join other cavalry units. When 25 were tried later, only the officers were punished. Enlisted men returned to the regiment, and fought in such actions as the 1864 Red River campaign to prevent a Federal invasion of Texas.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In Civil War Texas, cavalry was king: horsemen accustomed to the saddle flocked to mounted units for the mobility and dash of scouting and raiding. But the Confederacy needed infantry, and by mid-1862 whole Texas cavalry regiments were dismounted "under strong protest." At Richmond in 1863, an order stripping men of A. W. Terrell's regiment of their prized horses sparked a mutiny, with dozens riding off before most returned to fight in the 1864 Red River campaign.
Why it matters
It captures a very human friction inside the Confederate war effort — the clash between a soldier's identity and the army's needs — and the reluctant transformation of Texas horsemen into foot soldiers.
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Related people
- · A. W. Terrell
Related events
- · Red River campaign
Themes & tags
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