John C. Upton and His Brother, W. F. Upton
Rankin, Upton County, Texas
Marker Inscription
County named for Texas Confederates (Star and Wreath). Colonel John Cunningham Upton (1828-1862) Born Tennessee. Came to Texas 1859. Raised company outbreak of Civil War. Attached to 5th Texas Infantry, Hood's famed Texas Brigade, fighting in the campaigns in and around Virginia. Rose to Lt. Colonel of his regiment. The day before his death at the Battle of Second Manassas, led charge upon the enemy rear guard which was a seldom seen, yet brilliantly executed move. Colonel William F. Upton (1832-1887) Born Tennessee. Came to Texas 1853. When Civil War broke, enlisted Texas state troops mustered in for Texas frontier protection. He served in various military units in Texas, helping to successfully guard the 2000 miles of frontier and coastline open to Union or Indian attack. Promoted to Lt. Colonel of Mann's regiment, stationed in Galveston area along with other Texas troops to prevent expected mass Union invasion in 1865. Member of State Legislature 1866, 1876-82.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Upton County honors two Tennessee-born brothers who came to Texas in the 1850s and served the Confederacy in the Civil War. John Cunningham Upton rose to lieutenant colonel in the 5th Texas Infantry of Hood's celebrated Texas Brigade and fell at Second Manassas in 1862, the day after leading a bold charge on the enemy's rear guard. William F. Upton served with Texas state troops guarding the long frontier and coastline against invasion, later sitting in the state legislature.
Why it matters
The brothers' divergent service — one dying with Lee's army in Virginia, the other holding Texas's home front — reflects the two very different wars Texans fought between 1861 and 1865.
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Related people
- · John Cunningham Upton
- · William F. Upton
Related events
- · Battle of Second Manassas (1862)
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Upton County
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Carved from Tom Green County and created in 1887, Upton County was not fully organized until 1910. It honors John Cunningham Upton, a distinguished Confederate officer killed at the Second Battle of Manassas in 1862. A land of cattle and sheep ranches, the county later saw oil wells rise across its range, and its seat moved from Upland to Rankin in 1921.
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