William P. Hardeman
Austin, Travis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Indian fighter, frontiersman, explorer. Veteran of Texas Revolution, Cordova Rebellion and Mexican War. Entered Confederate Army 1861 as Captain 4th Texas Mounted Volunteers. Served 1862 New Mexico campaign to secure gold and access to Pacific. Role in brilliant cavalry charge Battle Valverde made him Colonel. Led brigade Red River campaign to stop invasion Texas. Promoted Brigadier General 1865. First president State Confederate Home. Known affectionately as "Old Gotch." An Aggie, fighter, and Southern gentleman.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Known affectionately as "Old Gotch," William P. Hardeman was a frontiersman and Indian fighter who fought in the Texas Revolution, the Cordova Rebellion, and the Mexican War before joining the Confederate army in 1861. Serving in the New Mexico campaign, he helped lead the celebrated cavalry charge at the Battle of Valverde, which earned him a colonelcy, and later commanded a brigade in the Red River campaign. Promoted brigadier general in 1865, he afterward became the first president of the state Confederate Home.
Why it matters
Hardeman's life spans the whole arc of frontier Texas warfare, from the fight for independence through the Confederacy, and his role in the Confederate Home shows how veterans shaped the memory of the Lost Cause.
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Related people
- · William P. Hardeman
Related events
- · Battle of Valverde
- · Red River Campaign
Themes & tags
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