Confederate Veterans Memorial of Mills County

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and here's how I'm passing it along to you. Out here in Mills County, Texas, there stands a memorial to the men who went off to fight under the Confederate banner from 1861 to 1865. Not every name carved into history comes with a long story attached.

Sometimes the story is in the names themselves, and the units they served, and the simple fact that somebody thought it important enough to remember them. So let's remember them. James Thomas Guthrie, a private in Company E of the 13th Texas Cavalry.

David Morris, who served in Frontier Protection, a different kind of duty, guarding the edge of a hard land. William D. Rudd, Company D of the 45th Regiment Infantry.

Then come the Trents, and you notice right away there are three of them. Daniel H. Trent, George W.

Trent, and Josiah G. Trent, all three serving in Company E of the 31st Texas Brigade, Texas State Troops. Three men from what was very likely the same family, going off together.

Henry A. Atkinson, a sergeant, and that rank matters, it means the men around him counted on him. He served in Company I of the 2nd Regiment Arkansas Infantry.

Hiram C. Dunlap, a private in Company G of the 31st Regiment Texas Cavalry. And C.

C. Chesser, a corporal in Company D of the 16th Infantry Texas. Different units.

Different corners of a long and costly war. But here in Mills County, they share one stone. That's the whole story the marker has to tell, and sometimes that's exactly enough.

What the marker says

C.S.A. 1861-1865 James Thomas Guthrie Pvt 13th TX CAV Co. E David Morris Frontier Protection Wm. D Rudd Co. D 45th Reg Inf Daniel H. Trent Co. E, 31st TX Brigade TST George W. Trent Co. E, 31st TX Brigade TST Josiah G. Trent Co. E, 31st TX Brigade TST Henry A. Atkinson Sgt Co. I, 2nd Reg Ark Inf Hiram C. Dunlap Pvt Co. G 31st Reg TX Cav C. C> Chesser Cpl Co. D 16th Inf TX