General John W. Whitfield

Duane's take

Here's my telling of the official marker for General John W. Whitfield, standing in Lavaca County, Texas. Now, some men leave a mark on one place.

John W. Whitfield left a mark on half a continent before he was done. He was born in Tennessee.

Made his way to Missouri by 1853. From there he took up work as an Indian agent in Kansas Territory, and the people of that territory sent him to the United States Congress as their representative, serving from 1854 to 1857. That is a man who could walk into a room of strangers and come out with their trust.

Remember that. When the winds of war started shifting, Whitfield moved to Texas. And when 1861 arrived and the Confederacy began calling for men, he didn't wait to be asked twice.

He organized a cavalry company right there in Lavaca County, and that company became the seed of something larger than anyone in Lavaca County could have imagined on the day they mustered. That company joined with C.S.A. troops in Missouri, the mission being nothing less than to bring Missouri and Kansas into the Confederacy. They became part of the 4th Battalion Texas Cavalry, and they rode into the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, in March of 1862.

Then, in April of 1862, the outfit was organized as the 27th Texas Cavalry Regiment. People started calling them Whitfield's Legion, and the name stuck like a brand. Now here is where the story gets its teeth.

The Legion was dismounted, taken off their horses, and sent to reinforce General Beauregard at Corinth, Mississippi. Cavalry without horses, asked to fight on foot in a foreign landscape. Most outfits might have grumbled into uselessness.

Whitfield's Legion went to Iuka. September 1862. The Battle of Iuka.

The Legion made a successful charge against an artillery battery. One hundred and six men killed and wounded in that charge. One hundred and six.

Then they turned around and protected a retreating Confederate battery, and protected the retreating Confederate Army at the Hatchie River. In March of 1863 they fought at the Battle of Spring Hill, Mississippi. And then, at last, they got their horses back.

Remounted, they became part of the 2nd Cavalry Brigade, now commanded by General Whitfield himself, because by 1863 he had been made a brigadier general. In July of 1863 the brigade defeated Federal forces in an attack at Messinger's Ferry, Mississippi. But the body has its limits, even for a man like John Whitfield.

In the fall of 1863, he left command due to ill health. Command passed to General Sul Ross, and the brigade went on to gain renown as Ross's Texas Brigade. That is a legacy built on the foundation Whitfield laid, company by company, battle by battle, starting from a single Lavaca County cavalry outfit in 1861.

Whitfield himself came home. He served Lavaca County as a delegate to the Texas constitutional conventions of 1866 and 1875. A legislator to the end, just as he had been at the beginning.

Tennessee born. Missouri bound. Kansas tested.

Texas forged. The marker the State of Texas erected in 1963 calls him a memorial to Texans who served the Confederacy. But the record of Iuka, Pea Ridge, Hatchie River, Spring Hill, and Messinger's Ferry tells you something the stone doesn't need to say: John Whitfield's people left nothing on the table.

What the marker says

Born Tennessee. Legislator. Went to Missouri 1853. Indian agent Kansas. Territory Kansas representative U.S. Congress 1854-57. Moved Texas before Civil War. Organized Lavaca County company for C.S.A. 1861, led 4th Battalion Texas Cavalry Pea Ridge, Ark. wounded battle Iuka, Miss. Leading legion. Made brigadier general 1863. Left command due to ill health, fall 1863. Lavaca County delegate to Texas constitutional conventions, 1866, 1875. A memorial to Texans who served the Confederacy Erected by the State of Texas 1963 Whitfield's Legion, C.S.A. Originated with Cavalry company organized by Capt. J. W. Whitfield in Lavaca County 1861. Joined C.S.A. troops in Missouri to put Missouri, Kansas in Confederacy. Became part 4th Battalion Texas Cavalry participating Battle Pea Ridge, Ark. Mar. 1862. Organized as 27th Texas Cavalry Regt., commonly called "Whitfield's Legion", Apr. 1862. Soon dismounted, sent to reinforce Gen. Beauregard at Corinth, Miss. Rendered valorous service at Battle Iuka, Sept. 1862 with 106 killed and wounded in successful charge against artillery battery. Protected retreating C.S.A. battery. Protected retreating C.S.A. Army at Hatchie River. Fought Battle Spring Hill, Miss. March 1863. Remounted and made part 2nd cavalry brigade commanded by Gen. Whitfield. Defeated Federals in attack at Messinger's Ferry, Miss. July 1863. Upon Gen. Whitfield's retirement Gen. "Sul" Ross assumed command and brigade gained renown as Ross Texas Brigade.