DUANE
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Duane's take
The official marker tells it this way, and I'm just the one passin' it along. Now, if you're drivin' through Tarrant County and you think the land around here looks peaceful enough, consider the life of one H.P. Mabry; because peaceful is just about the last word that applies.
Mabry was a Georgian by birth. Came to Texas in 1851, got admitted to the bar, and by 1856 he was serving in the Texas Legislature, a post he'd hold through 1860. So by all appearances, a man settling into a respectable legal and political life.
But 1861 was coming, and 1861 had other plans. Before he even formally joined the Confederate Army, Mabry was already in the thick of it. He rode with a Confederate expedition that captured Forts Washita and Arbuckle in Indian Territory, April into May of 1861.
Then in June he joined the 3rd Texas Cavalry, and within months he helped win the battle of Wilson's Creek, part of the campaign to keep Missouri in the Confederate fold. Late 1861, he was out scouting U.S. General Fremont's Army near Springfield, Missouri.
Dangerous work. The kind of work where the wrong person looks at you the wrong way and suddenly seven men are coming to take you as a spy. That's exactly what happened.
Seven men, Mabry, and a Bowie knife fray that left his arm shattered. He walked away. They presumably did not have a good evening.
March 1862, he led his regiment at Pea Ridge, Arkansas. Then September 1862, at Luka, Mississippi; and this is where the cost starts adding up in a way that's hard to sit with. His unit lost a third of its men.
Mabry himself was shot three times. And he was taken captive. Now here's the thing about H.P.
Mabry. He was exchanged at Vicksburg late in 1862, and when they put the parole papers in front of him, he refused to sign. Refused until a slur on the Confederacy was removed from the document.
Shot three times, just came out of captivity, and he's arguing over the wording. That is a particular kind of stubbornness that Texas tends to remember. Once free, he was placed in command of Mississippi Cavalry, leading patrols through 1863 and 1864 that repulsed Federal forces from the Yazoo Valley, what the marker calls the rich Yazoo Valley breadbasket.
He was guarding food and forage, keeping the Confederacy supplied. And in one of the more striking actions of his war, he commanded the cavalry that took, dismantled, and burned the U.S. gunboat Petrel on the Yazoo River. He was later attached to General Forrest's Division.
Helped bottle the enemy in Memphis. Formed the rear guard for offensives. Destroyed Sherman's communications.
Fought pitched battles. And apparently his movements became so unpredictable, so fast, that spies would report Mabry's horsemen in three different spots, hundreds of miles apart, on the same day. Three places at once.
Whether that's good intelligence work on his part or just bad intelligence work on theirs, the marker doesn't say; but it says the reports came in, and somebody had to make sense of them. He was also assigned to move Texas cattle, men, and supplies across a tightly guarded Mississippi River. The kind of assignment that sounds simple when you summarize it and is absolutely not simple when you're doing it.
The war ended. In 1866, Mabry was elected District Judge. And then Radical Reconstruction authorities removed him from that office.
A man who'd survived seven would-be captors, three bullet wounds, and the Yazoo River couldn't hold onto a judgeship in peacetime. From 1879 to 1885, he practiced law in Fort Worth. And when it was all over, H.P.
Mabry (Georgian, Texan, legislator, cavalryman, three-times-shot, once-captured, never-quite-finished) was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Jefferson. The marker was erected by the State of Texas in 1964. The story, though, that one's been earning its telling a good deal longer than that.
What the marker says
A Georgian. Came to Texas 1851. Admitted to bar. Texas Legislator 1856-60. With Confederate expedition capturing Forts Washita and Arbuckle, Indian Territory, April-May 1861. June 1861 joined 3rd Tex. Cav. Helped win Wilson's Creek battle, in campaign to keep Missouri in Confederate fold. Late 1861 scouted U.S. Gen. Fremont's Army, Springfield, Mo. Had arm shattered in Bowie knife fray with 7 out to take him as spy. Led regiment at Pea Ridge, Ark., March 1862. At Luka, Miss., Sept. 1862, lost a third of unit, was shot 3 times and was taken captive. BACK OF MARKER: Exchanged at Vicksburg late 1862, Mabry refused to sign parole until slur on Confederacy was removed. In command of Mississippi Cavalry, led patrols repulsing Federals from rich Yazoo Valley breadbasket 1863-64. Guarded food, forage for supplying Confederacy. Commanded Calvary that took, dismantled, burned U.S. Gunboat "Petrel" on Yazoo River. Attached to Gen. Forrest's Division, helped bottle enemy in Memphis, formed rear guard for offensives, destroyed Sherman communications, fought pitched battles. Spies would report Mabry's horsemen in 3 different spots hundreds of miles apart on same day. Assigned to move Texas cattle, men, supplies across tightly guarded Mississippi River. 1866 was elected District Judge, but removed by Radical Reconstruction authorities. 1879-1885 practiced law Fort Worth. Buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Jefferson. Erected by the State of Texas 1964