Members of Confederate Congresses

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker records, right there in Red River County. Now settle in, because this is a story about eighteen men, four years and four months, and a government born in the middle of a war. When Texas seceded, she didn't just send soldiers to the front.

She sent lawmakers to the Confederate capitols, plural, because even a new nation in a hurry needs somebody arguing about legislation. Eighteen of them, all told. Let's walk through the roster, because every one of these names carried a county on his back.

For the Provisional Congress, sitting from February 1861 to February 1862, Texas put forward seven delegates. John R. Gregg out of Freestone County.

John Hemphill from Travis County. William B. Ochiltree, Nacogdoches County.

Williamson S. Oldham, Washington County. John H.

Reagan, Anderson County. Thomas N. Waul, Gonzales County.

And Louis T. Wigfall, Harrison County. Seven men to help build the framework of a government from scratch, while a war was already gathering on the horizon.

Then came the first Confederate States Congress, February 1862 to February 1864, and Texas sent a new delegation. B. H.

Epperson of Red River County, right here in the home county of this very marker. M. D.

Graham from Rusk County. Peter W. Gray, Harris County.

Claiborne C. Herbert, Colorado County. Frank B.

Sexton, San Augustine County. John A. Wilcox, Bexar County.

And William B. Wright out of Lamar County. Now, two men bridged the gap between that first Congress and what came after.

Oldham and Wigfall, they stayed on as senators from 1862 all the way to 1865, carrying Washington County and Harrison County's voices through the long middle stretch of the war. And Herbert and Sexton, those two from Colorado and San Augustine, they got re-elected to the Second Confederate Congress in 1864. Their colleagues in that second body were General John R.

Baylor of Parker County, Anthony M. Branch from Walker County, Stephen H. Darden of Gonzales County, and Simpson H.

Morgan of Red River County. So Red River County had a man in both the first Congress and the second. Now here's where the story takes a turn that tells you something about the times.

Several of these congressmen left the legislative branch altogether for the battlefield. Two of them became generals. Others left for presidential assignments, meaning Jefferson Davis had use for them elsewhere.

One of them, Reagan, left his congressional seat to serve as postmaster-general in the cabinet. Think about that. These were not men content to sit in a chamber and debate while the world burned around them.

Some of them walked out of the capitol and straight toward the guns. Four years, four months, eighteen lawmakers, and every county they represented knew exactly where its man had gone.

What the marker says

(Texas in the Civil War) During the 4 years, 4 months after secession, Texas sent 18 lawmakers to the Confederate capitols. Her delegates to the Provisional Congress, Feb. 1861 to Feb. 1862, were John R. Gregg, Freestone County; John Hemphill, Travis County; Wm. B. Ochiltree, Nacogdoches County; Williamson S. Oldham, Washington County; John H. Reagan, Anderson County; Thomas N. Waul, Gonzales County; and Louis T. Wigfall, Harrison County. Texans in the first Confederate States Congress, Feb. 1862-Feb. 1864, were B. H. Epperson of Red River County; M. D. Graham, Rusk County; Peter W. Gray, Harris County; Claiborne C. Herbert, Colorado County; Frank B. Sexton, San Augustine County; John A. Wilcox, Bexar County; and Wm. B. Wright, Lamar County. Oldham and Wigfall served as senators, 1862-1865. Herbert and Sexton were re-elected to the Second Confederate Congress, in 1864. Their colleagues were Gen. John R. Baylor, Parker County; Anthony M. Branch, Walker County; Stephen H. Darden, Gonzales County; and Simpson H. Morgan, Red River County. Several congressmen left the legislative branch of the government for the battlefield, two becoming generals. Others left for presidential assignments-- one, Reagan, to be postmaster-general in the cabinet.