Exposed His Life

Thomas Saltus Lubbock a Texas Ranger and Confederate Colonel, died January 9^th 1862.

Thomas Saltus Lubbock was born November 29^th 1817 in Charleston, South Carolina the son of Henry T and Susan Ann (Saltus) Lubbock.  He moved to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1835 to work in a cotton factory.  When the Texas revolution started Lubbock marched with a company raised by Captain William G Cooke to Nacogdoches, Texas, and took part in the siege of San Antonio de Bexar.  He took work on the upper Brazos River on a steamboat before joining the Santa Fe Expedition.  When captured with his company in New Mexico, he escaped and made his way back to Texas.  He was elected First Lieutenant in the Texas Rangers and was at the head of a company that drove the Mexicans back across the Rio Grande.

Lubbock was a firm secessionist.  At the beginning of the Civil War Lubbock traveled with Thomas J Goree, James Longstreet, Benjamin Franklin Terry and John A Wharton from Galveston, Texas to Richmond, Virginia, where he petitioned Confederate President Jefferson Davis for permission to raise a company.  While in Virginia Lubbock and Terry along with about 15 other Texans organized into a band of scouts to work for the Confederate Army.  He was still a civilian during the First Battle of Manassas where he "exposed his life in bearing messages during the contest."

Lubbock and Terry finally received authority to raise a regiment of cavalry, and they returned to Texas where they raised the 8^th Texas Cavalry known as “Terry’s Texas Rangers”.  Lubbock was made the Lieutenant Colonel of the 8^th.  Finding himself in failing health Lubbock traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to recover.  When Terry was killed at the Battle of Rowlett’s Station on December 17^th 1861, Lubbock was promoted to Colonel of the 8^th.  He never took command of the regiment however, as he died from typhoid fever in Nashville, Tennessee January 9^th 1862.  He is buried in the Glenwood Cemetery in Houston, Texas.

The Proud Command Was All But Wrecked

A Skirmish at Anderson’s Cross Roads on October 2^nd 1863 was a part of Wheeler’s October 1863 Raid, fought between October 1^st and 9^th 1863 a Confederate raid made in southeastern Tennessee.

Following the Union defeat at the Battle of Chickamauga, Major General William S Rosecrans pulled his army back into the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Confederate General Braxton Bragg placed the Union troops under a siege.  The Union army was forced to bring in supplies on a 60 mile wagon route from Bridgeport, Tennessee by way of Walden’s Ridge.  Bragg saw a way of disrupting Rosecrans’ supplies and communications, sending his cavalry to Walden’s Ridge.

Confederate General Joseph Wheeler left on October 1^st 1863 with the divisions of Brigadier General Frank Crawford Armstrong, and Major Generals William T Martin and John A Wharton.  They broke through the Union screen of Brigadier General George Crook at Decatur, Tennessee and moved on toward Walden’s Ridge.

Reaching Anderson’s Cross Roads on October 2^nd 1863 the Confederate Cavalry hit a train of 800, six mule team wagons, plus some sutler’s wagons.  Wheeler’s men quickly captured the wagons and following orders began destroying them, killing about 1,000 mules, burning  wagons and pillaging clothing and the whiskey found in the sutler’s wagon.  While this was going on Union cavalry under Colonel Edward M McCook arrived.  Wheeler’s pickets were driven in on both flanks by the Union troopers, but they held their position for eight hours, until after dark.  The Union men recaptured many of the mules and wagons, and caused 270 casualties among Wheeler’s men.

The raid continued until October 9^th 1863 when Wheeler’s men crossed the Tennessee River at Rogersville, Alabama.  They had been pursued by Union troopers for over 57 miles and took heavy losses, it was said that Wheeler’s “once proud command all but wrecked."

Joseph Wheeler

The Man Behind Terry's Texas Rangers

Benjamin Franklin Terry, the first commander of the 8^th Texas Cavalry was killed December 17^th 1861 during the Battle of Rowlett’s Station.

Benjamin Franklin Terry the son of Joseph R and Sarah D [Smith] Terry, was born February 18^th 1821 in Russellville, Kentucky.  His father left the family in 1833 and his mother moved the family to Texas to live with a Grandmother.  Terry was a wealthy land holder in Fort Bend County, Texas and a builder of railroads.  A big, popular man, Terry was elected as a delegate to Texas’ Secession Convention.  It was while at the Convention that Terry and fellow delegates Thomas S Lubbock and John A Wharton decided to raise a company of cavalry.

In early 1861 Terry was involved in the campaign to disarm Union troops at Brazos Santiago.  In June 1861 he sailed from Galveston, Texas to New Orleans and then by train onto Richmond, Virginia to offer his service to the Confederate Army.  He was appointed Colonel and made an aide to General James Longstreet.  Following First Manassas the Confederate War Department gave Terry permission to raise a Cavalry Regiment.  Making a call for volunteers at Houston, Texas on August 12^th 1861, the unit was organized in November 1861 as the 8^th Texas Cavalry with 1,170 men.  The 8^th was known as Terry’s Texas Rangers.  They headed for Virginia, but were re-routed to Bowling Green, Kentucky.

The first battle for the 8^th was fought near Woodsonville, Kentucky, the Battle of Rowlett’s Station on December 17^th 1861.  Terry was killed during the battle, which ended in victory for the Confederates.  Terry’s body was sent by train to Nashville, Tennessee where he laid in state in the Capitol, then on to New Orleans and finally Houston.  He is buried in the Glenwood Cemetery in Houston, Texas.

A web site with more infortion about Benjamin Franklin Terry is the  Texas State Historical Association