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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMillican in the Civil War MIL~ICAN, TEXAS, DURING THE CIVIL WAR 1861 1. Millican becomes active northern railhead for Texas Central Railroad to the wheat country of North Texas. Railroad went from Millican-Houston-Galveston. 2. 9-20: Millican and Victoria will be the camps of instruction for the Reserve Army of Texas. 10-19: 2,000 Confederate troops could be camped at Spring Creek, near Millican. Not a lot of water at Millican since railroad is following crestline ofBrazoslNavasota River through Brazos County. 11-4: Lt. Sparks ordered to Millican to provide for instruction to 10 companies of the Reserve Army of Texas (under direct control of Governor Clark/Lubbock). 1862 1. Richey's Regiment of eight companies stationed at Millican 11-7-62, 11-25-62 1863 1. Texas becomes major target of Washington (Lincoln Administration) after fall of Vicksburg, Port Hudson and Mississippi River to Union Army in early July, and French occupation of Mexico City in June. Texas (Brazos Valley) cotton must be seized for New England mills.. 2. By July 1863 Federal arm~es (40,000 troops) are threatening Texas (10,000 troop~) from three directions: north -- (Indian Territory, now Oklahoma) and from central Arkansas, east-- southern Louisiana, and from the south -- by expected sea landings at Sabine Pass, Galveston, and along the southern Gulf Coast. The crisis builds. The Reserve Army of Texas must be concentrated in the most mobile place possible so it can fight each Federal army in detail (separately) ifit hopes to have any hope of victory. The new commander (Major General John B. Magruder) is ordered to get out of Houston and stay with his troops. The railroad, with its hub in Houston. offered the Confederates the best hope for rapid concentration against the current foes. The Confederate command of the Trans-Mississippi now in Shreveport concludes in early July that North Texas is now the most threatened. 3. The Reserve Army of Texas is ordered to concentrate at Millican, and when ready march on to North Texas (Dallas and Bonham). Somewhere around 2,000 troops pass through Millican during July and August of 1863, and around 1,000 troops are camped nearby (perhaps at Spring Creek said to be 7 miles away). 4. The Headquarters of the Department of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona (Major General 1. B. Magruder and staff) move from Houston to "near Millican" in early July and remain there for nearly two months. ''Near Millican" was apparently where most of Magruder's troops were camped on Spring Creek. about 7 miles from Millican. Courier service from Magruder's HQ to the railroad telegraph office at Millican station provided Magruder with rapid dispatch service to Houston and Galveston, etc. Over a dozen dispatches are recorded from/to Magruder at "near Millican" during July and August of 1863. A few dispatches were made at Millican station as Magruder and staff boarded/left the trains. 5. By September 4, 1863, a large Federal force is reported leaving Louisiana by ship for landings in Texas. Spies say Sabine Pass. Magruder orders Sabine Pass rapidly fortified and all north texas troops to rapidly return to Millican to be able to concentrate against the }'ederalsat Niblett's Bluft'(near Vinton. LA and Orange, TX) on Sabine River, Magruder leaves Millican around September 9 by railroad and heads to Houston and then 'Beaumont. 6. Confederate victory over Federals at Sabine Pass on September 8 halts exodus of Reserve I Army from Millican since Federals captured Ft. Smith and Little Rock. Arkansas by 9-10. 7. Confederates continue to concentrate cavalry regiments along railroad from Millican to Hempstead during Fal11863. 9-13: Brig. Gen. R. M. Gano ordered to Millican (from Morgan's Raiders in Kentucky). 9-15: The cavalry of the battalions ordered to Millican are no doubt preparing for the march. 9-19: Gould's Regiment to assemble at Millican. 8. In early November 1863, Federal Army of the Gulfreturns and lands 20,000 troops along Gulf coastal islands from Rio Grande (South Padre Island to Matagorda Peninsula), but not Galveston Island. Port Isabel, Corpus Christi, Port Aransas, Indianola and Port Lavaca captured within days. 11'-21, 12-2, 12-25: North Texas cavalry recalled through railhead of Millican during November and December 1863. Most go on to Houston and then to Columbus and southwestern railhead at Alleytown. 11-22: An artillery battery leaves Millican on railroad for Columbus via Houston. There were at least two at Millican. 9. All military stores warehoused around San Antonio and other areas threatened by coastal Federal invasion ordered by Magruder to be moved to Millican, the terminus of the Texas Central Railroad. (12-11). 10. Federal invasion of coastal Texas (under Banks) stalls out during winter and is contained. 1864 1. During 1864 Millican became a safe place for the Confederates to store military supplies and keep Federal prisoners that were captured along the coast. The Federals foolishly tried to attack Texas in March 1864 via Shreveport using the unpredictable Red River as their primary transportation system. As several thousand Confederate cavalry of Major General Tom Green's Division were wearily pulled out of defensive positions along the Gulf Coast and sent to Mansfield in northwestern Louisiana to stop the invasion, Navasota rather than Millican became the main point of departure from the railroad via Crockett to Mansfield. 2. By May 1864 with the Federals in retreat back to New Orleans, and with all Federal troops being withdrawn from coastal Texas (the last had been recalled to save the Federals stalled for weeks at Alexandria), the Federal commander (Banks) made one last naval foray toward Texas near Lake Charles. A dispatch of 5-5-64 says: Send a courier via Millican to overtake regiments coming from North Texas. Direct Nichols' battery to proceed via Millican to Houston and Beaumont to Calcasieu Pass (Lake Charles) via railroad. 3. By Fall of 1864, the Confederates had a Federal prison camp operating near Millican. A dispatch from Major General 1. G. Walker (of Antietam fame) on 10-15-64 orders the prison commander to separate the prisoners into small groups and make the ones sick with yellow fever as comfortable as possible. This is the last Confederate dispatch recorded on Millican. 1865 1. Federal troops: 114th Ohio, then 7 co's of 29th Illinois, and then some of Major General George A. Custer's cavalry are posted around Millican during the Summer 1865.