After Action Report - Jefferson, TX -- The 9th Texas Infantry

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

Monday, June 02, 6:13pm [ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, [5], 6, 7 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: Friday, May 11, 12:52pm
Author: Jeff Gibbs
Subject: After Action Report - Jefferson, TX

Gentlemen please accept this report as the official action report(muster) for Co.C, Palmer Guards, 1st Texas Volunteer Infantry*

*this report is not given in chronological order as you will see the reason as you read the report

Co.C, 1st Texas(13th Maine) was called into action as an expeditionary force from Shreveport to Jefferson, Texas to seek out a supply route into East Texas as part of the Red River Campaign.

We arrived on the outskirts of town with elements of the 6th Texas, 9th Texas, Texas Rifles and the 3rd Arkansas. We engaged heavily with a strong force of Confederates including cavalry, artillery and infantry. Our commanding unit was led by General d. Gross. As we left the shelter of the tree line we immediately came under fire by a battery of 4 enemy cannon. Although the shell burst were extremely close to the column the men's discipline held together and we double quick marched to our line of artillery suffering no casualties. Once our guns returned fire we lost all sight of our general and his command. Our right flank was covered by our cavalry who had dismounted and taken shelter from the artillery in a grove of pecan trees. With our artillery on our left and trying to conceal our position from enemy guns I realized our cavalry was soon to engage in overwhelming numbers of enemy infantry. Space being limited due to our attempts to stay out of enemy fire and within the safety of the trees, I deployed in a column of companies en masse with the intent to draw the enemy away from the cavalry and onto a small company. The smoke from our cannons partially obscure our position until the right moment when I ordered , on the second company, by company into line, the entire battalion hit them at full strength repelling them backwards. Reports from the prisoners we took confirmed their shock in out "mysterious, almost magical appearance out of a puff of smoke". They fled the field leaving 6 artillery pieces with horses, and 38 prisoners. Our casualty count was very minimal.

That afternoon our reconnaissance parties reported the main body of Confederate forces had vacated the town leaving only a small guard attachment. We moved into town, still at a loss of the whereabouts our General Gross. Without support of out main body or cavalry we did enter the town at the disgust of the citizenry who were under the impression we were there to torch the town. It took some convincing of the town leaders the reassure them our intent was to "win the hearts and minds" of the good citizens. We would only seek minimal resupply. At the hotel where headquarters were to be established, a discovery was made of an officer and 5 guard who surrendered easily to our numbers, and were turned over to our cavalry....

At this point I, Jon Butcher, aide de camp to Major Bringhurst must complete the report. The Major was discussing maters with the remaining Confederate captain who had a female civilian under his care. Not knowing this was a colonels wife, Major Bringhurst assumed, since the woman was in the companionship of 6 men in a hotel, she was of "an uncertain moral occupation". The resulting conversation resulted in a violent altercation. The Major lost all control and ordered the execution of the prisoners and then drew his pistol and took careful aim at the females cranium. At that point the town mayor fired a shot at the Major wounding him in the right forearm. The enemy forces then attacked from the opposite side of town. Major Bringhurst was incapacitated from his wound so Captain Thompson of the engineer corp ordered the hasty construction of a barricade across the street. Our men soon took up a defensive position and held 4 wave attacks down the narrow street inflicting heavy casulaties on the enemy. The funnel effect was to our advantage until the cavalry lost their stomach to fight and gave ground. Without support and running low on ammo, Capt. Thompson gave the order to withdraw. I am ashamed to say, but I lost all contact with Major Bringhurst. As our stragglers began coming back into our lines that night we heard rumors that the Reb colonel, hearing of his wife's humiliating ordeal shot Major Bringhurst numerous times. We still do not know his fate.

The following day found our men in a sense of desperation to get back to the river to meet with our supply boats. General Gross finally made a short appearance with a loss of almost 80% of his command. Our casualties had reduced us to a large 60 man company under Capt. Thompsopn and Capt. Young. Our attempt to locate the position of our supply route was thwarted by a large enemy force. With supplies low and the men suffering from their wounds, Capt. Thompson made the command decision to seek a cease fire. He approached the Confederate command under a flag of truce. He was escorted by Sgt Lind and Privates J.Gibbs and G. Bringhurst(the Major's cousin). All was proceeding well until Pvt. Bringhurst realized the CSDA colonel was the same man who shot the Major. The two private began protesting the decision to surrender. The Sgt. tried to take control when Pvt. Gibbs struck him with his rifle butt. Pvt. Bringhurst then, in a fit of rage, shot the Colonel in the back. The melee which resulted was devastating. The last I saw of the murderous private he appeared to be aspirating on his own blood from a neck wound. Approximately 65% of the company became casualties or prisoners.

Jon Butcher, Captain,
Aide de Camp to Mjaor Bringhurst

members present were:
Major M. Bringhurst
Sgt. C. Wise
Cpl. M. Miller
Pvt. S. Burns
" K. Evans
" J. Hallinan
" F. Loudat
" J. Powell
" A. Thibodeaux

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]