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The History of The 3rd TEXAS Cavalry
1861 - 1865

Texas was eager to get into the war, and General Ben McCulloch was raising a ten thousand-man force. He was calling for Texans to form a cavalry regiment, post haste, to join him at Fort Smith, Arkansas. A regiment of Texas cavalry was soon formed from east Texas and these boys were jubilant to join this famed Texan. They were being formed to combat a threat, or at least a believed threat, from Kansas and, in what then was called, Indian Territory. It was believed that northern sympathizers were going to spur people on, in Kansas and Missouri, into anti-slavery guerrillas. It was also feared that some of the Indians would be persuaded to join northern sympathizers. The Confederate government was convinced that the Jayhawkers were going to attack through Indian country. Thus, General McCulloch called for regiments of cavalry to join his force. There were several other cavalry regiments being form that would soon join this group. The "3rd" was the first to leave Texas.

Ben McCulloch had come to Texas with Davey Crockett. He has fought for Texas independence and was a veteran of the battle of San Jacinto and commanded one of the famous twin sister cannons. He had served as a Texas Ranger and led a contingent of Texans in the War with Mexico in 1847. He was a hardened Indian fighter. He had been a US Marshal, a Texas Legislator, and lead a group of Texans to force the Federal garrison at the Alamo to surrender themselves to the newly formed Confederacy of the State of Texas. He was the embodiment of Texas. He was a "Texas legend" in his own time.

The 3rd Texas Regiment was mustered into service in June of 1861 in Dallas, Texas. The Commanding Officers were Col. E. B. Greer, Lt. Col. W.P. Lane, and Major C.W. Chilton.

There were a total of 1097 mustered to fight. They were ready to enter the fight. They went well supplied for war. A train shipment of three-dozen freight-wagons arrived for them from San Antonio. This was part of the US arms stores that had been captured from General Twiggs, which McCulloch had demanded and received, at the surrender of the Federal garrison housed in the Alamo some months before. The train cars full of supplies included 4 six-pound cannons, the caissons, and the mules to pull them. The regiment was now armed with 1547 pistols, 226 Shotguns, 352 Long arms, 100 assorted carbines and 52 Sharps carbines.

Elections were held, and the Company Commanders were settled upon. They were:

Company A: Captain Thomas W. Winston, Eastern Harrison Co, Texas
Company B: Captain Robert H. Cumby, Rusk County
Company C: Captain Francis M. Taylor, Cherokee County
Company D: Captain Stephen M. Hale, Hunt & Fannin Counties
Company E: Captain Daniel M. Short, San Augustine & Shelby Counties
Company F: Captain Isham Chism, Kauffman & Dallas Counties
Company G: Captain Hinche P. Mabry, Jefferson County
Company H: Captain Jonathan L. Russell, Upshur County
Company I: Captain John Author Bryan, Cass County
Company K: Captain David Y Gains, Smith County

Elkanah Brackin Greer was born in Paris, Tennessee on October 11, 1825. He fought in the Mexican War of 1847 with the 1st Mississippi Rifles. In 1848, he moved to Marshal, Texas. Greer was the first Colonel of the 3rd Texas Cavalry and by wars end had obtain the rank of Brigadier General. He died on March 25, 1877.

Colonel E. B. Greer`s Cavalry Regiment, as the 3rd Texas Cavalry was known in the beginning, was the first Texas cavalry regiment to be mustered for out-of-state service. This regiment of Texas cavalry was not yet known as the 3rd Texas Cavalry. Richmond had not assigned numbers to its Confederate volunteer cavalry from Texas. The unit was officially sworn in on June 13, 1861. It soon headed toward the border of Texas and planning to join General McCulloch at Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Their first journey was to take them through Indian Territory, which comprised the present state of Oklahoma and was home to some 56,000 members of the Five Civilized Tribes (Nations). These tribes were the Cherokees, Choctaws, Chickasaws, Creeks and Seminoles. These tribes had also settled in Arkansas and parts of the Ozarks, which included portions of Missouri. The Confederate government had entered into negotiations with the various tribes and had encouraged the formation of four Native American cavalry regiments to fight for the South. The 3rd Texas traveled on what was known as the Texas road into the Choctaw Nation. When they arrived at Boggy Creek, they set up camp. On July 19th, two Choctaw ladies presented the unit with a regimental flag. The Choctaw put on a show for them in their honor and, "One thousand tawny sons of the prairie drawn up in a vast circle?heavy, whirling, racing round and round, singing, yelling the war whoop, firing pistols, all wild and delirious with excitement."

Click here to view a map of the Indian Territory

The regiment continued on its journey and arrived at Fort Smith on July 27th. There, they discovered that General McCulloch had left toward Missouri and that they were to proceed post haste to join them.