Welcome to The 3rd TEXAS CAVALRY Reenactors on the net

Continued...Part 3

Bugler Albert B. Blocker was a member of Company A of the 3rd Texas Cavalry.

He is pictured here with a cavalry saber. The images in this text have been colorized to bring some realism to the black and white photographs of the period. It is probable that this image was taken later in the war as there is not a coat og tunic worn by Albert Blocker.

During the next several months disease hit the Confederate troops and many died from the results of contracting measles and typhoid fever. The regiment lost 18 dead and 145 others were dropped from the rolls. McCulloch army was to be station in and around the area for some time. There was a brief threat from Union forces and this caused them to reenter Springfield Missouri on November 19th but the threat has dissipated. General McCulloch finally worth drew its forces to Arkansas and the cavalry took winter camp about 12 miles east of Van Buren. During this time, three more cavalry regiments joined General McCulloch?s forces. They were the 6th Texas Cavalry, 11th Texas Cavalry and the 27th Texas Cavalry. Soon the 9th Texas Cavalry would complete the cavalry force from Texas but not before they had encountered another fight. These regiments formed what became known as the Texas Brigade. McCulloch had to contend with politics pointed in his direction from General Sterling Price and left to go to Richmond and try and put out the fires. This put Lt. Colonel James M. McIntosh of the second Arkansas Mounted Riflemen in charge while he was gone.

On December 17th Colonel McIntosh ordered the command to break camp and proceed into Indian Territory. The South was inhabited by several Indian nations and they had divided loyalties. Some fought for the Confederacy, some against it and some against those who fought for either side. The Union had convinced about 2,200 Cherokees to fight for the North and the Confederacy had some 1400 of the Cherokees on their side. The Choctaws and Chickasaws were loyal to the Confederacy but the Creeks were roughly divided in about half with 1,575 for the North and 1,695 for the South. Thus the stage was set for a Civil War with in the Indians Nation on which side they would support during the war between the North and South.

On December 17th Colonel McIntosh ordered the command to break camp and proceed into Indian Territory. The South was inhabited by several Indian nations and they had divided loyalties.

Some fought for the Confederacy, some against it and some against those who fought for either side. The Union had convinced about 2,200 Cherokees to fight for the North and the Confederacy had some 1400 of the Cherokees on their side. The Choctaws and Chickasaws were loyal to the Confederacy but the Creeks were roughly divided in about half with 1,575 for the North and 1,695 for the South. Thus the stage was set for a Civil War with in the Indians Nation on which side they would support during the war between the North and South.

There was a brief skirmish between Coopers Indians and a contingent of the newly formed 9th Texas Cavalry on November 19, near Round Mountain. A Chief in the Creek Nation, Chief Opothleyahola had moved his Creeks toward joining the Union. He had attacked Confederate supplies and he was soon attacked by the Confederate troops in the area. There was some confusion with Indians fighting Indians and the Confederate troops not being able to tell them apart. This problem was soon solved by having tie red and blue strings tied around the arms of both the Confederate troops and the Indians they were fighting with. Three weeks after this skirmish, another one occurred on December 9th. The Texas engaged in this fight were victorious but were caught in the snow and many became very sick due to exposure to the elements. Since the threat was real, Cooper called on McIntosh for help. In a strange twist of ironies, a portion of Texas Brigade, which included the 11th Texas Cavalry, met up with Coopers Confederate Indians on December 20, 1961. The Indians on the Confederate side consisted of some Choctaws Cherokees and Chickasaws tribes. The opposing Indians were Chief Opothleyahola warriors of the Creek Nation. They had engaged Confederate troops earlier at Cimarron River on November 19, 1861 and caused the Confederates engaged to call for reinforcements. This caused the Confederate command of about 1380 men to venture into Indian Territory, rendezvousing at Fort Gibson with Coopers Confederate Indians.

Douglas H. Cooper was born in Mississippi in 1815. He served with the 1st Mississippi Rifles in the Mexican War in 1847.

He was a Federal Indian agent in 1851 and after the war began was commissioned Colonel of the 1st Choctaw and Chickasaw Mounted Rifles. He later became a brigadier General and commanded some 5000 Indians at one point in the war. He was a champion of Native American rights and represented the Chickasaw and Choctaws in legal action against the Untied States. He died in the Chickasaw Nation in 1879.