Bell County Spring 2017 Historical Commission Vol. 26, No. 3 Newsletter Bell County Courthouse Belton, Texas 76513
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Folks interested in the history of General John Bell Hood, after whom Fort Hood is named, will sooner or later learn about a woman in Houston who in 1865, toward the end of the War Between the States, had her gold jewelry melted down and fashioned into nine little one-inch stars. She gave the gold stars to Senator Louis Wigfall of the Confederate Congress with instructions to give them to General Robert E. Lee to be given to the “nine bravest men in Hood’s brigade.” Today only one of the gold stars is known to have survived. It’s on display at Texas Heritage Museum at Hill College in Hillsboro. On the museum’s label one may read that Pauline Knight Perkins of Athens donated her legendary and coveted Texas Gold Star medal that her grand uncle, SCV James Bozeman, researcher, in charge of ceremony at North Belton ceremony Private James Polk Knight, received. The Texas Gold Star remained in her family for 150 years. Soon after the war began in April 1861 with the attack on the United States’ Fort Sumter at Charleston, South Carolina, 17-year-old Jacob Hemphill enlisted in Company H, 5th Texas Infantry Regiment. The 5th TX, soon to be ordered to Hood’s Texas Brigade and composed of men from JACOB HEMPHILL southeastern Texas counties, participated in almost every campaign in which Hood’s Brigade was involved, according to James Bozeman. Second Lieutenant Commander, Major Robert M. White SGT, CO H Camp #1250, Sons of Confederate Veterans. Camp #1250 members learned about Hemphill, who rose to the rank of sergeant during his 5th Texas INF, CSA four years of service, from SCV member Joe Walker of Waco, who volunteers at the Texas Civil War Museum in Fort Worth. Not only did they learn about Hemphill’s service during the war, SERVICE DATES: but that he had lived and died in nearby Florence and is buried at North Belton Cemetery; they learned also that he had been awarded one of the nine Texas Gold Stars, an honor bestowed by a AUG. 20, 1861 - APR. 9, 1865 soldier’s compatriots and decided to honor his memory with a monument citing his service. United Daughters of the Confederacy Chapter #101 dedicated a Confederate Iron Cross, as well. Martha Hartzog of Austin, president, Hood’s Texas Bozeman located Hemphill’s grave at North Belton Cemetery, but remembers that he was Brigade Association Re-Activated, at Jacob Hemphill disappointed that the gravestone did not mention his service to the Confederacy. The Camp decided monument dedication to remedy the oversight and subsequently placed a gray Texas granite marker at Hemphill’s grave with information about the soldier’s endurance and courage as he survived four injuries; slightly hurt at the Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run), he then was badly wounded at Sharpsburg (Antietam). Then assigned to a unit that fought at Gettysburg, he participated at Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge, then returned to Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Fighting Union cavalry in White Oak Swamp, he was unable to return to battle for six months after a ball entered his neck, broke his underjaw and exited from the back of his neck. When Lee said, “Stack Arms” at Appomattox, Hemphill was there, then began the trek back home to Texas. A.L.
Texas Order of Confederate Rose member Joyce Jones Major Robert M. White Camp #1250 SCV members performing rose delivering four-gun salute at Texas Gold Star dedication ceremony in Belton
8 9 BCHC Newsletter Spring 2017 BCHC Newsletter Spring 2017 Nine Texas Gold Stars presented... only one survives!
Folks interested in the history of General John Bell Hood, after whom Fort Hood is named, will sooner or later learn about a woman in Houston who in 1865, toward the end of the War Between the States, had her gold jewelry melted down and fashioned into nine little one-inch stars. She gave the gold stars to Senator Louis Wigfall of the Confederate Congress with instructions to give them to General Robert E. Lee to be given to the “nine bravest men in Hood’s brigade.” Today only one of the gold stars is known to have survived. It’s on display at Texas Heritage Museum at Hill College in Hillsboro. On the museum’s label one may read that Pauline Knight Perkins of Athens donated her legendary and coveted Texas Gold Star medal that her grand uncle, SCV James Bozeman, researcher, in charge of ceremony at North Belton ceremony Private James Polk Knight, received. The Texas Gold Star remained in her family for 150 years. Soon after the war began in April 1861 with the attack on the United States’ Fort Sumter at Charleston, South Carolina, 17-year-old Jacob Hemphill enlisted in Company H, 5th Texas Infantry Regiment. The 5th TX, soon to be ordered to Hood’s Texas Brigade and composed of men from JACOB HEMPHILL southeastern Texas counties, participated in almost every campaign in which Hood’s Brigade was involved, according to James Bozeman. Second Lieutenant Commander, Major Robert M. White SGT, CO H Camp #1250, Sons of Confederate Veterans. Camp #1250 members learned about Hemphill, who rose to the rank of sergeant during his 5th Texas INF, CSA four years of service, from SCV member Joe Walker of Waco, who volunteers at the Texas Civil War Museum in Fort Worth. Not only did they learn about Hemphill’s service during the war, SERVICE DATES: but that he had lived and died in nearby Florence and is buried at North Belton Cemetery; they learned also that he had been awarded one of the nine Texas Gold Stars, an honor bestowed by a AUG. 20, 1861 - APR. 9, 1865 soldier’s compatriots and decided to honor his memory with a monument citing his service. United Daughters of the Confederacy Chapter #101 dedicated a Confederate Iron Cross, as well. Martha Hartzog of Austin, president, Hood’s Texas Bozeman located Hemphill’s grave at North Belton Cemetery, but remembers that he was Brigade Association Re-Activated, at Jacob Hemphill disappointed that the gravestone did not mention his service to the Confederacy. The Camp decided monument dedication to remedy the oversight and subsequently placed a gray Texas granite marker at Hemphill’s grave with information about the soldier’s endurance and courage as he survived four injuries; slightly hurt at the Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run), he then was badly wounded at Sharpsburg (Antietam). Then assigned to a unit that fought at Gettysburg, he participated at Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge, then returned to Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Fighting Union cavalry in White Oak Swamp, he was unable to return to battle for six months after a ball entered his neck, broke his underjaw and exited from the back of his neck. When Lee said, “Stack Arms” at Appomattox, Hemphill was there, then began the trek back home to Texas. A.L.
Texas Order of Confederate Rose member Joyce Jones Major Robert M. White Camp #1250 SCV members performing rose delivering four-gun salute at Texas Gold Star dedication ceremony in Belton
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