Volume 14 No. 7 December, 2001 C ONFEDERATE GAZETTE

Sibley Exhibit Opened December 1st NEW EXHIBIT AT HILL COLLEGE MUSEUM The Hill College History campaign, which led to the more hard fighting. Center’s Confederate Re- capture of Albuquerque In 1863, General Tom search Center and Texas and Santa Fe, the Texas Green became the com- Confederate Heritage Museum recently Brigade ran low on sup- mander of the brigade. In 1864, the brigade joined Gazette other Confederate troops in Louisiana at the battle of Mansfield, there the Union Is a monthly publication forces were defeated pre- of the venting them from invading East Texas. Robert M. White After the war, veterans Camp #1250 of the Sibley/Green Texas Sons of Confederate Brigade, formed a life long Veterans alliance through their Bri- Temple, Texas gade association. For many years the Sibley/Green Bri- gade Association held re- Web Site: unions in various towns in www.rootsweb.com/~tx1250 Texas, as was the custom

opened a major exhibit at Above, the Texas Heritage Mu- Cannon tube Greg Manning seum at the Hillsboro Col- used by Sibley’s Commander lege. The new exhibit fea- Brigade; Rt. 1 Box 1737 tures artifacts from the Kempner, TX 76539 Sibley/Green Brigade and Right, Sibley’s formally opened letter book used on December 1, 2001. during the war. John C. Perry General Henry Hop- Editor kins, Sibley's Texas Bri- P.O. Box 794 gade, 4th, 5th & 7th Texas Salado, TX 76571 Mounted Volunteer Regi- ment, invaded plies and retreated back to of the day. In 1926, the

territory in February of Texas. They buried eight of Brigade Veterans, then few 1862. Their mission was their cannons in Albuquer- in number, joined with © 2001, Major Robert M. White to secure the Arizona and que to reduce their bur- the veterans of another Camp #1250 Sons of Confederate Veterans New Mexico territories as den on the retreat. After famous Texas brigade, Temple, Texas the beginning of the west- fighting at the battle of Gal- Hood's, and from 1926 to

ward expansion of the veston on January 1, 1933 they held joint meet- Confederacy. 1863, the Texas Brigade ings in Bryan Texas. After a successful was sent to Louisiana for (Continued on page 4) Page 2 Volume 14 Issue 7 C ONFEDERATE PROFILE HENRY H. SIBLEY War Department paid s Southern The conical shaped tent Sibley a $5.00 royalty for states began was modeled after Sioux every tent manufactured. to leave the wigwams and was able to Payments, however, A accommodate 20 men. Union in 1861 so did many stopped when Sibley left of the officers that com- The tent design was raised the . The tent manded Federal troops in on an iron tripod and was was in regular U.S. Army the southwestern Indian supported by a center issue until the 1890's. Territory. Men like Briga- pole. One of its advan- His pre-War Between dier General Albert Sidney tages was the ease in the States days were spent Johnston, Major James erecting the tent, which fighting Indians in what is Longstreet, Captain Rich- purportedly could be done today New Mexico and Ari- ard Ewell, and Lieutenant in two minutes. The huge zona. As Southern states Joseph Wheeler were all began leaving the Union, Leader of Texas Southerners, and they left Sibley was the experienced Federal command posi- commander of the 2nd Troops and tions in the southwest. Dragoons at Taos, New One of the men that left Inventor Mexico. He resigned from the Federal army was Ma- the U.S. Army on May jor Henry Hopkins Sibley, 13,1861, ironically, the commander of the 2nd very day that he received a Dragoons in the New Mex- promotion from captain to ico Territory. Sibley, an major. He immediately left inventor and experienced New Mexico for El Paso, Indian fighter, left New Texas, and there wrote a Mexico, but vowed to re- letter expressing his pro turn to claim the territory Southern feelings. "We are for the newly formed Con- at last under the glorious federacy, telling the re- banner of the Confederate maining Federal soldiers, Henry H. Sibley States of America," Sibley "Boys, if you only knew it, I wrote. am the worst enemy you In El Paso, Sibley have." tent was over 18 feet in joined the Confederate Sibley was born in Nat- diameter and 12 feet high. Army as a colonel, and chitoches, Louisiana on At the top was a one foot then made his way to Rich- May 25, 1816. In 1838 he round opening for ventila- mond, Virginia. There he graduated from West Point tion in warm weather and was able to secure an ap- and began a long and var- for a stove pipe in cool pointment with Confeder- ied career of military ser- weather. Sibley also in- ate President Jefferson vice. Almost immediately vented a type of stove pipe Davis. Davis was anxious after graduation he saw to be used in the tent. to meet with Sibley, who combat in the The tent was adopted Davis knew as an experi- War of 1838-39. He by the U.S. Army and was enced soldier with much served in the Utah Expedi- popular, in spite of its 73 knowledge about the tion against the Mormons pound weight, in service in southwest. Davis had long and was brevetted for gal- the west before the War felt that the New Mexico lantry in the Mexican War. Between the States. Dur- Territory was strategically Sibley, utilizing his ing the War it is estimated important to the South. military experience in- that 43,000 Sibley tents Sibley convinced Davis to vented the Sibley tent and were used, mainly in per- give him the authority to the Sibley stove. He pat- manent camps, because raise volunteer troops in ented the designs in 1856. its weight made it too heavy for field use. The (Continued on page 3) Confederate Gazette Page 3

be a death march for some Confederate through the desert. Sibley's casualties were Camp Schedule Profile estimated as high as (Continued from page 2) 2,000, many dying on the December, 2001 Texas. With the troops he return march. would lead an expedition As Sibley's men began December 7-9th: Annual into the New Mexico Terri- to straggle into San Anto- Christmas at Old Fort tory to rid the territory of nio, Sibley reorganized the Concho, San Angelo, TX. Federal troops. brigade. He gave all the survivors a 60 day leave. Sibley left Richmond th th Men continued to filter into December 10 : 10 An- in July as a Brigadier Gen- nual UDC District IV Con- eral and commander of San Antonio the entire federate Christmas the Department of New summer of 1862. Mexico. Sibley raised an Sibley spent the rest Gala, 5:30-11:00 P.M. almost all Texas volunteer of the year regrouping his army, although it took him men and supplies. His December 11th: Regular over four months to do so. goal was to lead them Camp Meeting, 7:00 Sibley had three complete again out of Texas, but this P.M. at King’s Daughters time in a easterly direction. regiments, the 4th, 5th Hospital in Temple, TX. and 7th Texas Mounted Before his 1,300 men could leave the state they Speaker: John Larson. Volunteers, totalling about 3,700 men. were called in late Decem- December Camp January, 2002 Sibley and his army ber, 1862, to assist in the Meeting: first moved to the aban- recapture of Galveston, doned Federal outpost at Texas. This was accom- January 12th: Annual , Texas in De- plished on January 1, Robert E. Lee-Stonewall cember of 1861. In Janu- 1863 and Sibley's men Jackson Dinner Meeting, 1. Election of ary of 1862 he then in- performed well. Inn at Scott & White, In early 1863 Sibley Officers vaded the New Mexico 7:00 PM. Territory. They found a and his men, including the 2. Speaker: John Valverde Battery, entered larger Federal force at Fort February, 2002 Larson Craig, but was able to de- Louisiana. They joined feat the Federals at the Major General Richard Tay- . During lor's Confederate Army of February 12th: Regular the fight Sibley removed about 6,000 men. Taylor Camp Meeting, 7:00 himself from command was anything but im- P.M. at King’s Daughters due to "illness." Many ac- pressed with Sibley's men. Hospital in Temple, TX. cused him of being drunk He described them as, "The men were hardy and Speaker: George Ballen- rather than ill during the tine, “John Pelham: battle. many of the officers brave and zealous. but the value Lee's Boy Artillerist” Fresh from victory at Valverde Sibley's army of these qualities was less- then moved north and ened by lack of disci- March, 2002 captured Albuquerque and pline . . . Officers and men the territorial capital of address each other as March 12th: Regular Santa Fe. In March, at a Tom, Dick, or Harry, and Camp Meeting, 7:00 had no more conception of two day fight at Glorieta P.M. at King’s Daughters Pass, New Mexico, called military gradations than that of celestial hierarchy Hospital in Temple, TX. by some, The Gettysburg of the West, a portion of of the poets." Sibley's army was winning Sibley and his men April, 2002 the battle, but in the rear were first assigned along having all its supplies de- the Teche River. In fight- April 13th: Quarterly stroyed. Sibley, with dwin- ing around Fort Bisland, Camp Dinner Meeting, dling supplies, eventually Louisiana on April 13-14th 7:00 P.M., TBA was forced to withdraw Taylor's army was forced to and make a 700 mile withdraw. Sibley’s old march back to San Anto- problem with too much nio, in what turned out to drinking apparently con- (Continued on page 4) Henry Sibley Museum Exhibit photocopiers or even carbon paper. (Continued from page 3) Their secretaries wrote copies of (Continued from page 1) their communications in books de- tributed to several poor judgment The new exhibit features a decisions. He received much of the signed for that purpose. This exhibit Sibley Brigade reunion banner, do- is the first public showing of the let- blame for the Confederate failure. nated to the museum by the Sibley Taylor removed him as the brigade ter book, and it is a rare family. Prior to this exhibit, this flag relic indeed! The Sibley Brigade can- commander, putting him in charge of has never been on public exhibit. A the baggage train. He also pressed nons, which were buried in Albuquer- Sibley stove que, charges against Sibley for disobedi- is featured in ence and un-officer like conduct. were recovered this ex- in 1889. Four of Sibley spent the remainder of hibit along the war doing virtually nothing. At them now reside with memo- in the his court martial trial in September rabilia from of 1863 he was found not guilty, be- Histori- reunions in- cal Society Mu- cause of, "a train of circumstances." cluding pho- Apparently Sibley convinced Taylor seum in Den- tographs ver. The mu- that he was not incapacitated due to and Green/ drinking, but rather due to illness. In seum has gra- Hood Brigade ciously loaned March of 1865, General Kirby Smith association reported that he was without a com- one of them, reunion tube only, to the mand and not on duty. broadsides. When the war was over Sibley museum for dis- General play in the cur- went abroad. He served as a gen- Sibley's letter book, from the Sibley Reunion Flag eral in the from 1869 rent exhibit. This is the very , was first time one of these Texas to 1873. He then returned to the loaned to the museum by the family and lectured on his Confederate cannons has been in of Captain T. D. Nettles. Nettles Texas since 1862! adventures in . In his final served in the 5th Texas Mounted Vol- years he lived in poor health and The exhibit will be on display unteer Regiment during the cam- thru the fall of 2002. For more infor- poverty. Sibley died in Fredericks- paign in New Mexico, and then with burg, Virginia on August 23, 1886, at mation call 254-582-2555 extension the famous Valverde Battery. During 295, or visit the Texas Heritage Mu- the age of 70. He is buried in Fred- the war, commanders did not have ericksburg. seum in Hillsboro.

P.O. Box 794 Salado, TX 76571