g2 THE WAR AND ITS HEROES. to the ?<>uth. Generals Karl Van Dora, K. K. Smith, Fields, Evans and Hardee were from ita rank.-. In the winter of 1855-6, Gem ral Hood entered upon the frontier service of Western Texas, where, in July following, he had a spirited engagement, and was wounded by tin' Indiana on Devil's river. A -hurt time before the beginning of the present war. he was ordered to report for duty at West Point, as instructor of cavalry. But anticipating the present difficulties, he was allowed, at his own request, to return to duty iu Texas — Ins object being, in view of all the prospects of impending dissolution, to be i" that i>orti.>n of the country which he most loved and so greatly admired. H ■• could w e do hope of rec mciliation or adjustment, but every indication of a fierce and bloody war; consequently, he had determined to cast his destiny with the South. On the 16th of April. 1861, he resigned his commission under the United States Government, and tendered hi> services to the Confederacy. His name was entered npon the roll with the rank of first lieutenant, and ordered to report to General Lee, in Virginia, who ordered him to report to General Bfagruder, on the Peninsula. Be was at ones placed in command of ail the cavalry of the lVuinsnla, with the rank ol' captain of regular cavalry. Having several successful engagements with the enemy, he was boob promoted to the rank of major. < ho September 30th, he was ordered to Riohmond, and, receiving the rank of colonel of infantry, was placed in command of the Fourth Regiment Texas Volunteers, th< d in oamp near the city. Very few of the men had ever seen him. and 'had.;.- were entertained whether a colonel could he appointed that would give satisfaction.
attempt had previously been made to organise
the regiment ander Colonel Allen, of Texas j hut. in consequence of a protest of some of the captains, the appointment was withdrawn. This produced a feeling with others, and it was thought that they would nut he satisfied with any one that might he appointed. Hut in a few days the feeling was gone, and every one seemed to be ; ont mU d. (lis commanding appearance, manly do* portment, ptioi courteous manners and decision of character, readily impressed tie i m q thai the man to govern them in the camp and command them on i; and his thorough acquaintance with every rtment of tie sen ice, satfefl n j i t the posi- tion. The men found him able and ready all the nee. . rj instruction, not only in drilling them for the field, hut also in the forms and technicalities of tin' clothing, commissary, ordinance and transport irtments — lor the want of which information, r< thee rvice frequently go hungry, and cem. q] ad quartermasters make many fruitless trips. On the s :h and 9th of r, L8 il, the Ith and 5th Texas regiments left Richmond and arrived at Dumfi the L2th instant, and were there organised into a brigade, under Colonel Wigfall, of the State of Texas, who, to this end, had . the appointment of hi' aeral. ]>ut, as he was the £ from the State of Texas, after the meeting of Congress, he resigned; and on the 3d of March, 1862, Colonel Hood was appointed to take
