Waightstill Avery Montgomery—Civil War Veteran

Waightstill is my 2^nd great-grandfather, the grandfather of my granddad, Carl Buford Gaines. This is his obituary:

The reaper - Death - took from our midst on March 30 at 3 o'clock p.m., our friend and neighbor, father and grandfather, Waightstill A. Montgomery. He was born in North Carolina in 1834, came to Texas in the early fifties, was married to Miss Mary E. Largent, 1858. To them were born eleven children, seven girls and four boys, who reside at the following places:

Mrs. B.D. Rodgers, W.A. Montgomery, Jr., Joe Montgomery, Mrs. Willie Drain, live near the old home place near Fayburg in East Collin. Mrs. Julie Bilderback, Hugh Montgomery, Mr. J.E. Gaines, live in and near Durant, Oklahoma. Mrs. Pennington resides in western Texas. Dudly Montgomery died at the age of 17 and two children died in infancy.

Uncle Waits, as he was commingly [sic] known, gave his service to the Texas Rangers during the civil war. After the war closed he settled 17 miles east of McKinney. In May 1897 he lost his wife, then he broke up housekeeping, bought property in Durant, Oklahoma where he was living at the time of his death, with his son Hugh Montgomery. His wife was a sister of Joseph E. Largent of McKinney and W.B. Largent, who dies [sic] some ten years ago, also of McKinney. He joined the Christian church in 1887, and lived a devoted Christian life to the end. His remains were layed [sic] to rest in the old family graveyard one and one-half miles east of Fayburg on April the first 1908. Since all must die, since the blood of Christ has cleansed our beloved father and grandfather, from all unrighteousness, and since there was awaiting him a home with the redeemed, we reverently submit to the will of the "I am that I am." (From Weekly Democrat-Gazette, Thursday, April 23, 1908)

Waightstill A. Montgomery, merchant and farmer, was born in Burke county, North Carolina, January 6, 1834, was reared on a farm and has been identified with agricultural pursuits all his life. His father was Allen Montgomery, a native of North Carolina, and was by trade a saddler; he married Miss Susan Largent, daughter of Elijah Largent, of North Carolina, and by her became the father of fourteen children, of whom Waightstill is the fifth.

Waightstill A. Montgomery, in addition to his knowledge of farming, learned the trades of blacksmith, wagon-maker, and saddle-tree maker, and worked at these until and after the outbreak of the late war, in conjunction with farming, his original vocation. In 1857 he came to Texas, and in 1858 married Miss Mary E. Largent, daughter of Marcus L. Largent, of North Carolina. In 1862 Mr. Montgomery enlisted in the Confederate army, under Captain John K. Bumpass, Company F, of Martin's regiment, and served in the Indian Territory and Texas until the end of the desperate struggle, when he returned to his home and resumed farming, which occupation he followed until 1886, when he went into mercantile business with his eldest son, William A. Montgomery. The warehouse of the firm is located near the home farm, adjacent to Fayburgh and is stored with a full stock of general merchandise, meeting the wants and tastes of the whole neighborhood. The children born to Waightstill A. Montgomery and wife were eleven in number of whom nine survive and are named - Susan, William A., Julia, Alice, Delia, Joseph, Lena, Dudley and Hugh. Mr. Montgomery is a member of the Grange and the Farmers' Alliance, and also a firm adherent of the Christian church.

(From Biographical Souvenir of the State of Texas - Containing Biographical Sketches of the Representative Public, and Many Early Settled Families - Chicago: F.A. Battey & Company – 1889)

The Confederate unit Waightstill enlisted in was a part of the 5^th Partisan Texas Rangers. This is a summary of their service, compiled by John Luther:

Tthe 5th Texas Partisan Rangers Cavalry Regiment, also called Martin's Regiment, so named for it's commander Col. Leonidas Martin. The 5th Texas Partisan Rangers were formed with a consolidation of the 9th and 10th Texas Cavalry Battalion at Fort Washita, Indian Territory.

On April 24, 1863 the 5th Texas Partisan Rangers were engaged near Webber Falls in the Indian Territory to repel an expected raid by Union Col. William Phillips.

In May 1863 the 5th Texas Partisan Rangers engaged in a skirmish near Fort Gibson, Indian Territory. They unsuccessfully attacked a Union supply train five miles from Fort Gibson. Many Confederate Indians were killed in the raid.

On July 17, 1863 the 5th Texas Partisan Rangers fought in the Battle of Honey Springs, in the Creek Nation, near the present day town of Muskogee, Oklahoma. The 5th Texas Partisan Rangers formed the Confederate center on the battlefield. During the battle their line was broken by a Union charge that occurred during a breakdown in communications in the Confederate command. Much of the gunpowder used by the Confederate force at Honey Springs was made in Mexico and of inferior quality. The damp, wet weather at Honey Springs caused the gunpowder to turn to paste which contributed to a Confederate defeat at the Battle of Honey Springs.

The Confederate Army was forced to retreat and scatter to find suitable grazing land for the cavalry mounts. Col. Martin and his troops were noted for their coolness during the retreat and Col. Martin's good management of the men.

On October 9, 1863 the 5th Texas Partisan Rangers were ordered to Bonham, Texas for service under General Henry McCulloch. They were ordered to round up deserters and bring order to the Northeast Texas area. Confederate General Sam Bell Maxey latter wrote that the 5th Texas Partisan Rangers were one of his best regiments and that Col. Martin was a good officer, too good in fact to be chasing deserters through the brush of Northeast Texas. Confederate General Henry McCulloch agreed and wrote that Col. Martin's men had done remarkable service considering the service they were ordered to do.

On November 10, 1863 the 5th Texas Partisan Rangers were placed in General Douglas H. Cooper's Brigade with Col. John Jumper's Seminole Battalion and Col. DeMorse's 29th Texas Cavalry.

On December 22, 1863 the 5th Texas Partisan Rangers were on furlough for Christmas. They were recalled and ordered to concentrate at McKinney and Pilot Grove to march to Gainesville, Texas to meet a threat of invasion by Kansas Jayhawkers and a small group of Union Cavalry troops. Although the Jayhawkers had entered Gainesville, they departed before the arrival of Col. Martin's men.

On March 21,1864 General Richard Gano took command of the brigade consisting of the 5th Texas Partisan Rangers. General Gano requested Col. Martin to report to him as to the state of arms possessed by the men of the regiment. On March 30, 1864 Col. Martin replied that 1/3 of his men were armed with shotguns, another 1/3 was armed with everything from squirrel rifles to mammoth Belgium rifles and the other 1/3 was completely unarmed.

In Richmond, Confederate President Jefferson Davis realized that the original enlistment for the Confederate States Army was nearing an end. He made a plea for all troops to re-enlist for the term of the war. Col. Leonidas Martin, commander of the 5th Texas Partisan Rangers made the following proclamation on behalf of his men in June 1864.

Whereas the 5th Cavalry, Texas Partisan Rangers, having re-enlisted for the war, in obedience to a call from our congress, the following resolutions expressive of their sentiments and feelings are adopted:

First. That we, the officers and men of Martin's Regiment, do most heartily and willingly tender our unanimous services and cordial support to our country in vigorously prosecuting the present war so long as the footprints of the vandal pollutes the soil of our beloved South, pledging ourselves never to sheathe the sword nor lay down the musket until sucess shall crown our efforts and an honorable peace be proclaimed throughout our land.

Second. That we esteem it a privilege and an honor to have the opportunity afforded us to thus make known to our friends at home that we still are determined to protect the sanctity of their homes, honor, lives, and property from the ruthless hirelings of the north, or sacrifice our lives upon the altar of our country; to our comrades in arms that we are resolved to stand by them as friend to friend in battling for the great and glorious cause for which they are so nobly contending.

Third. That we tender to our commanding officers our heary and cordial support in their efforts to drive the dastardly foe from our soil and in promoting the good and prosperity of our country. L. M. Martin Chairman/Geo. White Secretary.

General Sam Bell Maxey, commander of the Indian Territory added the following comments:

They breathe the right spirit. They show that desertion is not part of thr creed of these men. They pledge themselves, should occasion offer, to emulate the glorious heroes who from Virginia to New Mexico who have immortalized the Texas soldier. While Texans are upholding the honor and renown of their glorious state in this mighty struggle now going on - never before equaled in the world's history - what can be thought of the cowardly skulks who are now deserting their comrades and country, and of the equally low-down scuffs who uphold them in it? Let every soldier in the Indian Territory determine to be a man, and fight the thing out. Let desertion be a "stink ball" in the nostrils of every soldier.

S. B. Maxey Major General, Commanding.

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On the morning of July 27, 1864 the 5th Texas Partisan Rangers fought in the Battle of Massard's Prairie, 10 miles from Fort Smith, Arkansas. There they attacked Union General Thayer's outpost near the fort. The 5th Texas Partisan Rangers engaged the 6th Kansas Cavalry. The Kansas Cavalry troops were surprised by the attack. As a result it's horses were stampeded causing the Union Cavalry to fight dis-mounted. After a fighting retreat of a mile, the 6th Kansas Cavalry commander, Major David Mefford was unable to break the Confederate line and the 6th Kansas Cavalry surrendered.

On September 19, 1864 the 5th Texas Partisan Rangers participated in one of the most daring raids of the war, the Battle of Cabin Creek in the Indian Territory. In the early morning hours the 5th Texas Partisan Rangers, under General Richard Gano, waited in the timber on the Fort Scott road headed for Fort Gibson. At 2 a.m. the 5th Texas Partisan Rangers with the Confederate Indians under General Stand Watie attacked the Union wagon train. The wagon train was quickly surrounded by the Confederate force. General Gano used his artillery against the Union detachment guarding the supply train. Fearing reenforcements that might arrive the next day, General Gano's Texas Cavalry, with General Stand Watie's Confederate Indians drove in the Union right. The Union troops fled and left the million dollar supply train to the hungry, poorly clothed Confederate troops. General Gano said of his troops that they had marched 400 miles in 14 days and destroyed 1.5 million dollars in Union property that consisted of 225 wagons and $500,000.00 in U.S. currency. The Confederate Government in Richmond praised General Stand Watie and General Gano along with their troops for their noble raid.

On December 29, 1864 the 5th Texas Partisan Rangers were ordered to Bonham, Texas for temporary duty for General Henry McCulloch.

On February 26,1865 the 5th Texas Partisan Rangers were ordered to march for Marshall, Texas. When they arrived they were dis-mounted and told to prepare for a Union invasion force of 5,000 men that would strike the Texas coast from New Orleans. It was an invasion that would never come, as the war was almost at it's end. The following day the 5th Texas Partisan Rangers were consolidated into Gould's Brigade, also known as the 23rd Texas Cavalry due to the reduced numbers caused by death, disease, and desertion.

Sources

Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park Museum and Interpretation Center.

Official Records of the War Of The Rebellion of the Union and Confederate Armies.

General Stand Watie's Confederate Indians by Frank Cunningham

Civil War in the Western Choctaw Nation 1861-1865, the Atoka Historical Society.

Spoonemore Family History by Rick Gibson.

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Martin's Cavalry Regiment Col. Leonidas M. Martin's 5th TX Cav., Partisan Rangers

The Texas 5th Cavalry Regiment, Partisan Rangers was organized by the consolidation of the 9th Partisan Rangers Battalion and the 10th Cavalry Battalion in early 1863. The regiment came into Confederate service at Fort Washita, Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma) on February 6, 1863 by Brigadier General Albert Pike. The regiment existed for two years and three months and participated in several skirmishes and battles primarily in Indian Territory. Dismounted in March 1865. Surrendered by General E.K. Smith, commanding Trans-Mississippi Department, on May 26, 1865.

Engagements

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Fort Gibson, Indian Territory (skirmish) May 1863
Honey Springs, Indian Territory July 17, 1863
Perryville, Indian Territory, (skirmish) August 26, 1863
Massard Prairie, near Fort Smith, Arkansas [detachment] July 27, 1864
Cabin Creek, Indian Territory September 19, 1864

Regimental Field and Staff

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First Commander:
Leonidas M. Martin (Colonel)
Field Officers:

William M. Weaver (Lieutenant Colonel)
William N. Mayrant (Major)

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Regimental Journal

February 6, 1863
The 5th Texas Calvary Partisan Rangers organized at Fort Washita, Indian Territory. The regiment was a consolidation of the 10th Texas Calvary Battalian and the 9th Texas Cavalry Battalian.

April-October 1863
Assigned to Cooper's Brigade, Steele's Division, District of Arkansas, Trans-Mississippi Department

May 1863
Fought skirmish at Fort Gibson, Indian Territory

July 17, 1863
Battle of Honey Springs, Indian Territory

August 26, 1863
Fought skirmish at Perryville, Indian Territory

October 1863-July 1864
Assigned to Indian Territory, Trans-Mississippi Department

July 1864
Assigned to the District of Indian Territory, Trans-Mississippi Department

July 27, 1864
Fought the Battle of Massard's Prairie, near Fort Smith, Arkansas

September 1864
Assigned to Gano's Brigade, Cooper's (Indian) Division, District of the Indian Territory, Trans-Mississippi Department

September 19, 1864
Battle of Cabin Creek, Indian Territory

September 1864-February
Assigned to the 5th (Gano's) Texas Cavalry Brigade, 2nd (Maxey's) Texas Cavalry Division, 1st Corps, Trans-Mississippi

February
Assigned to Northern Sub-district, District of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, Trans-Mississippi Department

February-April 1865
Assigned to 3rd Texas Infantry Brigade, 1st (Forney's) Texas Infantry Division, 1st Corps, Trans- Mississippi Department

April-May 1865
Assigned to Robertson's Brigade, Maxey's Division, District of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, Trans- Mississippi Department

May 26, 1865
Surrendered by General E.K. Smith, commanding Trans-Mississippi Department

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Bibliography
John C. Grady, Suffering to Silence
Harry M. Henderson, Texas in the Confederacy
Stewart Sifakis, Compendium of the Confederate Armies

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Original journal by:
Ronnie D. Rubit