[
224]
Biographical.
Brigadier-General Arthur Pendleton Bagby was born in
Alabama, and appointed from that State to the United States military academy at
West Point.
He was graduated in 1852, and promoted in the army to brevet second lieutenant of infantry, after which he served in garrison at Fort Columbus, New York, 1852-53, and on frontier duty at
Fort Chadbourne, Texas, 1853.
He resigned in September of that year, and began the study of law. Being admitted to the bar, he practiced at
Mobile, Ala., from 1854 to 1858; then moved to
Gonzales, Tex., and was living there in 1861, when the war between the States began.
He was, during 1861, major in the Seventh Texas, becoming colonel of the regiment in 1862.
This regiment was in
General Sibley's command in
New Mexico in 1862, sharing the hardships and victories of that campaign of varied experiences.
On January 1, 1863, having been promoted in the latter part of 1862, he took part in the memorable victory at
Galveston, which was of substantial benefit to the
Confederate cause.
The land and naval forces were under the command of
General Magruder, who thus referred to
Colonel Bagby's part in the affair: ‘
Col. A. P. Bagby, of
Sibley's brigade, commanded the volunteers from his regiment for the naval expedition, in which every officer and man won imperishable renown.’
Gen. Richard Taylor, during his operations in
West Louisiana in 1863, frequently spoke of
Bagby in complimentary terms.
Referring to the battle near
Berwick bay, he said: ‘
Colonel Bagby was wounded seriously, but not dangerously, in the arm, but remained on the field with his regiment until the enemy had been driven back and ceased his attacks.’
So frequently is
[
225]
Colonel Bagby's gallantry alluded to in the reports of both
Taylor and
Magruder that it is certain that the rank of brigadier-general, which was conferred upon him during 1863, seldom if ever was bestowed upon one more worthy of the honor.
During the
Red river campaign, before, during and after the battles of
Mansfield and
Pleasant Hill, his services were very great.
The high esteem in which he was held by his superior officers is shown by the fact that after the surrender of
Lee and
Johnston, but before the final submission of the Trans-Mississippi department, he was in
Gen. Kirby Smith's general orders promoted to major-general, May 16, 1865.
After the war he went back to his law business, continuing to reside in
Texas, his adopted State.
Brigadier-General Hamilton P. Bee was born at
Charleston, S. C., July 22, 1822, the son of
Col. Barnard E. Bee.
A younger son of the latter bore the father's name and fell at
Manassas after giving ‘
Stonewall’
Jackson his immortal name.
Colonel Bee was one of the earliest and most noted of the
Texas pioneers, and his wife and son
Hamilton joined him at
Galveston in 1837. Two years later
Hamilton P. Bee was appointed secretary, on the part of
Texas, to the commission which established the line between
Texas and the
United States, and in 1846 he was elected secretary of the first senate of
Texas, but soon resigned to enlist as a private in
Capt. Ben McCulloch's company of cavalry.
Later he served at
Laredo in the rank of first lieutenant.
In 1854 he was married to
Mildred Tarver, of
Alabama.
In addition to his public service in the ante-Confederate period, which has been mentioned, he acted as clerk to
Governor Lubbock when the latter was comptroller of the
Texas republic, and was speaker of the third house of representatives of the
State.
During 1861 he was in command of State troops on the coast as brigadier-general in the provisional army of
Texas, and in March, 1862, when he was commissioned
[
226]
brigadier-general in the
Confederate service, he was put in command at
Brownsville.
In November, 1863, he had but 69 men at this post, but, in the face of 12,000 men, landed by
General Banks, he successfully brought off Confederate stores and munitions valued at $1,000,000. During the following winter he commanded a force of 10,000 men on the coast, from
Brazos to
Matagorda bay: and early in 1864 he took several regiments of cavalry to
Louisiana, with three of which he reported to
Gen. Richard Taylor in time to participate in the
battle of Mansfield.
At
Pleasant Hill on the afternoon of the next day, at the head of these regiments, he led a splendid charge, had two horses killed under him, and was slightly wounded in the face.
After the death of
Gen. Tom Green he was in command of the cavalry division on the
Red river until the arrival of
General Wharton.
His next service was with
General Maxey in the
Indian Territory, where he passed the winter of 1864-65, and he was then assigned to the command of a division of cavalry at
Hempstead.
After the fall of the Confederate government he resided in
Mexico until 1876, when he made his home at
San Antonio, where he lived in peace, loved and respected by the community, until his sudden demise, October 2, 1897.
He left surviving him his wife, five sons and a daughter.
By his request the
Confederate flag, which was presented him by the ladies of
San Antonio at the outbreak of the war, was buried with him, wrapped about the casket which contained his body.
Brigadier-General Xavier Blanchard Debray rendered his military services, which were of great value and prominence, altogether in the Trans-Mississippi department, which was a large part of the time almost isolated from the rest of the
Confederacy.
During a part of 186he was aide-de-camp to the governor of
Texas.
In September of that year he entered the regular Confederate service as major of the Second regiment of
Texas infantry.
[
227]
December 5th of the same year he was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of a battalion of cavalry.
With this command he was very active in scouting, reporting movements of the enemy, attacking their forces whenever it was advisable, and useful in every way to the
commanding general.
In the attack upon the
Federals at
Galveston on January 1, 1863, he was notably active, so that
General Magruder in his official report gives special commendation to him in connection with other officers for efficiency and gallantry.
Early in 1864 he was ordered to march with his Texans to join
Gen. Richard Taylor in the campaign against
Banks.
The regiment which he was leading had never before been in action, but, under his guidance, behaved with such coolness and bravery as to win the approval of
General Taylor in his reports.
In the reports of this campaign, including the battles of
Mansfield and
Pleasant Hill, his name frequently appears, always in connection with honorable service.
In the pursuit of
