Last night I was reading an article written in the Detroit Free Press and reprinted on June 18, 1884 in the Dallas Harold. It sited the Ross Texas Brigade for gallentry during a battle during the Atlanta campaign, and I began to wonder how may times should the brigade have been sited for gallentry during battle. Off the top of my head I realized there would be many. Even before the brigade was formed the regiments were doing things above and beyond the call.

       Griffith's charge to route the Indians in December of '61.

       The charges at Elkhorn Tavern that were forgotten.

       The charges of Ross at Corinth which were written.

       The charges of the brigade during the Holly Springs Raid.

      The charges when Ross led a brigade to stop a Union raid in Eastern Tennessee in late 1863.

      The charges during the Mississippi / Yazoo City Campaign.

      The charges during the Atlanta Campaign, the defences, the fighting as Infantry, as skirmishers.

On and on I could go. It is small wonder that all of the regiments were down to 200 or less at surrender. These men gave their all, time and again. It has been said the units were in over 100 days of continuous battle. It was also a time of hard weather, rain and heat. At one point Ross and his men were overrun by ten thousand men, who feared their capture. In the process Ross was captured, was freed and found his unit smaller, but still intact and ready to do battle. Of course that was the Kilpatrick Raid. More later. WKN