Photos & Sketches
(Photo Archive)

Wady T. Williams

A 25 year old private of Company C, 5th regiment of the Texas Mounted Volunteers, who fought in the Civil War in New Mexico. Thomas Green was the commander of the 5th regiment of the Texas Mounted Volunteers. Thomas was born in Mecklenburg county, Virginia on June 8, 1814. Secretary of War Thomas J. Rusk promoted Green to Lieutenant and shortly after, on May 6, aide-de-camp with the rank of Major. Green resigned from the army on May 30, 1836. At the Adjourned Session of the First Congress ( May 1-June 13,1837). Green was elected Engrossing Clerk of the House of Representatives, an office he also held in the Second, Third, and Fifth Congress. In the Sixth Congress-both the Regular and Called Sessions he was Senate engrossing Clerk and secretary of the Senate in the Eight Congress (Dec 4, 1843-Feb 5, 1844).

After serving as an assistant clerk in the General Land Office, he was appointed clerk of the Supreme Court. He was shortly promoted, and for six weeks acted as Lieutenant Colonel of one of the regiments. From Nov 1, 1842 to Jan 10, 1843, he was a Private in General Alexander Samervell's expedition to the Rio Grande. When Fisher would not heed McCulloch's advice against crossing the Rio Grande to Mier, Green and the others abandoned the expedition and returned home. He returned in time to be assistant secretary to the convention which approved annexation and which drew up the Constitution of 1845.

At the outbreak of the Mexican War, Green enrolled in La Grange on May 14, 1846. On June 6, the unit was mustered into national service for three months at Point Isabel as Company C, 1st regiment of the Texas Mounted volunteers. When his enlistment expired, Green served for an additional term, and fought in the Battle of Monterrey ( Sep. 19-24) He was mustered out at the Mexican city on Oct 2, 1846, and returned to Austin to resume his duties as clerk of the Supreme Court.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, he resigned as clerk of the Supreme Court to accept a commission, dated August 20,1861, as Colonel of the 5th regiment Texas Mounted Volunteers; these volunteers were Confederates who came from San Antonio to do battle in the Civil War fought in New Mexico.

The commander of Company C of the 5th regiment Texas Mounted Volunteers was Denman William Shannon. He was born in New York c.1835-36. He enrolled in " The Grimes County Rangers" in Navasota on August 19,1861. The unit was mustered into Confederate service for "the war" in front of the Plaza House in San Antonio as Company C. Shannon was promoted to Major on March 28, 1862, but not until the end of the New Mexico campaign when Lieutenant J. Phil Clough was elected to replace him.

At the Battle of Valverde, "The Grimes Rangers" guarded the wagon train. The unit also took part in the Battle of Glorieta and the skirmishes of Apache Canyon and Peralta. Of the 116 men, one died, one was discharged for theft, twelve were medically discharged, and eight transferred to the Regiment Artillery. One man remained behind sick, leaving Company C with ninety-three affective on the eve of the invasion of New Mexico. Two men died of wounds on the battlefield (one at Valverde and one at Glorieta); nine others were wounded (2 at Valverde 3 at Apache Canyon, and 4 at Glorieta), and thiry-five were taken prisoner. Company C arrived back in San Antonio after the battle with no more than fifty men fit for duty out of the original 116 total men.