Some of you red-blooded Texans probably have heard this story before. It is my favorite story about my native state of Texas.
Gregg County Texas, where I was born and raised, was named after John Gregg who was a general of one of the Texas brigades that fought in the Civil War. His brigade saved the Confederate forces in 1864 during the Battle of the Wilderness in Virginia. Robert E. Lee was there as well as his right hand man General James Longstreet. The Union forces were advancing against the Confederate defense and were all but fixing to break the Confederate center. Every force of Lee's army that was put in the center to stop the Union forces from winning the battle was driven back to defeat. They just couldn't hold and were about to break in the center. Lee realized the urgency of the situation.
Then came John Gregg’s Texans. When General Lee saw the Texans coming he said, “Where you boys from?” “We’re Texas boys”, they said. General Lee then got so excited that he raised himself up in his stirrups, took his hat off, and said, “HOORAY FOR TEXAS! TEXANS WILL ALWAYS MOVE’EM!” He was so overwhelmed at the Texans coming that he was beginning to lead them straight into the battle. The Texans quickly grabbed the reins of his horse Traveller and said, “General Lee to the rear! We’re not going in till you get back to the rear.” He went back and those Texans maneuvered into that Confederate center and held the Union forces off until reinforcements arrived. They won the battle. After seeing and hearing the old general getting so roused up over the Texans an eyewitness said, “I would charge hell itself for that old man.”
Battle of the Wilderness 1864
Lee Calls On Hood's Texans
Gregg County Texas, where I was born and raised, was named after John Gregg who was a general of one of the Texas brigades that fought in the Civil War. His brigade saved the Confederate forces in 1864 during the Battle of the Wilderness in Virginia. Robert E. Lee was there as well as his right hand man General James Longstreet. The Union forces were advancing against the Confederate defense and were all but fixing to break the Confederate center. Every force of Lee's army that was put in the center to stop the Union forces from winning the battle was driven back to defeat. They just couldn't hold and were about to break in the center. Lee realized the urgency of the situation.
Then came John Gregg’s Texans. When General Lee saw the Texans coming he said, “Where you boys from?” “We’re Texas boys”, they said. General Lee then got so excited that he raised himself up in his stirrups, took his hat off, and said, “HOORAY FOR TEXAS! TEXANS WILL ALWAYS MOVE’EM!” He was so overwhelmed at the Texans coming that he was beginning to lead them straight into the battle. The Texans quickly grabbed the reins of his horse Traveller and said, “General Lee to the rear! We’re not going in till you get back to the rear.” He went back and those Texans maneuvered into that Confederate center and held the Union forces off until reinforcements arrived. They won the battle. After seeing and hearing the old general getting so roused up over the Texans an eyewitness said, “I would charge hell itself for that old man.”
Battle of the Wilderness 1864
Lee Calls On Hood's Texans