Optional page text here. Well's Texas Cavalry

Well's Texas Cavalry

Well’s Texas Cavalry Regiment was organized from remnants of Well’s Cavalry, Good’s TX Cavalry, and Gilletts’ TX Cavalry. This regiment often used the designation 34th Texas Cavalry. It was assigned to the 4th Brigade in Early 1865. (March 6, 1865.)
Well's Texas Cavalry Battalion was organized in the fall of 1863 at the Spencer Academy, Doaksville, Indian Territory. Almost all the members of the unit were recruited in Northeastern Texas. The Battalion's commanding officer was Lt. Colonel John W. Wells., L. E. Gillett, Major, W. C. Jones Adjt. It was formed by consolidating Scanland's Squadron, Gillet's Squadron, and Capt. John Miller's Company, Texas Cavalry. It was evidently composed of six compnaies, "A" to "F" which subsequently formed Companies "A" to "F", Wells' Regiment Texas Cavalry,, formed by the consolidation of this Battalion and Chaplin Good's Battalion Texas Cavalry.
Personal Papers of Major Gillett show that the companies were mustered as of this Battalion for September and October, 1864, and as of Wells' Regiment Texas Cavalry for November and December 1864. The letters are reported to have been forwarded in February, 1865. This indicates the Regiment was organized in in December, 1864 or early in 1865. No order found..
The captains of the companies in this battalion were as follows:
Co. A Captain John Scanland and Captain Jullius Harshaw
Co. B Capt. Wade H. Witt, Capt. Wm. Jackson, Capt. Louis F. Cook
Co. C Capt. D. W. Vanter
Co. D Capt. J. J. Edwards
Co. E Capt. John Miller, probably succeeded by Capt. John T. Marsh
Co. F Capt. R. H. Chapman
Rolls of the Companies which served as "A" and "B", Scanland's Squadron are filed with this battalion and also a descriptive list of deceased members of Capt. L. E. Gillett's company.
The battalion spent it's entire career assigned to higher commands located in Indian Territory. On Oct. 26, 1863, Wells' battaliion was attached to Cooper's Brigade, Steel's Division, District of the Indian Territory, Trans-Mississippi Department. On Jan. 1, 1864 it became a part of the First Brigade and on March 16, 1864, a detachment was sent to both Fort Arbuckle and Fort Washita, District of Indian Territory, Trans-Mississippi Department.
Wells' Texans participated in more than fifteen various type engagements during it's career. These included: Attack, Fort Gibson, Indian Territory, Dec. 16, 1863
Operations against Steele's Expedition from Little Rock to Camden Arkansas, March 23-May 3, 1864
Actions, Prairie D'Ane, AR, April 9-12, 1864
Engagement, Poison Springs, AR, April 18, 1864
Engagement, Mark's Mills, AR April 25, 1864
Engagement, Jenkin's Ferry, Saline River, AR April 30, 1864
Skirmish Hahn's Farm near Waldron, AR June 18, 1864
Skirmish near Fayetteville, AR June 24, 1864
Actions Clarendon, St. Charles, Pikeville, St.
CharlesRiver, AR June 26, 1864
Action Wallace's Ferry, Big Creek AR July 26, 1864
Action Massard's Prairie, near Ft. Smith AR July 27, 1864
Skirmish Hay Station #3, Near Brownsville, AR July 30, 1864
Action Near Ft. Smith, AR July 31, 1864
Action Fort Gibson, Indian Territory Sept. 16, 1864
Action Fort Gibson, Indian Territory Sept. 18, 1864
Action Cabin Creek, Indian Territory Sept. 19, 1864
In early 1865, Wells' Texas Cavalry Battalion was consolidated with Good's Texas Cavalry. The new organization resulting from this consolidation was designated Wells' Texas Cavalry. There is reason to believe that atleast some of Gidding's Texas Cavalry Battalion also saw service in the regiment.
Like almost all Civil War Units, Wells' Texas Cavalry was often by an alternate designation derived from the name of its commanding officer. Names of this type identified as having been used by or for the regiment are John W. Wells Cavalry, Chaplin Good's Cavalry, and L. E. Gillett's Cavalry.
On February 14th 1865, the regiment was ordered south from Indian Territory and instructed to report for duty at Houston, Texas. During the short career of the regiment only one higher command assignment has been identified for this unit. March 31, 1865, Fifth Texas Cavalry Brigade, Second Texas Cavalry Division, First Corps, Army of Trans-Mississippi.
The unit sometimes was incorrectly known as the Thirty Fourth Texas Cavalry. There was an officially designated unit with this number and there appears to have been no relationship between the two regimnets. Another Texas Cavalry Regiment - Terrell's - Was also incorrectly known by this numeric designation.
On April 24, 1865, the regiment was ordered to Camp Angeles, Texas. When the Confederate forces in the Trans-Mississippi Department surrendered, Wells' Texas Cavalry was included among them. The unit probably disbanded a short time before the surrender, however.

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