Optional page text here. William Riley Allen

William Riley Allen

William Riley Allen was born Sept. 24, 1841 in Ector Texas, he was the oldest son of 12 children. His father, Moses Allen, came to Fannin County in 1827 when William was 12 years old. William R. Allen enlisted in Bonham Texas July 1st 1862 in the 34th Texas Calvary, Co. E, with companies representing an area bordering the Indian Territory from Cooke county to Red River county and extending south and west to Erath and Palo Pinto counties. Their Regimental Colonel was Almerine M. Alexander, a Kentucky born merchant from Sherman and Bonham. They were told that they would be stationed on the frontier at Forts Washita and Arbuckle. But in summer 1862 they were placed on standby orders for a march into Arkansas to reinforce Major General Thomas C. Hindman the new district commander. They were first brigaded with the (all new units) which included the 20nd Texas Cavalry, the 22nd Texas Cavalry , the 31st Texas Cavalry, and the 34th Texas Cavalry. Then after the fighting around Newtonia General Hindman ordered them dismounted and their horses sent back to Texas. Then on January 7, 1863 at Piney Bayou the Brigade was reorganized under Colonel Ashley W. Spaight which would serve together through out the war :
Spaight’s Brigade:
20th Texas Dismounted Cav.
22nd Texas Dismounted Cav.
31st Texas Dismounted Cav.
34th Texas Dismounted Cav.
15th Texas Infantry Regiment

Then in late April 1863 General Edmund Kirby Smith newly appointed commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department attached them to General Richard Taylor’s Army at Alexandria Louisiana, to fight the Union Army under General Nathaniel P. Banks. Command changed on October 18th 1863 when Col. Spaight’s brigade was commanded by Prince Camille De Polignac (by virtue of rank) and now included :
15th Texas Inf.
22nd Texas Dismounted Cav. 31st Texas Dismounted Cav.
34th Texas Dismounted Cav.
17th Texas Consolidated Dismounted Cav.
11th Texas Inf. Battalion
Under Walker's Texas Division of the Trans-Mississippi.

The war department records show my Great uncle was a prisoner of war surrendered at New Orleans May 26, 1865, and paroled at Shreveport LA. Between Aug. 1st and 31st 1865.

Submitted by Robert Hall

Texans in the Civil War
The General Store