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The 18th (also known as Ochiltree's) Regiment Texas Infantry, with eleven companies A to L, completed its organization by the election of field officers May 13, 1862. Captain McNight's Company L was transferred to the 14th Regiment Texas Infantry sometime before October 31, 1862, and became (1st) Company K of that organization. Like almost all Civil War units, the 18th was known by an other designations derived from the name of its commanding officer. Unofficial names of this type used by or for the regiment are:
Officers of the 18th Texas Infantry were: Captain M.A. Gaston 1st Lieut. D.A.Gates 2nd Lieut. J.W.Richardson 2nd Lieut. J.K Mathews
Company B, men from Rusk and Marion Counties Captain Thos.R.Bonner (Colonel) 1st Lieut. A.A.Cameron 2nd Lieut. G.M. Martin 2nd Lieut. H.McKnight
Company D, men from Jefferson and Marion Counties Captain Richard Keningham 1st Lieut. John R. Ferguson 2nd Lieut. A.W. Henderson 2nd Lieut. J.J.Davenay
Company F, men from Homer, Angelina and Titus Counties Captain J.Dansby 1st Lieut. C.G. Graham 2nd Lieut. H.L.Holt 2nd Lieut. S.E.Newsom
Company H, men from Coffeeville, Upshur County Captain W.W.Thompson 1st Lieut. J.C.Maple 2nd Lieut Wiley Mayers 2nd Lieut. M.Farley
Company K, men from Jacksonville, Cherokee County Captain James McKnight 2nd Lt. Joel H. Aldredge Lt. Joseph P. Allison Lt. John W. Moffett The 18th Tx Infantry spent its entire career within the Trans-Mississippi Department. During late 1862 a detachment of the unit was temporarily mounted. This detachment was ordered south of the Rio Grande, into Texas, where a large herd of cattle had been purchased for the Confederacy. The detachment brought these cattle back across the Rio Grande to central Texas. Only two higher command assignments have been found for the 18th Tx Infantry.Sept. 30, 1862--First Brigade, First division, trans-Mississippi Department-- Dec. 31, 1864--First Texas Infantry Brigade, First Texas Infantry Division, First Corps, Army of Trans Mississippi The 18th Infantry participated in more than twenty various type engagements during its career . July 12-13, 1863-Engagement, Cox's Plantation, Donaldsonvill, Bayou La Forche, Louisiana Sept.4, 1863-Skirmish near Harrisonburg and capture, Ft. Beaurgard, LouisianaAction, Sterling's Plantattion on Bayou Fordoche near Morganza, Louisiana Oct.3-Nov 30, 1863-Campaign in Western Louisiana and Operations in Teche countryOct.21, 1863-Actions, Opelousas and Barre Landing, Louisiana Nov.3, 1863-Action, Grand Coteau, Bayou Bourbeu, Carrion Crow Bayou, Buzzard's Prairie, Louisiana-The Infantry Brigade was formed in battle line in the following manner.-The 15th Texas. Infantry, commanded by Colonel James E. Harrison took their position on the right of the brigade; the 18th Texas Infantry, commanded by Colonel Wilburn King, was assigned the center, and the 11th Texas Infantry, commanded by Lt.-Colonel James H. Jones, took their position on the left of the brigade. The battle lasted 3 hours. Our forces lost, in the infantry brigade, twenty one killed; eighty two injured, thirty eight taken prisonerMarch 1-4, 1864-Actions, Trinity and Harrisonburg, Louisiana March 10-April 10, 1864-Operations against Bank's Red River CampaignMarch 14, 1864-capture Fort De Russy, Louisiana (detachment) Mistakenly called by some "the Gibralter on Red River"-nothing was saved from the fort but two large thirty-two pound Parrott guns. March 14-26, 1864-Operations against Advance from Franklin, LouisianaMarch 31, 1864-Action, Natchitoches, Louisiana April 7, 1864-Engagement, Wilson's Farm near Pleasant Hill, LouisianaApril 8, 1864-Battle, Sabine Cross Roads, Mansfield, near Pleasant Hill, Louisiana - Our loss in the divisions amounted to 600 in killed, wounded and missing. While the loss of the enemy amounted to 1,500 in killed and wounded, 2000 prisoners, 20 pieces of artillery, including Nim's battery, , Chicago Mercantile battery and the First Indiana battery, besides two hundred wagons and thousands of small-arms. The Union 13th Corps was shatterd, with 2,200 casualties out of about 12,000 engaged April 9, 1864- Engagement, Pleasant Hill, Louisiana ,20,000 southern volunteers proved the equals of a splendidly appointed army of 40,000 of the best soldiers in the United States army. Our loss and that of the enemy was about in proportion to the battle of Mansfield. banks with 12,000 men engaged, lost slightly over 1,000 killed and 495 captured. Taylor with 12,500 men engaged, lost 1,200 killed and wounded.April 16-May2, 1864-Operations against Steele's Expedition from Little Rock to Camden, Arkansas April 25, 1864-Engagement Mark's Mill, ArkansasApril 30, 1864-Engagement, Jenkin's Ferry, Saline River, Arkansas,, the confederates suffered nearly 1,000 casualties but were unable to prevent the Federal withdrawal. During mid-1864, the 18th TX Infantry was returned to Louisiana. Here it served at Shreveport. In early 1865 the unit was moved to Hempstead, Texas. Although the regiment was included among the Confederate Trans-Mississippi forces surrendered at Galveston, it had already ceased to exist by that date. An unofficial report states that the regiment disbanded at Hempstead in May, 1865, when the news of the collapse of the eastern Confederacy reached the region.
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