This story of Bill and John Jeff Rutledge was written in 2011 when I was asked to write about my Atascosa County relatives’ service in the American Civil War of 1861-1865. I didn’t know where to begin as I had no idea any relative had participated. I learned about various repositories of Civil War records – the National Park Service’s service records and FOLD3.com. When I “discovered” FOLD3 it was a “died-and-gone-to-heaven” moment. I found more relatives had served on both sides than I’d ever heard of. All great, great grandfathers, several of their brothers, brother’s-in-law, cousins…I was in genealogical-historical overload. The following was the first family history on that subject, written in 2011-12, BUT based on an interview I had with William Levi Rutledge (1891-1990), grandson of William Russel “Bill” Rutledge (1835-1919). The interview was in Levi’s home in Poteet, Texas about 1980 when I was just discovering my genealogy and their stories.
WILLIAM RUSSELL RUTLEDGE (1835-1919) JOHN JEFFERSON RUTLEDGE (1831-1922) CSA service: Company B, 2nd Regiment Texas Cavalry or 2nd Texas Mounted Rifles
Levi, age 90, sat at his kitchen table smiling as he spoke of his family, children, aunts and uncles, then paused and said, “Now, Bill was a wiry, tough ol’ bird. I think that was the only thing that saved him.”
“What do you mean ‘his wiry-ness saved him…saved him from what?’,” I prompted.
“Bill was a scout for this Confederate Army bunch that went to New Mexico and fought some Union soldiers. Those Rebels was beat and they retreated back home, only they was fighting most of the way. When they got to the Horsehead Crossing on the Pecos River, many of their horses drank too much bad water and died. Bill and the rest of the scouts and soldiers he was with had to walk back to San Antonio. Bill, being the wiry, tough guy he was, made it. Lots of others didn’t” (Weyel, 1980).
William Levi Rutledge must have heard these stories from his grandpa Bill’s mouth. But, this was news to me. I did not know any Confederates fought in New Mexico. I do now.
Bill, age 25, and brother John Jeff Rutledge, age 30, were in San Antonio, Thursday, May 23, 1861 to join Capt. Charles Lynn Pyron’s Company B of the Second Regiment Texas Cavalry (Rutledge, p. 2). He understood they would be patrolling the western frontier and keeping the Indians and outlaws honest in this war. He and John Jeff had ridden with the Texas Rangers and Capt. G. H. Nelson of the Texas Mounted Rifles for nearly three months, back in ’57 (Texas State Archives, Ranger file), so he was no stranger to the area and the danger. He also knew he needed a good horse, with guns, ammunition, and gear that would last. The Rangers didn’t supply any horses and gear. This new outfit woo’dn’t neither.
In this page from FOLD3, page 4, of William R. Rutledge’s Service Record for “May 23 to Oct 31” you can see that Bill, age 25, was “enrolled on May 23, 1861” with Capt. Charles L. Pyron’s Company 2nd Regiment of the Texas Mounted Riflemen. His horse was valued at $65 (most officers mounts were valued at $150) with equipment (saddles, guns, rifles, other gear) valued at $15. Under Remarks: Bill (and the Company) was bee on D. S. (Detached Service) at Ft. Stockton since July 28, 1861. Bill (and likely the others) hadn’t been paid “since July 28, 1861.
Within the week, Privates Bill and John Jeff were no longer waiting to patrol Texas west of San Antonio. Their 2nd Texas Cavalry Regiment, Lt. Col. John Baylor in command, was transferred to the Army of the CSA with orders to occupy western-most forts. Occupying Fort Stockton, after the Union forces left it, was now the responsibility of Company B. By June 1, they were on the road west. On June 26, 1861, Bill, John Jeff and Company B rode in to a deserted fort (Wallace, p. 1). They must have figured that this war might not be so bad after all…until they were told to move on to Fort Bliss at El Paso.
In August, Gen. Sibley’s three regiments began arriving in Ft. Bliss with his Arizona Brigade and its 3000 men from San Antonio. The South’s plans were to capture not only New Mexico and Arizona, but also California then Mexico for the Confederacy (Frazier, p. 35-36).
With the arrival of General Sibley’s Brigade, the 2nd Texas was ordered to scout, to lead the way north along the Rio Grande engaging and controlling each place along the way. Sibley’s 7th was marching right behind to help Pyron’s boys. After taking Mesilla, it was on to the Valverde Crossing of the Rio Grande and capture Fort Craig. In that terrible battle at Valverde, Bill, brother John Jeff and Pyron’s 2nd Texas had led the way for General Sibley’s men. But found this “easy war” wasn’t.
The battle at Val Verde/Fort Craig was “won” by the Confederates, but at the cost of dozens of men, more than1000 horses and mules, and much of their supplies. The Confederates did not take the Fort (Frazier, pp. 180-182; 191), but did capture the fort’s artillery. Now a Colonel, Pyron was ordered to leave and ride hard north to take Albuquerque and its military stores and protect those precious military supplies left behind by a fleeing (they expected) Union Army.
When they reached Albuquerque on March 2, 1862 Pyron’s men found the Union forces had fled the town moments before, but had set the precious food and military supplies on fire in their warehouses (Frazier, pp. 191-192). Pyron’s men raised the Confederate flag, but Gen. Sibley’s oncoming army would go hungry and cold.
On March 8, Bill, John Jeff and Pyron’s 2nd Texas were ordered to Santa Fe hoping to capture the supply depot there. On March 10, Pyron’s veterans “thundered into Santa Fe surprising the Federals who left hurriedly up the Santa Fe Trail toward Fort Union leaving family behind. One of those families included Gen. Canby’s wife” (Frazier, p. 202). Surprisingly, Pyron’s troops were welcomed as a “stabilizing force” that helped stop the rioting in Santa Fe, following the Union Army’s flight to Fort Union. (Frazier, p.202).
Not long after their arrival in Santa Fe, the 2nd Texas was ordered northward to hold the Santa Fe Trail, take care of harassing Union cavalry in the hills, then move on to take control of the Glorieta Pass through the Sangre de Cristos Mountains. Other Confederate troops arrived slowly to help, but, in the icy cold, they were soon met by Union troops moving southward to join up with the Union forces moving north from Fort Craig and crush the Confederates. Beginning in a fierce March snowstorm, Pyron’s men were surprised by the south moving Union troops. Over the next week, March 26 to April 2, 1862 the Battle of Glorieta Pass, saw brutal fighting in the high mountains and canyons. Now trapped between two strong Union forts – Craig and Union, the Rebels had more than met their match (Frazier, p. 206; 208).
Those who were able to walk, began the long retreat south. The line of stragglers stretched for fifty miles. Harassed continually by Union troops, men headed inexorably to Texas. Two hundred wounded and sick Rebels found their way to the hospital in Santa Fe. These infirm men were treated as they usually were. poorly. Gen. Canby’s wife saw them at the hospital and was aghast at their condition. She had hidden many Union supplies and now those warehouses were opened to clothe, feed, provide clean bedding and medical supplies to the injured Rebels (Frazier, p. 232). Bill must have been one of these wounded for his Muster Roll record states that he was
When he got back to San Antonio, he did have some time to rest but Col. Pyron’s Men had a new commander, Captain D. M. Poor. As of July 1, 1862 Bill was re-upped for 2 years, but by August 1863, Bill was officially discharged.
“On a list of prisoners of war captured in New Mexico during the campaign of 1862. Return dated Hdqrs. Dept. New Mex., Santa Fe. Sept 17, 1862. Remarks: “hospital at Santa Fe. Paroled 10 August 1862. Sent to Texas” (Rutledge, p. 9)
The rest of Pyron’s men were seen in mid April, strapping supplies to their saddles, willing to obey Sibley’s order to fight and die, but heading to Texas if he said surrender (Frazier, p. 249). John Jeff, having been a released prisoner of war, was headed home now. A wounded Bill would take a while longer.
The long retreat for Pyron’s Company and Sibley’s 1200 remaining men, was a harbinger of what Bill and those given their parole in August or later would face. Rebel stragglers and survivors faced terrible conditions. The long trip down the mountain trails, along the Rio Grande toward Texas was not easy. Pyron’s men, still in the rear, told of fighting the oncoming Union troops, until the boys in blue realized the other Rebels were so dispirited they needn’t bother them any longer (Frazier, p. 254). They had no drinkable water, but could see the Rio Grande in the distance from their mountain trail. When they reached the valley, Apaches left decayed animals in all the water holes. Comanches also attacked and stole their horses. The lack of food lack of drinkable water caused many men and horses to fall and die as they walked a thousand miles from Sante Fe, across western Texas toward San Antonio (Frazier, pp. 275-276). John Jeff made it. Could Bill?
When Bill and the last of the parolees arrived in Texas they must have met the same forces: the late summer heat to fall Northers. Apaches and Comanches harassing. Thorny scrub. Little or no good water. Little food. Horses died as did many of the parolees. Bill and the survivors, on foot, their thin Confederate issued boots long worn away trickled into San Antonio weeks, months, after they left Santa Fe. Bill’s last Muster Roll record for “Feby 28-Aug 31, 1863” reads: “Discharged at San Antonio” (Rutledge, p. 12). See below.
For sometime in his Company Muster Roll record for February 28, 1863 to August 31, 1863,
Wiry Bill Rutledge was in this war no more. He was back home for good. After a spell of getting his feet and body well, he’d start thinking about how to get one Weisinger girl,…Talitha Ann to marry him. She did.
But what about brother “John Jeff?” With a month’s rest, by the summer of 1863, John Jeff was transferred at San Antonio, to Col. James Duff’s Command. AND, by summer, 1863, Col. Duff joined with Col. Santos Benavides to patrol and control all area of Texas from San Antonio to Laredo, Corpus Christi and Brownsville.)
The “old” 2nd Texas Mounted Rifles, now under company leadership of Capt. D. M. Poor, were sent on to Louisiana. On the Louisiana bayous they surprised themselves as they discovered how to be “horse marines,” capturing Union boats from horseback. When the surrender came in 1865 for the 2nd Texas Mounted Rifles they were surrendered to General Canby’s command. Thus completing their circle; from engaging Col. Edward Canby at Valverde, to all Texan forces surrendering to, now, Major General Edward R. S. Canby in May, 1865.
Oh, when John Jeff returned home in 1865, he married Sarah Jane Jenkins.
A final note: John Jeff, Bill, and Garrett were brothers of my great, great grandmother, Sabra Rutledge Crawford.
Taken at their retirement home at a relative’s ranch near Floresville Texas in 1915, are brothers William Russell “Bill” Rutledge (1835-1919), John Jefferson “John Jeff” Rutledge (1831-1922) and Garrett Rutledge (1824-1921). Garrett served in eastern Oklahoma where he was captured and sent as a prisoner of war to Camp Douglas POW camp in Chicago. (Referred to as “The Andersonville of the North.”) Upon release at the end of the war Garrett walked until someone gave him an old horse to ride in Arkansas (one source told me.) His wife, Samantha Ann Charlotte Weisinger, was with her family at “Alabama Colony” in East Texas where the Atascosa County Rutledge family had gone to be more protected with other kinfolk and folk they knew.
SOURCES for WILLIAM LEVI RUTLEDGE … AND JOHN JEFF RUTLEDGE
Rutledge, William R. and John Jeff Rutledge (and Charles Lynn Pyron) (accessed 28 Dec 2009). Civil War, Confederate, Texas, Company Muster Roll. Co. B, 2nd Regiment Texas Cavalry (2nd Mounted Rifles), on www.FOLD3.com.
Texas State Archives. (1857). Index of Texas Volunteer Guard Members. Rutledge, J. J. and Rutledge, William. Location #23 in old card file. Texas State Archives in Austin, Texas.
Wallace, Ernest. (accessed September 14, 2011), “Fort Stockton,” Handbook of Texas Online, (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qbf46)
Frazier, Donald, S. (1995). Blood and Treasure. College Station: Texas A&M Press.
Weyel, Peggy Ann. (November 8, 1980). Interview with William Levi Rutledge at his home in Poteet, Texas.
