My brother and I went through some old photos the
other day, as well as some items that we had forgotten about. One was extremely
interesting. It was an old manila style envelope that my mother received back
in 1989. It was a rendition on the Coward family history. I asked my brother if
I could make copies of it, and he readily agreed to let me borrow it.
As far as they were able to tell, my family history
in this country started with Demsey and Sarah Coward who came from England and
settled in Martin County, North Carolina. Records show he bought a hundred
acres of land in 1778 and went on to buy several more hundred acres in the
following years.
What caught my eye, though, was a rendition of
family members who served with the Confederate States of America or, better
known as the CSA. This peaked my interest, so I decided to do a little more
research.
Henry Coward served in Shea’s Artillery Battalion
which was the 4th Artillery Battalion and would go on to form the
Texas 8th Infantry Battalion. In 1862, they travelled to Cedar Bayou
and captured Federal soldiers landing at Aransas Pass. In the same year, they
rescued Confederate prisoners during a battle with the Union ships Midnight and
Arthur. Later in that same year, Shea’s battalion fought in the Battle of
Lavaca and forced the retreat of Federal gunboats. They were consolidated with
the 8th Infantry in 1863 and became one with the regiment. The group
drove Union troops back at the Battle of St. Joseph’s Island and fought Union
troops in Louisiana in 1864. Only a handful remained to surrender between May
and June of 1865, and it is believed Henry Coward was killed in action, as any
record of him after the war cannot be found.
However, Henry and his brother, James Coltrain Coward, fought together while assigned to
Company F, 12th Texas Infantry. Following from U.S. Gen Web Archives: 12th Infantry Regiment [also called 8th Regiment] was organized and mustered in Confederate service at Waco, Texas, during the spring of 1862. Its members were recruited in the towns and cities of Clarksville, Cameron, Hempstead, Nacogdoches, Fairfield, and Waco, and the counties of Comanche, Milam, and Grimes. The 12th Texas Infantry Regiment was led by Colonel Overton C. Young and thus also known as Young's Regiment. The regiment was assigned to Brigadier General Thomas Neville Waul's [First] Brigade of Major John George Walker's Texas [Greyhound] Division, Trans-Mississippi Department. The regiment saw action in March-May 1864 in Louisiana [the Red River Campaign] and Arkansas [the Camden Expedition]. Some men are known to have fought at the battle at Corinth, Mississippi. James is known to have survived the war and lived several years afterwards. His wife’s name was Mary Ann and they had three children together. Mary Ann died in 1870 and James re-married, but a courthouse fire has destroyed any record of who she was. James died in 1881 from ‘consumption’.
Zachariah Coward was a man after my own heart,
serving in the Texas 33rd Cavalry, known as Duff’s Partisan Rangers
– 14th Battalion Cavalry. We know he was with Company G and remained
a private throughout his service. 33rd Cavalry Regiment was organized in April, 1863,
by using the 14th (Duff's) Texas Cavalry Battalion as its nucleus. Its members
were recruited at San Antonio, Port Lavaca, and Mt. Vernon, and in Kaufman
County. This unit served in Gano's and Hardeman's Brigade, Trans-Mississippi
Department, and was active along the lower Rio Grande. In April, 1864, it was
near Bonham, Texas and contained 23 officers and 307 men. On June 2, 1865, it
was included in the surrender. The field officers were Colonel James Duff, Lieutenant Colonel James R. Sweet, and Majors
Santos Benavides and John T. Brackenridge. It is said Zachariah brought his
saddle back home with him. The horn of the saddle had a Union bullet embedded
in it, which probably saved his life and allowed him to procreate after the
war.
Malliellue Hildreth Coward signed up for duty in June, 1861, joining up
with Benjamin McCulloch and was involved in the Battle of Wilson’s Creek in
Missouri. McCulloch’s forces made up the Confederate right wing at the Battle
of Pea Ridge, Arkansas and overran a key Union artillery position during that
time. McCulloch was killed in action the next day. Malliellue made it back home
to his wife Permillia and their six children.
My relatives in Mississippi and Alabama got in on the action, not wanting
their Texas cousins to have all the ‘fun’. James Coltrain Coward’s three sons
also fought in the war, but were living in Mississippi and Alabama at the time
it started. Levi joined the 4th Mississippi Infantry. His brothers,
Albert Taylor Coward and William Washington Coward joined later. John Watson
Coward, a cousin of theirs, served in the 41st Alabama Infantry.
William Washington Coward was killed in action at the Battle of Corinth, the
same battle his father was wounded in. Levi Coward was also wounded in this
battle, and later died of his injuries. John Watson Coward survived the war and
came back home to his wife, Elizabeth Jane Bunnel and their TEN children. I can
only surmise that he later died of STRESS.
As far as we know, they all served with distinction for their cause.
So, there you have it; the reason why I have been such a REBEL all my
life. Until next time….have a great week.
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