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• 8 • THE MARSHAL NEY OF TEXAS, 1861–62 I n his memoirs, Walter Lane stated that he joined the Civil War for no other reason than “wishing to have a finger in that pie.”1 Despite the frivolity of that phrase, it reiterated the importance of adventure in Lane’s life. Although family, community, and state allegiance determined on which side he would fight, the familiar pull of masculine relationships, incidents of the expedition, and a longing for renown continued to influence his decisions. Maturity might have diminished his romantic ardor, but adventure—specifically, warfare—was his sober vocation. The problem of defining the motivation and experiences of the typical Civil War soldier has vexed historians, and in several ways, Lane’s circumstances defy their efforts to generalize. As a veteran who knew well both the exhilaration and brutality of battle, Lane possessed few misconceptions that contrasted with the realities of war. That bracing probably contributed to his forbearance against the disillusionment that many of his contemporaries felt late in the war. Others resisted disillusionment by adhering to a steadfast ideology. Lane, however, exhibited only moderate interest in causes. Instead, he sustained himself on the bonds of masculine camaraderie and the quest for wartime laurels.2 In May of 1861, as the nation prepared to go to war with itself, Lane organized his brigade of state troops. Serving as a general in the militia, however, satisfied neither his adventuristic impulse nor his ambition, so he also worked to obtain a more active appointment. On the 26th, Marshall attorney Elkanah Greer arrived from the Confederacy’s provisional capital in Montgomery, Alabama. He carried a commission to raise a regiment of cavalry to assist in Benjamin McCulloch’s defense of Arkansas and the Indian Territory. Greer had lived in Marshall since about 1850, and he was CHAPTER 8 108 an ardent secessionist, obsessed with seizing Kansas for the slavocracy. With a commission direct from the Confederate government, he promised action to any who might follow him.3 The Texas Hunters agreed to join Greer’s regiment. On June 1, the company assembled in Jonesville, and while a brass band serenaded them, the company rode out of town and made for Greer’s rendezvous at Dallas. Lane, brigadier general of the militia, joined the company as a private. Although he would later feign surprise, he had little intention of remaining at that rank. Lane remembered that John C. Hays and Michael H. Chevallié had employed the same tactic in order to win elections for field commissions on the eve of the U.S.-Mexican War, and he intended to do the same. Indeed, as he rode out of Harrison County, the Texas Republican already suggested Lane as the logical choice for lieutenant colonel—second-in-command of the regiment. “No better disciplinarian, no commander, or no one who will retain more fully the confidence of his men can be found,” so claimed the hometown newspaper.4 On the evening of June 14, the Texas Hunters arrived at the outskirts of Dallas and rendezvoused with the other companies of the regiment. Most hailed from East Texas and represented the more prosperous citizens of the state. For example, Leonidas and Americus Cartwright, of the San Augustine company, were the sons of Lane’s former employer, Matthew Cartwright— the seventh wealthiest man in Texas. On June 13, the men from East Texas mustered into the Confederate Army. In keeping with Greer’s long-held dream of conquering Kansas, the new regiment took the designation of the South Kansas Texas Regiment.5 Although a private, Walter Lane was a conspicuous member of the Texas Hunters. The Dallas Herald noted his arrival. “Major Lane, of Harrison County, who saw much service and won a fine reputation for himself [in the U.S.-Mexican War] . . . is a favorite, not only with the men of his county, but many others. Major Lane is a fine officer, of large experience in the army, and one of the most popular men we know.” On July 2, the companies elected the officers of the regiment. Lane stood for lieutenant colonel and defeated his nearest opponent by a wide margin of 575 to 276 votes. George W. Chilton, a lawyer from Tyler who fought with Lane in Christopher Acklin’s company in the U.S.-Mexican War, won a closer election for major. Matthew D. Ector, lawyer and editor from Henderson, accepted the post as adjutant.6 Later that evening, the troopers of the...

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