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From: Toby Turner <>
Subject: [17TH-TX-CAVALRY] More Information on 17th
Date: Fri, 5 Feb 2010 08:06:41 -0600


I had two direct ancestors who were in this unit. However, at least one of them managed to escape imprisonment at the fall of Arkansas Post. The book referenced refers only to the unit as it was organized after the fall and the men were released to fight in other states. Not all of the men in the 17th did so. How I determined this is that I managed to get hold of a copy of a book published in 1912 which included the reminiscences of a number of men who fought in the Civil War (the book is in the Rice University Library in Houston). Try a WordCat search to see if it's in a library near you. A. C. Swinburn responded to Ms. Yeary with several paragraphs explaining how he'd escaped with many in his company and where he'd served (in Louisiana under Polignac). Although the book doesn't concentrate on the 17th, I found it a godsend.

Reminiscences of the Boys in Gray, 1861-1865
Mamie Yeary, Smith & Lamar: Dallas, 1912

Two other sources are: "A Smith County Confederate Writes Home: the Letters of E. H. Crow," Smith County (TX) Chronicles, vol. 4, no. 2, Fall 1965 - Crow was in Company C and wrote poignant letters to his wife.

"The Letters of Lt. Flavius W. Perry 17th Texas Cavalry, 1862-63," from Joe R. Wise's Military History of Texas and the Southwest, vol. XIII, No. 2, pages 11-37.

I especially find the "own-words" of soldiers to be very illuminating . . . even if they don't specifically mention one of my ancestors because they were there.
Toby



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