CSA Bio Brig. Gen. Thomas Green

[Battleline]

Brig. Gen. Thomas Green (b. 1814, d. 1864) One of the most audacious attacks of the Civil War cost Confederate Brig. Gen. Thomas Green his life. With the Federals of the Red River Campaign in retreat after a victory at Mansfield (April 8) and another bloody battle at Pleasant Hill (April 9), Green’s cavalry division moved ahead to Pleasant Hill’s port at Blair’s Landing. There (April 12, 1864) they found several Federal ships, both gunboats and transports, unable to move. Green ordered a charge against the Federal ships. Soldiers of the Union XVII Corps commanded by Brig. Gen. Thomas Kilby Smith moved guns from three transports to shore. The gunboats turned their guns on the attackers. Grapeshot and canister raked the charging Confederates. Green was one of the first to be hit while leading his men. Struck in the forehead, by fire from the USS Osage, Green died instantly. As many as 300 of Green’s Texans were counted as casualties in the attack, which was repulsed after Green’s death. After that battle, all but five of the Federal ships were able to move away from Blair’s Landing. Federal Gen. Nathaniel Banks, leading the Federal expedition, praised Green in his report to Gen. William T. Sherman, as “the ablest officer in their service.” One Confederate officer called the loss one the Trans-Mississippi command could least afford. Green was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Austin, Texas. Born in Amelia County Virginia, Jan. 8, 1814, Green graduated from the University of Nashville. He studied law under his father, a Tennessee Supreme Court justice, and moved to Texas in 1835. Green saw his first military action in the War for Texas Independence and was at the Battle of San Jacinto as a private of artillery, where the Texans secured their freedom from Mexico. After that, he led troops against the Penateka Commanches. When the Mexican War broke out, Green was a captain in the First Texas Rifles and earned praise during the Monterrey campaign. From 1841-61, Green was clerk of the Texas Supreme Court. When the Civil War started, Green first was named general of a militia district before being named colonel of the Fifth Texas Mounted Infantry. He led that unit in the victory at Valverde, New Mexico Territory, Feb. 21, 1862. Green’s force made a charge which changed the complexion of the battle, capturing six Federal guns in close combat. Most of the Federal casualties in the battle occurred during this action. However, on April 15, 1862, Green’s men were surprised at the Battle of Peralta. Green’s reputation suffered. When the Confederates attacked Federal troops at Galveston in January of 1863, Green earned praise Gen. Richard Taylor and Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith lauded Green and the Fifth Texas Cavalry for conducting assaults under heavy odds. After that, he was named to command the cavalry brigade formerly under Gen. Henry H. Sibley. During the Bayou Teche Campaign, Green’s men helped to cover Taylor’s withdrawal against forces of Banks. He was promoted to brigadier general to rank from May 20, 1863. His victory at Cox’s Plantation July 13, 1863 allowed Taylor’s force to escape intact. Since he was leading a cavalry division by this time, Taylor requested that Green be promoted to major general, but no action took place in Richmond on this request. Green conducted a successful ambush of a brigade-sized outpost at Starling’s Plantation on Bayou Fordoche Sept. 12, 1863. Green won a grand victory against Federal forces under Brig. Gen. Stephen Burbridge near Grand Coteau on Bayou Bourbeau Nov. 2, 1863. Green’s men charged so quickly that the Federals had little time to react. One Federal regiment, the 67th Indiana, was captured nearly intact. The Federals were able to reform with Green’s men inflicting a little more damage before the Confederates concluded their attack. The Federals continued to retreat the next day.

Interesting fellow! I actually had to put this bio on a diet to make it fit under 3900 characters. Shows up as 3885 (including the html coding) on my end. Among items I had to cut was speculation that he might have been "fortified" with liquor when he made his final charge and the fact he was a brother-in-law of Brig Gen. James P. Major through Major's first wife. His unit and Major's fought together in action in Louisiana, which also failed to make the cut for this bio.

[Gil R.]

I look forward to editing it, then. I know nothing about this guy.