The new year of 1861 found all of Texas coming to a heightened sense of fear about the future.  The official start of the Civil War was April, 12, 1861, but the situation in Texas became very serious much earlier than that.  When Federal troops withdrew from the area, “settlements in the state suddenly became vulnerable to their foes, hostile Native American warriors and Mexican bandits.”  (Ref. 3173) On Feb. 5, 1861, The Committee of Public Safety “appointed Henry E. McCulloch, a noted frontiersman and Texas Ranger, colonel of the cavalry.  His volunteer companies were called the 1^st Regiment of Texas Mounted Rifles.”  . . . “This regiment formed the foundation of the unit that eventually became the 1^st Regiment of Texas Cavalry.” (Ref. 721)  Their job was to patrol the frontier along a line of forts from the Red River to the Rio Grande.  Mat Nolan, sheriff of Nueces County, was also authorized to raise a company of cavalry. Nolan's Mounted Rangers, 98 strong, mustered at Banquete.  Other companies mustered at Corpus Christi included W.S. Shaw's Light Infantry, James Morgan's Infantry Company, John Graham's Mounted Coast Guards, James A. Ware's Partisan Rangers, and the Corpus Christi Artillery Company.  The Ranchero newspaper reported February 23, 1861, that “near 2500 men are now under arms in the service of this State.”  Jane, along with other wives in Texas, would now face a future of long separations from their husbands overshadowed by great worry.  They had to make the most of their time together.  By the time the Confederates fired the first shot at Fort Sumter in South Carolina, Jane would be pregnant with her second baby which would be due in March.  

James was now a captain and “Ware’s Battalion of Partisan Rangers had 83 men.” (Ref. 3173) In the coming months, this unit underwent several changes in names:  Ware’s Battalion of Partisan Rangers, Texas Mounted Partisan Rangers, James A. Ware's Partisan Rangers, the 1^st Mounted Rifles, the 1^st Texas Mounted

 
59

Rifles, Ware’s Tigers, Company F, 1^st Texas Mounted Rifles and eventually – 1^st Texas Cavalry.  The following pay receipts and notes reflect the different names.

May 2, 1863 – Ware’s Tigers, Ware’s Partisan Rangers, Ware’s Company of Partisan Rangers, and Capt. James A. Ware’s Partisan Rangers were all merged into the 1^st Texas Cavalry.

60

Envelope addressed to Capt. James A. Ware of the Texas Mounted Partisan Rangers – original copy owned by James & Judy Ware

(Ref. 3173)

61

Roster – Found in book mentioned above (Ref. 3338)

     “In September, 1861, the 1st Mounted Rifles received a large issue of uniforms, but the 779 uniforms allocated failed to clothe the 1,009 members if the regiment.  The definitive yellow gilt braid and brass buttons of fancy cavalry uniforms were seldom seen on Texas horsemen.  Sometimes officers acquired uniforms trimmed with braid, but the common soldier seldom had fancy, yellow-striped cavalry pants.” (Ref. 721)   The following photograph shows James in his full uniform, although we know from a requisition order dated on December 27, 1862, he did not get his cavalry saber until a year

62

after his joining the Confederacy.  Unlike most mounted Texas units, the 1^st Texas Cavalry carried sabers and underwent training to fight both cavalry and dismounted infantry.” “Several instances of the regiment's brandishing sabers and wielding them in charges against the Yankees appear in accounts of the regiment's exploits along the coast and in the red River Expedition.”  (Ref. 721)

(Ref. #2086) 

Capt. James A. Ware
Photograph property of James & Judy Ware

63

On “October 10, 1861, Colonel Charles Lovenskiold, who was now Corpus Christi’s provost marshall, reported that Captain Neal’s company was full and ready for muster.  The unit was now officially a part of the ‘provisional Army of the Confederate States, for coast defense.’  Other companies of local men were also being formed: Captain John Graham’s Mounted Coast Guards Texas State Troops, Captain James Ware’s Partisan Rangers, and a company under James N. Morgan. . . ” (Ref. 3004)    It was imperative to get the men in order and ready for fighting.  “Drills and training occupied time in camp, while combat activities meant long, miserable, bone-weary hours in the saddle combating Indians, bandits, or Yankees." (Ref. 721)    By this time, James’ title had changed to “James A. Ware, Captain Commanding Company F, 1^st Texas Mounted Rifles.”

Toward the end of October, “the companies moved into winter quarters.  The horses, mostly in very poor shape, needed a long rest.” (Ref. 721)  By December, James and Jane (or Jeanne, as she was often called) had celebrated their fifth anniversary, their daughter, Fanny, had turned two years old, and Jane was now six months pregnant with their next child.  A new career milestone for the couple came “on December 10, 1861, [when] the Confederate Secretary of War re-designated the 1^st Regiment of Texas Mounted Rifles as the 1^st Regiment of the Texas Cavalry.”  (Ref. 721) According to author Stanley S. McGowen, the following facts are worth noting:  “The first Texas Cavalry, from its inception as the 1st Regiment of Texas Mounted Rifles until the unit disbanded, functioned admirably, despite confronting immense disadvantages.” “The first regiment from the state mustered into Confederate service surpassed most others in length of service and in diversity of campaigns.  From February, 1861, until the end of April, 1865, the 1st Texas Cavalry Regiment participated in campaigns from the far western frontier and the Gulf coast of Texas to the swamps and bayous of Louisiana.  Few other Texas regiments could boast of fighting in such far-flung theaters or confronting such a variety of opponents.  Indians, insurgent Unionists, bandits, and, of course, Federal soldiers all encountered the hard-riding, quick-shooting Texas cavalrymen.” (Ref. 721)   Jane had every right to be very proud of her husband.

64

(Ref. 739) Registration for Nueces County

The company that James commanded was known by many locals as ‘Ware’s Tigers.’  There was a special battle flag made for them by one of the local ladies. (see below) According to The Civil War – A Visual History by The Smithsonian Institute, the flag is described as such: “Flag of Ware’s Tigers (Confederate) – This national flag, used by Ware’s Tigers of Corpus Christi, has 13 stars, representing the seceded states as well as Missouri and Kentucky, which possessed competing state governments.”  The company name actually provided James with the nickname of ‘Tige’ Ware or Tiger Ware.  (Ref. 3347)

Flag presented to Capt. James A. Ware

65

In the spring of 1862, James placed an advertisement in a San Antonio newspaper notifying the Texas citizens that he was auctioning off quite a bit of his prized property. (see next page) .  It was going to be difficult to finance all the supplies that would be needed in the coming days, and cold, hard cash would be needed.  “Under a congressional act of March 6, 1861, the Confederate army required cavalry volunteers to provide their own mounts and accoutrements.” (Ref. 721)   Texas was a land full of cowboys and horses.  As one person said, “at the outbreak of the war, it was found very difficult to raise infantry in Texas, as no Texan walks a yard if he can help it.” (Ref. 3302)  Consequently, "Texas furnished the Confederacy many more cavalrymen than in any other branch of service." (Ref. #721)

66

The need for supplies only increased as the war dragged on.  By 1864, the southern soldiers were in dire straits.  In January of that year, Colonel John S. Ford wrote:  “The two companies of state troops now are but illy supplied with commissary stores, canteens, and etc., and but a few day’s supply of forage.”  (Ref. 2767)  James wrote in a letter to headquarters on July 15, 1864, “I would call the attention of the Colonel Commanding to the necessity of sending more arms and ammunition.” (Ref. 2077)  By the end of July, James wrote in exasperation to his superiors that “owing to the necessities of the troops lately sent to this post, for both clothing and subsistence and there being no person authorized or charged with the duty of furnishing them, I have been forced to do so myself. . . . The troops sent to me are in the worst sort of condition for want of arms and all classes of clothing – many being entirely without even shoes, and unless I can see these articles furnished, I will be under the necessity of placing as large number of my men in the guardhouse for refusal to do duty while they are barefooted.”  (Ref. 2077)  The auction in 1862 was only the prelude of hard times to come.  As Maria von Blucher noted, “here in Corpus Christi things fare rather badly; the army depot has been removed, all property as become valueless and sales are impossible. In consequence there is no activity in land affairs and no surveys are needed, and the prospects are very depressing.”  (Ref. 3172)

 67

68