The Lone Star Defenders: A Chronicle of the Third Texas Cavalry, Ross' Brigade

This memoir follows a man born in 1834 on a small farm near Huntsville, Alabama, whose family lineage stretches from colonial North Carolina to early Texas settlements. After losing both parents, he and his siblings scattered, and in 1859 he journeys west to reunite with a widowed sister who has already made a home in Nacogdoches County. The opening pages blend personal memory with the restless atmosphere of a nation edging toward conflict.

When the Civil War erupts, he signs up for the Third Texas Cavalry, a band of volunteers eager to defend their new home. He recounts the early days of camp, the buzz after Fort Sumter, and the tight‑knit camaraderie among his fellow Company C men. His recollections stay grounded in what he saw—long marches across prairie, scarce supplies, and the uneasy anticipation of battle—offering listeners a vivid, personal window onto a soldier’s first year of service.