A Partial List of Principal Confederate Military Units
Assigned to the Matagorda-Lavaca Bay Region (1861-1865)
Shea's Battalion Texas
Reuss's Indianola Artillery Guard and the Eighth Texas Infantry Batallion consolidated on December 10, 1861, to form the Texas Fourth Artillery Battalion (Shea's Artillery Battalion).
Artillery:
Company "A"-"Van Horn's Guards"
Captain: Daniel D. Shea (Appointed July 19, 1861, became Lt. Colonel of the 8th Texas Infantry Regiment)
Lieutenant: John A. Vernon
Lieutenant: David G. Beaumont
Second Lieutenant: T. D. Woodward
Company "B" Indianola Artillery Guards
Captain: Joseph M. Ruess
Lieutenant: Otto Ludwig Schnabert
Lieutenant: Otto Beyer
Second Lieutenant: George French
(Note: Shea's Battalion merged with Hobby's 8th Texas Infantry Regiment in November 1863.)
Indianola Guards:
Captain: Darwin M. Stapp
(Note: This unit was also known as Stapp's Company Texas Volunteers)
Kelly's Texas Mounted Men:
Captain: William Kelly
Eight (Hobby's) Texas Infantry Regiment:
Colonel: A. M. Hobby
Lt. Col.: Dan D. Shea
Lt. Col.: John Ireland
Major: John A. Vernon
(Note: Portions of Hobby's Regiment served at Fort Esperanza)
Sixth (Garland's) Texas Infantry Regiment
Colonel: Robert R. Garland
Lt. Col.: Thomas Anderson
Major: Rhoads Fisher
Major: Alexander Haskell
Major: Alexander Phillips, Jr.
(Note: This regiment was from Victoria; portions of the regiment were assigned detached services.)
Thirty Third (Duff) Texas Cavalry Regiment
Colonel: James Duff
Lt. Col.: James R. Sweet
Major: Santos Benavides
Major: John H. Robinson
Major: John T. Brackenridge
(Note: Portions of this regiment served along Matagorda Bay region)
Major Positions of Confederate Defense Along Matagorda-Bay Region:
Port Lavaca (Waterfront Batteries)
Galinipper Point (2-Gun Battery)
Fort Esperanza (10 Gun Fortress)
Bayucos Island (1 Gun Redount)
Alligator Head (Armament Unknown)
Pilot Station (2 Gun Battery)
(Positions with mounted seacoast artillery and /or field weapons included)
Principal Confederate Naval Vessels That Served in the Matagorda Bay Region:
"John F. Carr"
"Anna Dale"
"Cora"
"George Burkhart"
"Lucy Gwin"
"Angela"
"Lizzie Lake"
"General Rusk"
"Matagorda"
Article by Bill Winsor, Officer of the Houston Civil War Round Table, Shifting Sands of Calhoun County Texas 1981, Calhoun County Historical Commission