page_title: 4th Texas Infantry Regiment
section_title: 1861–1862
hierarchical_section_title: 4th Texas Infantry Regiment / History / 1861–1862
caption_attribution_description: English: Confederate soldiers on the Antietam battlefield as they fell inside the fence on the Hagerstown road, September 1862
context_page_description: The 4th Texas Infantry Regiment was a unit of Confederate States Army infantry volunteers that was created in 1861 and fought in the Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War. As part of the famous Texas Brigade, the regiment fought at Eltham's Landing, Seven Pines, Gaines's Mill, Second Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam, and Fredericksburg in 1862. It fought at Gettysburg, Chickamauga and Wauhatchie in 1863 and the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and the Siege of Petersburg in 1864. The regiment surrendered to Federal forces on 9 April 1865 after the Battle of Appomattox Court House.
context_section_description: The 4th Texas became part of the Texas Brigade under the command of Louis Wigfall. The brigade moved to Dumfries, Virginia in November 1861 and spent the winter drilling. At this time, hundreds of the soldiers fell sick, which was a common occurrence in newly-formed Civil War era military units. In March 1862, Hood was promoted to command the Texas brigade. Marshall became colonel and Captain J. C. G. Key of Company A was promoted major. The regiment's first combat was the Battle of Eltham's Landing on 7 May 1862. Army commander Joseph E. Johnston ordered the Texas Brigade to "feel the enemy gently and fall back". Hood wished to prevent friendly fire accidents, so he ordered the troops to advance with unloaded weapons through thick woods. Suddenly, the Texans stumbled onto an enemy patrol and a Union soldier raised his rifle to shoot Hood. John Deal, a private in the 4th Texas, shot the Federal. Luckily for Hood, Deal had ignored orders and loaded his weapon. In the skirmish, Hood's brigade drove the Union soldiers back one mile and inflicted 186 casualties for the loss of only 48 Texans. 
  The Texas Brigade was lightly engaged at the Battle of Seven Pines on 31 May–1 June, losing only 13 men wounded. The Texas Brigade consisted of the 1st Texas, 4th Texas, 5th Texas, and 18th Georgia Regiments and Hampton's Legion. During the Seven Days Battles, the brigade's losses were 92 killed, 526 wounded, and five missing. The Texas Brigade arrived late in the day during the Battle of Gaines's Mill. Just before 7:00 pm, Confederate army commander Robert E. Lee asked Hood, "This must be done. Can you break the line?" The Texas Brigade commander answered, "I will try". Hood split his brigade into two wings and placed them on either side of Evander M. Law's brigade. Hood dismounted and marched to the assault with the 4th Texas. The Texas Brigade broke the Union first line and its flight carried away the second line also. The Texas Brigade was one of the few units that claimed to have been the first to crack the Union line that day. Law's and Hood's brigades lost 1,018 casualties during the successful charge. The 4th Texas took 500 men into battle and sustained losses of 21 killed, 63 wounded, and one captured. Marshall and Warwick were killed and Key was wounded. Another source stated that there were 253 casualties in the 4th Texas at Gaines's Mill, roughly half the regiment.
  The 4th Texas fought at the Second Battle of Bull Run on 28–30 August 1862. On the evening of the 29th, the brigades of Law and Hood staged a reconnaissance in force in which they drove back two Union brigades under John Porter Hatch. Because of the darkness, Hood's and Law's men were soon withdrawn to their original positions. The next day at 4:00 pm, Lee and James Longstreet mounted a major attack on the Union left flank. The Texas Brigade led the assault. The 1st Texas on the extreme left lost touch with the brigade. Therefore, the attack was made with the 4th Texas on the left, the 5th Texas on the right, and the 18th Georgia and Hampton's Legion in the center. Hood's brigade quickly smashed Gouverneur K. Warren's 1,000-man brigade. Next, Martin Davis Hardin's Union brigade tried to stop the Texas Brigade's advance but it was beaten. The 4th Texas and 18th Georgia captured a Union artillery battery. Next, Hood's brigade came up against Nathaniel McLean's Federal brigade atop Chinn Ridge. At this time, the 4th Texas came under withering fire, so Lieutenant Colonel B. F. Carter withdrew the regiment behind a ridge where it found the wayward 1st Texas. The 5th Texas and the other units took cover in some woods. Nathan George Evans's brigade caught up with Hood's Texans, but their joint attack on McLean's Federals was repelled. It would take several more Confederate brigades to defeat McLean's brigade. The Texas Brigade lost 75 killed, 550 wounded, and 13 missing at Second Bull Run. The 4th Texas had 11 killed and 20 wounded.
  The 4th Texas was at the Battle of South Mountain on 14 September 1862 where it lost six killed and two wounded. At the Battle of Antietam 
caption: Dead Confederate soldiers lying near the Hagerstown Road on the Antietam battlefield.
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