The 1st Texas Infantry Regiment was assembled at Richmond, Virginia, in August, 1861, with ten companies from Marion, Cass, Polk, Houston, Harrison, Tyler, Anderson, Cherokee, Sabine, San Augustine, Newton, and Nacogdoches counties.

The regiment fought with the Army of Northern Virginia from Seven Pines to Cold Harbor except when it was detached with Longstreet at Suffolk, Chickamauga, and Knoxville.

[1] This staggering casualty rate was the highest suffered by any regiment, North or South, on a single day, during the entire war.

Initially, the Confederate Government wanted the Texas forces to stay to provide defenses for the state, but 10 companies marched off to Richmond without the authorization to do so.

While en route to the front, the train dashed into a washed-out culvert during a thunderstorm and causing a wreck that killed and wounded 40 men of the battalion.

The battalion proceeded with General Joseph E. Johnston in his pursuit of the Union Army from Manassas until being positioned on the Confederate right flank at Dumfries, Virginia.

By May 3, 1862, the Confederate forces pulled back from Yorktown and retreat towards Richmond, the Texas Brigade was detailed as the rearguard of William H.C. Whiting's Division.

After subsequent action during the Seven Days, in which the regiment was heavily engaged at Gaines Mill, the Texas Brigade accompanied the Army Of Northern Virginia during the 2nd Bull Run campaign and into Maryland.

Hence, the Texans were awakened in the early hours of the 17th with empty stomachs by artillery fire and the clash of musketry, being forced to leave behind the first hot breakfast they had eaten in days they rushed to the sounds of the heaviest fighting.

The Texans clashed with the famed Iron Brigade who, having been heavily engaged earlier in the day, were exhausted and not an effective fighting force.

But before they realized this mistake, a line of blue coated soldiers seemingly appeared out of the ground and delivered a volley into the Texans.

At first the brave Texans tried to hold their ground under this solid wall of fire, but not even the hardened veterans of the 1st Texas could withstand such a deadly volley.

Anderson also mentioned that the area between the two ridges was “slightly undulating, enclosed by rail and plank fences and under cultivation.”[7] For nearly an hour the Confederate troops stood in formation as the Union artillery collided with their lines.

The troops of the 1st Texas infantry jumped as the cannon fire hit around them, as did the rest of the Confederate forces, but stood strong in their formation.

[8] The 3rd Arkansas Infantry Regiment and 1st Texas now advanced to the west branch of Plum Run (Rock Creek) near the Timber's House and the Rose Woods.

Robertson quickly made the decision to stick with the left wing and sent a message to Evander M. Law telling him to watch out for the 4th and 5th Texas.

The 1st Texas Infantry now moved up toward the triangular field and as soon as they were in the open started receiving artillery fire from Smith's battery on Houck's Ridge.

[8] This first rush at the enemy made it within fifty yards of Smith's battery but was quickly repelled by the 124th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment and Ward's Brigade.

Next the Texans regrouped and pushed slowly forward a few feet at a time but they were once again repelled by the artillery atop the ridge and the 124th New York.

[10] The 124th of New York now surged forward once again but they had gone as far as they could go because Brigadier General Henry Benning's Brigade had arrived to support the tired Texans.

[10] This support from Benning caused the 124th New York to fall back to their original position and the Confederate soldiers pushed forward into the rocks on Devil's Den.

The Confederates kept up the attack and eventually the growing pressure on the Federal line became so great that Ward's brigade and the 17th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment had to fall back.

[8] The 1st Texas regiment continued to move across the ridge north of Devil's Den, capturing Union soldiers along the way and eventually got to a position that they could fire at Winslow's battery on Little Round Top.

Colonel Work quickly became concerned about his ability to withdraw his troops and so he ordered the color bearer and some of his men to maintain their position while the rest of the regiment moved to the rear.

Around 3:00 P.M., Colonel Work received an order to move his 1st Texas regiment south to help defend against an anticipated cavalry charge.

The men proceeded another two hundred yards to take position behind a short stone wall near the edge of the Bushman Woods.

Private James Henderick also stated that many of the cavalry came up within a few feet of the 1st Texas regiment and so the men knocked them off their horses with rocks and whatever else they could find.

[8] As the evening rolled around, Robertson's Brigade received orders to move around the right flank to their original jump off position on Seminary Ridge.

Colonel Work and the 1st Texas managed to take Devil's Den and Houck's Ridge through utilizing their terrain such as the stone walls of the triangular field.

This impressive regiment fought hard during their time at the battlefield and finally got a rest when they were ordered to retreat from Gettysburg late the night of July 4.