John Spencer |
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Born in Breckenridge, Texas,
John Spencer is now a resident of Corsicana. Spencer holds
B.S. and M.B.E. degrees from North Texas State University. He
served in the army during World War
II, and in the occupation of
Japan immediately following the war. John was a
vice-president in the casualty division of Republic Insurance Group
in Dallas. He has been a student of Texas military history for
many years. Two of his book detail the regimental history of
the Corsicana Invincibles and the
Navarro
Rifles. He also wrote a
regimental history of Terrell's Texas Cavalry.
Probably the most famous of all the Texas military units during the War Between the States was the one known as HOOD'S TEXAS BRIGADE. These graycoats were the only Texans to serve directly under Robert E. Lee in his famous ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA. The CORSICANA INVINCIBLES, a small group of soldiers that was the first to leave Navarro County for the war, and the NAVARRO RIFLES, composed of men from Ellis, Freestone, Hill, and Limestone counties, as well as Navarro County, were a part of HOOD'S BRIGADE. These men fought in all 38 of the brigade's engagements, and 6 of the most famous battles of the war - GAINES' MILL, SECOND MANASSAS, SHARPSBURG, GETTYSBURG, CHICKAMAUGA, and the WILDERNESS. At Gettysburg, the Navarro Rifles fought as the skirmishers for the Fourth Texas, and were among the first to reach the Devil's Den. For four years the Navarro Countians carried an Enfield rifle and 40 rounds of ammunitions. Most of the time they had only a thin worn blanket - sometimes in subfreezing weather. Their uniforms were generally ragged, and bare toes stuck through the shoes of some of them. But when the time came to fight, they were always ready. ...John Spencer
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Page Last Updated on
02/14/02
Navarro County TXGenWeb
© Copyright 2001 Edward L. Williams & Barbara Knox