I thought I’d change my focus in this post to look at one of the smaller repositories that I visited, the Texas Heritage Museum at Hill College in Waco, Texas. Their research center was formerly known as the Confederate Research Center, and they remain an excellent resource for Civil War history, Confederate history, and of course, Texas and the Trans-Mississippi in the Civil War.

One of their greatest resources are their “capsule histories” on both Confederate and Union regiments. These are short compilations, usually only a few pages, which detail a regiment’s initial organization (including noting the region where individual companies were raised); various names that the regiment was known by; commanders; higher commands and changes; combat record; and maps showing sites of engagements for that regiment. These “capsule histories” were compiled by John F. Walter, and fill shelves and shelves of binders in the research center. They provide a nice, helpful summary of a regiment’s service during the war.

There are also numerous research files, about specific regiments, battles, personalities, and subjects. They can include things like newspaper articles, reminiscences, letters, compiled genealogies or biographies (some written by descendents or other second-hand sources), regimental histories, articles, and other resources.

Some of the most valuable information I found there included partial casualty reports for some of McCulloch’s regiments at Milliken’s Bend, including names, fate, and nature of injury. Also useful were letters from D.E. Young of the 17th Texas Infantry, in which he described the fighting; and a journal of Capt. Harvey A. Wallace of the 19th Texas Infantry.

One printed source that I found particularly helpful was a lengthy series of articles by William Royston Geise in Military History of Texas and the Southwest about the commanders in the Trans-Mississippi.

If you’re ever near Waco, be sure to stop in. The Texas Heritage Museum has a wealth of information in their research center, as well as a fine museum documenting all aspects of Texas military history.