It is time again for the annual Texas Military Forces Historical Foundation WWII themed Sweetheart Dinner Dance. The event will take place at the museum on February 11, 2023 starting at 6:30 pm. As always we will feature the talented Sentimental Journey Orchestra under the direction of Ted Connerly and featuring the Memphis Belles singers. Dinner will be provided by Austin Catering, and a photo booth and souvenir glass will add to the vintage atmosphere. This year instead of the traditional silent auction we will have a bazaar which will allow you to take your purchases immediately.
Tickets are $100 and can be purchased at the event page , by phone or at the museum. Seating is limited.
We look forward to having you join us for this wonderful unique event hosted by the Texas Military Forces Historical Foundation which supports the Texas Military Forces Museum.
The museum will be open to the public on Monday May 30th from 10 am to 4 pm. No special events are planned on Monday but our Close Assault event will be held on May 28-29th.
We recently discovered a small collection of Civil War items which were donated sometime prior to the professional staff being hired in 2007-2008.
The collection consists of an 1862 letter written by F.E. Ftizpatrick to his sister Eliza. Francis Fitzpatrick was with Company F of the 57th Georgia Regiment. He was captured at Vicksburg, paroled and died at home in August 1863, he was one of 10 children.
The collection also contained a single, damaged notebook page titled: “Recollections of My Service, Sufferings, and Experiences in the War Between the States, 1861-1865” There was no name associated with the page, but since this person made it to the end of the war it could not be Fitzpatrick and the handwriting looked nothing like his.
Next were three Confederate bank notes, one from Georgia and two from Texas.
Lastly there was a cabinet card with an image of a couple and a name written on the back: A.J. Wilson and an address in Fort Worth, Texas.
This cabinet card and notebook page were the key to unlocking the mystery. Speculating that they might be related, we checked the name A.J. Wilson with the date of birth and place of enlistment noted on the damaged notebook page. We were able to find an Alfred Jenkins Wilson who served with Company K, 1st Texas Infantry, Hood’s Brigade. Then searching for Alfred Jenkins Wilson we were surprised to find this newspaper article with a copy of our cabinet card!
It provided more of the story including how he meet his wife, shown next to him in the photograph. Her name was Emily Fitzpatrick, sister to F.E. Fitzpatrick! Eliza was here older sister, and Emily was only 2 years older that Francis so closest to him in age of all the siblings. So that provided the connection to the letter, and explained the presence of GA and TX Confederate bank notes
The story of how he meet his wife is told in the newspaper article. She knitted pairs of socks to be sent to Confederate soldiers in need. She pinned a note to the socks asked that whomever received them send her a note to let her know they were being used and included her address. Wilson began to correspond with her and told her if he lived through the war he would come and find her. After the surrender at Appomattox, Wilson traveled to GA, he had relatives who lived nearby and found Emily Fitzgerald, married her and took her back to Texas. Emily dies in 1920 and Alfred in 1921 a love story till the end.
Allen Anderson was born in Florida in 1830, moved to Mississippi, then arrived in Texas in the 1856 where he set up in Bosque County. He was married to Mary Robinson in September 1856. In 1860, He, Mary and their son Archibald were living in Bosque county were Anderson was a Stock Rancher and the Assistant Marshal:
In April 1862, Allen joined Hawpe’s Regiment of Texas Cavalry and was put in charge of Company B, 31st Texas Cavalry.
Service Card for Captain Anderson
Between April and November 1862 Captain Anderson wrote letters to his wife Mary, four of which were donated to the museum: April 30, 1862, June 25, 1862, September 18, 1862 and October 3, 1862. Transcriptions for all 4 letters can be found at the top of the page. In the letters he speaks of camp life, their mutual friends, discipline in his company, and the battle of Newtonia, MO. The letters are well written and full of descriptive details. His unit, the 31st Texas Cavalry, fought skirmish’s in Arkansas, and Missouri in the spring and fall of 1862. Anderson was wounded by gunfire near Fort Smith Arkansas, and requested a discharge on November 20, 1862 which was granted by President Jefferson Davis on December 24, 1862. Captain Allen S. Anderson returned to Texas and fought as part of the Frontier Protective Unit.
October 3 1862 original letterApril 30 1862 original letter.
After his return to Texas Captain Anderson’s life took an unexpected turn in June 1864. There are a couple of different versions of what happened. This one comes from the book ” Comanche Indian Fights on the Texas Frontier” by E.L.Deaton published in 1895 it says…In the summer of 1864 Indians came in and stole a lot of horses. The group followed for a day and gave up then the next day as they approached Blanket Creek they saw a horse that had a halter and was sweaty where a blanket had been. Captain Anderson said he saw an Indian go into the thicket E.L.Deaton, Captain Anderson and Aaron Cunningham charged at full speed because they had the best horses. Anderson was in the lead and charged into the thicket. Captain Anderson said he saw an Indian go into the thicket. John Cox cocked his gun thinking Allen was an Indian. Captain Cunningham asked Cox if he saw an Indian and Cox said yes. Cunningham said shoot quick. Cox shot at the hulk. Anderson yelled once, ran out of the thicket and fell into Bill Kingsberry’s arms. He said take my gun and kill him. Cox loaded his gun, came round and saw Anderson was dead. Cox said “My God boys, is it possible that I killed my friend?” He was overcome with grief and wept bitterly. He seemed almost paralyzed. It was an honest mistake but the thought of killing his friend was more than he could bear. Those present at the killing of Captain Anderson were: F.M.Collier, Capt.Jas.Cunningham, Aaron Cunningham, Wally Cox, Tom Deaton, Tom Corn, John Cox, Bill Kingsberry and E.L.Deaton and one or two others he forgot. Another slightly longer version can be found in “The Quirt and the Spur” by Edgar Rye.
Allen Anderson’s body was returned to Bosque County and buried in what is now the Oswald Cemetery in Clifton, Texas. Although his family is said to have moved the body at some point. “Captain Anderson’s wife and two children stayed in Bosque county, where his son, Archibald D., was elected sheriff. Flora, the daughter of Captain Anderson married Joseph A. Kemp, a successful merchant of Wichita Falls, Texas. Both of the families of Archibald D. Anderson and Joseph A. Kemp settled in Wichita Falls and became prominent in the development of that flourishing little city. The wife of Captain Anderson died at Clifton, Texas.” ( From The Quirt and the Spur)
Our Close Assault program this spring will honor our nation’s Vietnam Veterans… many of whom joined the Guard after their regular Army service.
Remember the true meaning of Memorial Day with this back at the Vietnam War. Close Assault 1968 honors the service and sacrifice of America’s veterans. The free program features members of the Texas Military Forces Living History Detachment exhibiting the uniform and equipment worn by the American soldiers. In addition, the two-day event will provide guests the opportunity to witness firing demonstrations and watch an assault on a bunker with an M113.
The event will take place RAIN or SHINE. Bleacher seating is available. Showtimes are at 11 am and 2 pm on Saturday and 1:30 pm on Sunday. The program runs for about 1.5 hours. The museum will be open 10-4 each day. Both the program and admission to the museum are FREE.
Remember the true meaning of Veteran’s Day with this stirring look back at World War II. Close Assault 1944 honors the service and sacrifice of America’s veterans by focusing on the history of the 36th Infantry Division of the Texas Army National Guard during World War II. The free program features members of the Texas Military Forces Living History Detachment exhibiting the uniform and equipment worn by the American GI in the European Theater of the Second World War, as well as those of his German opponent. In addition, the two-day event will provide guests the opportunity to witness firing demonstrations of the most famous U.S. and German small arms of World War II, as well as see everything from tents and radio equipment to GI baseball gloves and mess kits and operational vehicles such as an M4 Sherman Tank, M3 Halftrack and Jeeps.
The event will take place rain or shine and bleachers will be available for seating. Show times are at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 pm. The Texas Military Forces Museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the weekend. Both the program and admission to the museum are free.
Camp Mabry is open to the public and adults will need to show a valid photo ID such as a driver’s license or a military ID to come on post.
