Johnston Guards, Hempstead

The Johnston Guards of Hempstead, Texas was a local militia unit under the authority of the governor of the state of Texas, and was established July 22, 1877.[1]  It was named for West Point graduate General Albert Sidney Johnston, C.S.A., who died at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862.[2]  Among his many accomplishments, he served in the Texian Army in 1836, attaining the rank of Bridagier General and in 1838 Mirabeau B. Lamar, second president of the Republic of Texas, appointed him as Secretary of War.  He served in numerous other engagements, including the Confederacy.  He lived part of his life in Texas, having a plantation he called "China Grove"[3] in Brazoria county.[4]  After his death at Shiloh, he was buried at New Orleans, but the Texas legislature, in 1867, had his body transferred to the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, Texas,[5] [6] and in 1905 had a statue of him, created by sculptor Elizabet Ney, placed there.  Johnston had a high school named for him in Austin in 1960, and was inducted into the Texas Military Hall of Honor in 1980.[7]

Following Reconstruction, the military rule in Texas ended, precipitating a rise in lawlessness, including Indian attacks and cattle theft.[8]  The Militia Bill was enacted in 1870, in spite of fierce opposition and the arrest of numerous senators to force a quorum.[9]  The bill provided for organization of volunteer militia units, composed of volunteer companies to be armed and trained in each county, as part of the Texas State Guard and a Reserve Militia composed of all men aged 18 to 45.[10]

Originally, thirty-nine companies of State Guards were formed.  A list of some of the units is included in the Austin Weekly Statesman of May 18, 1888.[11]

Here is a compilation of the names of units as found in various newspaper articles – this should not be considered authoritative as some are probably missing and some may be duplicates:[12]  Alamo Rifles, Austin Greys, Belnap Rifles of San Antonio, Belton Light Guards, Bonham Greys of Bonham, Brenham Greys, Brenham Light Guards, Bryan Rifles, Burnet Granite Rifles, Cleburne Guards, Coke Greys of Gatesville, Collin Guards, Colorado Guards, Comanche Guards, Dallas Rifles and Artillery, Denison Artillery, Fannin Light Guards, Fayette Light Guards of LaGrange, Ficklin Fusileers, Fort Worth Fencibles, Fort Worth Rifles, Galveston Artillery, Gaston Zouaves, Gonzales Rifles, Grayson Rifles of Sherman, Hempstead Johnston Guards, Houston Light Guards, Houston Light Infantry, Ireland Grays of Bracketville, Johnston Guards of Hempstead, Kerrville Mounted Rifles, Lamar Rifles of Dallas, Lampasas Guards, Lavaca Greys, Longview Rifles, Luling Grays, Miller Rifles of Belton, Navasota Guards, Old Guard Artillery of Houston, Orange Rifles, Palestine Rifles, Piarson Guards of Richmand, Prairie City Guards of Weimar, Prairie Rangers Cavalry, Queen City Guards of Dallas, Robert E. Lee Guards of Giddings, Robert E. Lee Rifles, Reagan Guards of Mineola, Rutherford Rangers, San Bernard Mounted Rifles of Brazoria, San Marcos Greys, Sealy Rifles of Galveston, Smith County Guards, St. Mary's Light Guards of Galveston, Standforth Rifles, Star Riflemen, Stoddard Zouaves, Stone Fort Rifles, Stonewall Greys, Texas Home Guards of Corsicana, Travis Artillery, Valley City Guards of Columbus, Victoria Rifles, Waco Greys, Waco Light Infantry, Walsh Zouaves, Washington Guards of Galveston and Whitney Greys.

The Militia Bill of 1870 provided "In time of war, rebellion, insurrection, invasion, resistance of civil process, breach of the peace or imminent danger thereof, the Governor shall have full power to order into active service the military forces of this state",[13]  and that assistance was requested several times in Hempstead and Waller county.[14]

The Daily Brenham Banner of Sunday, June 2, 1878 reported that "The Johnston Guards, of Hempstead, will soon receive forty stand of improved Springfield muskets."[15]  Those rifles were shanghaied by the Old Guards of Houston and the Guards had to request a formal letter from General Steele to go and get the rifles.[16]  In November, they received their uniforms [17] and, the next month, they attended a Military Ball in Brenham hosted by the Brenham Greys.[18]  At the military convention in Austin of February 22, 1879, a battalion was formed from the Brenham Greys, the Bryan Rifles ahd the Johnston Guards of Hempstead.[19]  The next month, as a part of Col. Kirby's regiment, the Johnston Guards participated in a prize drill at the Volksfest in Brenham.[20] [21]

In August of 1879, sheriff McDade requested Governor Roberts to order out the Johnston Guards due to the unrest caused by the killing of Tom Loggins and the trial.[22] [23] [24]

On July 6, 1880, Governor Roberts and the Brenham Greys joined with the Johnston Guards of Hempstead and traveled to Navasota to attend a military review and picnic.[25]  In April of the next year, the Brenham MayFest Invited the Bryan Rifles, Navasota Guards, Johnston Guards, Washington Guards and Travis Rifles to be their guests.[26]  and the following July the Guards hosted a grand barbecue in Hempstead.[27]

On Christmas Day, 1883, the captain and fifteen men of the Johnston Guards were sent to McDade under order of Governor Ireland [28] on account of lynchings and shootings there.[29]

In May of 1888, two of Sheriff McDade's deputies ambushed and assasinated Stephen Allchin on the main street of Hempstead and a lynching was feared.  The sheriff requested the governor to send the Johnston Guards to help guard the prisoners.[30]

September, 1888, the Johnston Guards disbanded.[31]

Footnotes

Newspaper articles may be read at Timeline of News Reports.