William Edwards Paxton Biography, Bienville, LA submitted by Ken Durham ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** SPEECH ON WILLIAM EDWARDS PAXTON & HIS CIVIL WAR EXPERIENCE By Ken Durham, a great-grandson Thomas Paxton came from Ireland to Virginia before 1750. Thomas Paxton was the father of Samuel Paxton, Joseph Paxton, and Elizabeth Paxton. Joseph became a medical doctor, never married, and settled in Little Rock, Arkansas. Samuel Paxton was the father of David Coulter Paxton who married Lucy Edwards in VA. David and Lucy lived briefly in Virginia and Kentucky before moving to Little Rock, Arkansas. Prior to building their own home in Little Rock they lived with David's uncle, Dr. Joseph Paxton. In addition to his medical practice, Dr. Paxton had an interest in civil engineering. In 1828 he submitted to Congress his persuasive arguments, on behalf of the area's residents, in favor of removing the prehistoric Red River Raft. It extended 80 miles up river, averaging 20 miles in width, and flooded a much larger area. He estimated that removal would allow reclamation and settlement of three-fourths of that area and the expense would be equivalent to maintaining troops at nearby Fort Towson for five years. William Edwards Paxton was born on June 23, 1825 in the village of Little Rock, and his mother always claimed that, to the best of her knowledge, he was the first white child born in the village. David and Lucy Edwards Paxton used Lucy's maiden name as the middle names of their sons James Edwards Paxton, William Edwards Paxton, and Thomas Edwards Paxton. They also had a daughter Eliza Paxton. Dr. Paxton's sister Elizabeth married Samuel Houston, and their son was Sam Houston. Paxton family history says that in 1832 Sam Houston visited his cousin David C. Paxton and Lucy Paxton on his way to Texas from Tennessee. Marquis James, in The Raven, mentions Houston spending a night in Little Rock on his way to Texas. During the 1830s David and Lucy moved from Little Rock to Washington, Hempstead County, Arkansas as a result of a land grant the federal government gave him for his service in the War of 1812. W. E. Paxton then grew up in southern Arkansas. His schooling was in an academy run by a Presbyterian minister. He displayed early an interest in reading the classics and in writing both prose and poetry. At age 13 he began to write verse, some of which was published in the Washington, Arkansas Telegraph. In 1842 the family moved back to Kentucky where Paxton spent 15 months in a private school reviewing algebra and geometry and reading the Greek and Latin classics in preparation for entering college. In the fall of 1843 Paxton entered the freshman class at Georgetown (Baptist) College in Georgetown, KY. He studied the classical curriculum of Greek, Latin, algebra, natural philosophy (physics), chemistry, astronomy, history, composition and declamation, and religion. His senior year he and six peers successfully appealed to the faculty to offer a course in French. The professors liked Paxton, and chose him to speak at an annual school program called the Exhibition of the Sophomore Class. Paxton had a gift for writing and contributed humorous short stories to the student magazine, the Ciceronian under the pen name "Toby Toppleton". Georgetown faculty did not record the student performance by letter grades but rather with numbers, with 9.0 being the highest grade. His grades ranged from 5.1 in astronomy the fall of his senior year to 7.7 in both of his favorite subjects: composition and declamation. His grades indicate he was a typical college student academically, and the comment "Impropriety at Prayers" during the fall semester of his senior year, indicates he was a typical student in conduct. Paxton graduated with the AB degree in 1847 and remained to receive his AM degree in 1850. After graduation he taught school and served as headmaster for schools in Woodford Co., Mercer Co., and Scott Co. KY while studying law. After his admission to the Kentucky state bar he married Miss Sarah J. Mothershed in 1851, but unfortunately, she died that same year. In 1853 he moved to Sparta, Bienville Parish, Louisiana where he served as headmaster of the preparatory department at Mt. Lebanon Baptist Academy while he studied for the Louisiana state bar. After passing the state bar he established a well-respected civil law practice. On February 24, 1857 Paxton married Miss Rebecca Wardlaw, and she bore him a son, Willie, and a daughter, Lucy. In October 1860 Paxton took his mother, Lucy Edwards Paxton, on a 250 mile buggy trip to central Texas to visit her son James E. Paxton. James E., four years older than William E. and a Baptist preacher, had moved to Texas in 1856 to establish churches and evangelize the frontier state. A day's journey west of Shreveport they stopped for the evening, and W. E. Paxton penned the following letter to Rebecca: Earpville, Tex Friday Night 12th Dear Rebecca, I dropped you a letter from Shreveport to let you know how we were progressing- I now write 63 miles west of Shreveport at a place called by the Texas waggoners "Steal Easy"- rather an uninviting name at least, but we have no alternative. We have gotten along pretty well except for the delay at Shreveport. We have so far found the country very much like our part of Louisiana but much drier. The crops in some places have been an almost entire failure. We passed 55 cotton wagons yesterday and about 30 today. Ma has stood the trip very well so far, even with less fatigue than myself, but we are both doing very well. We have yet 130 or 140 miles before us. I will drop you another letter from Porters Bluffs or somewhere along there. I begin to want to get home very badly. Yours affectionately, W.E. Paxton (Earpville is in present-day Longview) The growth of the Republican Party in the 1850s led Paxton to become a die-hard Southern nationalist and patriot. Paxton felt that Republican goals such as abolition, high tariffs, and the promotion of an industrial economy cut at the heart of essential southern interests. He first expressed his political views in the Jeffersonian in the late 1850s, but in 1860 he bought his own press and began publishing the Southern Banner, devoted primarily to advancing the Southern Democratic ticket of John C. Breckinridge and Joseph Lane. If Lincoln won the election Paxton advocated secession, and in the April 1861 he proved that his southern patriotism was more than mere words. He raised the first company of volunteers in Bienville Parish, after Fort Sumter. The Bienville Rifles elected Paxton captain of the company. Lincoln's call for 75,000 volunteers after Fort Sumter led the Confederate government to call on the states for 32,000 volunteers and Louisiana's quota was 5,000 troops. However, Paxton's eager company, along with many others, disbanded after a few weeks because Gov. Thomas O. Moore already had more than 5,000 troops. Paxton, subsequently, returned to his law practice and to editing the Southern Banner, but when the first battles did not end the conflict Paxton heeded the call for more troops by volunteering again in September 1861. He turned the Southern Banner over to his younger brother Tom. Paxton began his service in October at Camp Moore, named for Governor Moore and located 78 miles north of New Orleans. He aided in organizing the volunteer companies from north-central Louisiana into regiments, including the 19th Louisiana Infantry Regiment. He lamented Gov. Moore's earlier shipment of 24,000 rifles to other states resulting in a shortage of arms for the volunteers. Consequently, many of the recruits had no weapons or shouldered outdated flintlocks. One captain said that it took three soldiers to load and fire one of those antiques: One soldier to hold the musket, a second to hold the hammer out of the way, and a third to touch off the charge with a match. Paxton considered trying to earn the appointment of colonel of the regiment, but hesitated due to the expense of purchasing a colonel's uniform and equipment. However, the regimental officers offered him the position of quartermaster, which he accepted because the duties appealed to him, and it carried the less expensive rank of captain. On October 10 he helped quell a riot by 200 recruits who looted several sutlers' shops because camp provisions were several days late. Additional recruits arrived at Camp Moore throughout the fall, and regiments were organized into brigades. The 19th along with the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 20th Louisiana Infantry Regiments formed the 1st Infantry Brigade under Brig. Gen. Daniel Ruggles. On December 10 these regiments were mustered into Confederate service, and Paxton was officially commissioned quartermaster and captain in the 19th Infantry Regiment. A few days later the 1st Brigade was transferred by railroad to Camp Roman, a few miles west of New Orleans, to help guard the approaches to the city. Two weeks later it was transferred just south of New Orleans to Camp Benjamin, named for Judah P. Benjamin, a Louisiana native and Jefferson's Davis' Secretary of State. A month later, in January 1862, a battery of light artillery was added to Ruggles' Brigade, which was placed on a war footing due to the prospect of an immanent attack upon New Orleans. Paxton felt the brigade would give any Yankee invaders "a warm reception." At Camp Benjamin Paxton's duties necessitated frequent absences from camp, and he ate at private establishments. At "one such nasty French hole" he was served "a broth as only the stomach of a Frenchman could stand." He also complained of having to contend with rain, "mud, mud, mud," and cold feet in a tent with no floor. Consequently, he was sleeping on his table. His pay for December totaled 93 dollars, and he received 58 dollars for his brief state service with the Bienville Rifles in April. Confederate forces in southern Louisiana and Mississippi mustered in northern Mississippi as a result of Gen. Grant's victories over Forts Henry and Donelson in February. The first Brigade left Camp Benjamin on February 14 and headed for Corinth, MS. However, on the 15th fire destroyed the 19th Infantry Regiment's ammunition, and Paxton returned to New Orleans to procure another supply. Poor train connections during this trip allowed him to spend two days with his sister and brother-in-law, Eliza and Leman Haile near Coffeeville, MS. He left Coffeeville on February 21 and completed his assignment. As the opposing armies gathered for battle north of Corinth, Paxton began to contemplate his first combat experience. His reflections on the possibility of his own death led him to express his love for his two children and his desire that they remain true to their southern heritage. At the Battle of Shiloh Brig. Gen. Randall Lee Gibson commanded the 1st Brigade, consisting of the 4th, 13th, and 19th Louisiana Regiments along with the 1st Arkansas. This Brigade was in Gen. Daniel Ruggles' 1st Division of Gen. Braxton Bragg's Corp of Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston's Army of the Mississippi. On the first day of the battle, Sunday April 6, Ruggles' Division made 11 unsuccessful attacks on the Hornets' Nest, and Gibson's Brigade made four of these charges between noon and 2:30 pm. Unfortunately Ruggles' attacks were piecemeal rather than a concerted effort, consequently, the Federals remained in the Hornets' Nest until late in the afternoon when Ruggles called in artillery. On the second day the 19th Regiment remained in its position near the Hornets' Nest, but the rest of Gibson's brigade moved north about 3/4 of a mile. The 19th Regiment lost approximately 1/5 of its strength: 175 of its 870 men at Shiloh. Most of these losses occurred during its four unsuccessful charges into the Hornets' Nest. The 1st Brigade lost 97 killed, 488 wounded, and 97 missing. Later in April Paxton wrote Rebecca some interesting details of his experiences during the battle. On April 21 Paxton wrote Rebecca that so much sickness plagued the camp there was "Scarcely a man fit for duty". He doubted that the regiment could make a very good showing in battle. Severe dysentery caused his weight to drop to 140 pounds, which was 55 pounds less than when he joined the army. He discovered two hundred dollars of his personal funds were missing, and he supposed someone stole the money during the days when he had large groups of men in his tent. He was conducting payroll business from the relative comfort of his tent during his illness. He had intended the 200 dollars to pay off the balance of the note on his horse. Federal forces captured New Orleans a few weeks after the Confederate defeat at Shiloh, and on April 30 Paxton revealed his discouragement and concerns to Rebecca: "Oh! Rebecca bear with fortitude this terrible affliction. . . . Make the most of the outward circumstances that separate us, I trust in God, only for a season. Trust God and he will give you strength. It will soon be perhaps that all communication will be cut off from the west side of the Mississippi and then you cannot hear from me. But hope for the best as I believe God will take care of me. But if it be his will that I should fall he will provide for you and our dear children. This state of things cannot always last. The end will come and I think before long." In the same letter Paxton shared the good news that the Confederate Conscript Law of April1862 included men ages 18 to 35, which did not affect him at age 37. Since he was no longer obligated to serve, and being discouraged with the exposure and exertion of infantry duty, he contemplated resigning. He hoped to fulfill his patriotic duty and preserve his honor in a less strenuous military assignment closer to home. By early May, Paxton's spirits had improved along with his health. On May 29 the army moved from Corinth to Tupelo, and a regimental reorganization placed the 19th Regiment in Col. A. Reichard's 2nd Brigade with the 11th, 16th, 18th, and 20th Louisiana Infantry Regiments, the 45th Alabama, and Burnett's Battery. Rumors of another major battle continued to circulate, but the reorganization of the Brigade made Paxton feel more confident should another major conflict occur. Paxton, however, never fully recovered his strength, consequently, on June 13, 1863, he submitted his resignation, citing his age above the conscript law and his poor health due to exposure and dysentery. Major W. P. Winans, commander of the 19th Regiment, approved Paxton's resignation, agreeing that he was "solely and eminently an office man but cannot dispatch outdoor business. He is too worthy of an officer and man to be discharged for inefficiency ...." Adjutant and Inspector General Samuel Cooper accepted his resignation on July 10. After recuperating at home for a few months Paxton achieved his objective of a less strenuous position and one more accessible to home. He joined a cavalry unit on the west side of the Mississippi making visits home less risky and quicker. He served as a private in Company F, 13th Battalion, of Major Richard L. Capers' 4th Cavalry Regiment and also served temporarily as quartermaster. The regiment worked with Col. Isaac F. Harrison's 15th Cavalry. Records are silent on when he joined the cavalry, but it may have been as early as November 1862 when the Battalion mustered. It operated with Col. Isaac F. Harrison's 15th Cavalry between Delhi and Vicksburg and between Lake Providence and Milliken's Bend, raiding plantations which were growing cotton under Federal leases and harassing Federal gunboats on the Mississippi and its tributaries. Paxton lamented the fall of Vicksburg, but tried to console himself by noting that traffic across the river had been effectively cut off ever since the Federal gunboats began passing Vicksburg three months earlier. He was anxious about his brother Tom who had surrendered with his 27th Louisiana Infantry Regiment at Vicksburg. Paxton's cavalry regiment was plagued by illness and had only 30 men fit for duty on July 10. The Confederate forces in his area were too weak to confront the Federals and retreated whenever they approached. In his discouragement after Vicksburg he appears to have lost much of his initial southern patriotism when he told Rebecca that what he most feared "is that Yankees will be discouraged to persevere and that in consequence the war will be protracted." These words reflect that he was resigned to a northern victory and preferred that it come sooner than later. He was also feeling the effect of the Federal blockade, which made 25 sheets of writing paper cost four dollars. Later in July, Paxton gloats over his possession of a splendid Yankee horse with complete rigging, worth in his estimation, $300. Extant public records do not tell how long Paxton remained with Capers' 4th Cavalry. In 1864, however, his continued poor health led him later to procure the position of Assistant Enrolling Officer in Bienville Parish where he could live at home. However, his joy of being back home was bittersweet since Rebecca died that year, leaving him with total responsibility of caring for and raising a young son and daughter. It is unknown whether Rebecca passed away before or after Paxton returned home, nor is the cause of her death known. By this time Paxton had accepted the inevitability of a northern victory and hoped it would come soon, however, he did not want to turn his back on the brave men still involved in the war effort. The position of Assistant Enrolling Officer allowed him to support the war effort indirectly and preserve his honor without further destroying his health. Back home in Sparta Baptist Church Paxton surrendered to preach in1864. His enrolling duties, this late in the war, were not demanding, consequently, he immediately entered enthusiastically into his new calling by filling a pulpit in the area almost every Sunday. For all practical purposes the war was over for William Edwards Paxton, however, he still carried the title of Assistant Enrolling Officer when he was paroled at Shreveport on June 20, 1865. In March 1865 Minden Baptist Church called him as pastor, and there he met Mrs. Margaret Eugenia Hargrove Fuller, a war widow who had also lost her infant son during the war. Since both William and Margaret sought companionship and recovery from their grief, they married in 1866. During the next 17 years she gave birth to nine children, but only three girls reached adulthood: Lizzie Clare, Eloise (my grandmother), and Viva. Paxton remained in Minden until 1872. His other full time pastorates included, Summer Grove in Shreveport (1872-1877), the Baptist Church in Warren Arkansas (1878-1882), and the Fort Smith, Arkansas Baptist Church (1882-1883). In addition to preaching Paxton served as president of Shreveport University (1872-1874), and edited various Baptist state papers such as Louisiana Baptist and the Arkansas Evangel. Furthermore, he wrote The Apostolic Church (1876). His most lasting and best-known literary contribution is his History of the Baptists of Louisiana, published posthumously in 1888. Paxton continued to suffer some health problems as a result of the war and died in Ft. Smith on June 9, 1883, two weeks short of his 58th birthday. NOTE: My great grandfather, William Edwards Paxton practiced law in Sparta in the 1850s and later fought in the 19th Louisiana Infantry Regiment. Louisiana History published my article on his Civil War letters to his wife Rebecca in Louisiana History Vol. XX No. 2, spring 1979. There was one letter I did not include in this article, and it is published in Vol. XXXV No. 1 Winter1994. Recently I gave a talk on Paxton to one of our local chapters of the SCV, and the above is the speech. The 19th LA Infantry Regiment was at the Hornests' Nest on the first day of the Battle of Shiloh. I think you will find Paxton's comments about the battle very interesting. You will note that page 7 of the speech is blank as are most of pages 8-10. These pages quote from his letters which contain some very interesting ideas about southern patriotism and the Battle of Shiloh. These letters can be looked up in Louisiana History. Vol. XX No. 2, Spring 1979 on pages 183-184. Vol. XXXV No. 1, Winter 1994, pages 185-188. W. E. Paxton is the author The History O Louisiana Baptists published in 1888.