CONFEDERATE BIOGRAPHY:  Walter P. Lane - Harrison County, TX

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Submitted by Mary Love Berryman - marylove@tyler.net
5 April 2002 
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TEXANS WHO WORE THE GRAY by Sid S. Johnson - Page 57-58 

WALTER P. LANE.

Walter P. Lane, of Marshall, was born in 1817 in Ireland. In the 
year 1821 his parents removed to America, locating in Fairview, Ohio, 
where he was educated and grew to manhood.  In March 1836 he came to 
the Republic of Texas as a volunteer to aid in the war of indendence, 
and like his bosom friends Gen. Tom Green and Gen. Ben McCulloch, first 
faced hostile guns on the field of San Jacinto.  His next ap­pearance 
was in the celebrated surveyor's fight, in October 1838, on Battle 
Creek in Navarro county, and he was in num­erous engagements against 
the Indians.  In the Mexican war in 1846 he was in several battles, 
having five horses killed under him.  Upon the outbreak of the war 
between the States he was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of Greer's 
3rd Texas cavalry, and in the first battle (Oak Hills 1861) his horse 
was killed under him in a charge on a battery, and a few months later 
in the battle of Chustenallah against the "Pin" Indians another horse 
was killed under him. He was in the fights at Bentonville, Elkhorn, 
and smaller engagements.  For his brilliant action at Farmington he 
was com­plimented in general orders, and soon was promoted to be 
brigadier-general.  In the next two years Gen. Lane was in a score of 
battles that we have not here the space to en­umerate, winning new 
laurels as the Marshal Ney of Texas. On April 8.1864, Gen. Lane while 
co-operating with the division general, the Prince de Polignac, led a 
desperate charge across a field, cut off the right wing of the enemy, 
captured a great number of prisoners, nearly two hundred wagons and 
twenty pieces of artillery, but in the moment of victory he was shot 
from his horse by a minnie ball which 8hattered his hip, when Col.
Geo. W. Baylor succeeded to tbe command and gallantly completed the 
triumph of the day.  This was Gen. Lane's last fight for some time as 
he was painfully disabled for months, but as soon as possible he 
resumed his place and fought until the close of the war in April 1865.  
Gen. Lane lies buried in Marshall where he was a distinguished and 
beloved citizen for more than thirty years after the war.