ONFEDERATE BIOGRAPHY: OLIVER STEELE. - Dallas County, TX 

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Submitted by Doris Peirce - ginlu@home.com 
17 October 2001 
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TEXANS WHO WORE THE GRAY by Sid S. Johnson 

OLIVER STEELE

Oliver Steele came to Texas from New York and landed at Galveston in 
February, 1860.  A few months thereafter a movement was made to 
organize in Galveston an infantry company and he having some knowledge 
of military tactics by reason of previous membership in a citizen's 
military company in New York State promptly became a member of the 
company which was organized as the Galveston Rifles.  At the first 
meeting of the company 100 men were in line.  Gen. E. B. Nichols, the 
captain, called upon all those present who had any knowledge of 
military tactics to step two paces to the front.  Only three stepped 
out, one from Maine, one from New York and the other from South 
Carolina.  The company was divided into three squads with the three 
mentioned as drill masters.  Company organization followed and Col. 
Steele was selected as first sergeant.  Soon after it became clearly 
probable that war was soon to follow the act of secession and that 
the company originally intended for a home guard would be called for 
actual duty in the field.  Realizing that a knowledge of tactics 
would soon be of importance he applied himself to the constant study 
of Hardee's School of the Soldier and of the Battalion, until he had 
committed the essential parts of those works to memory.  In the 
meantime the Galveston Rifles was on duty protecting the powder 
magazine in Galveston and at Pelican Bend in Galveston Bay.  In March 
of 1861 Col. J. S. Ford arrived in Galveston by direction of the 
committee on Public Safety of Texas, to organize a force for service 
at Brazos, Santiago and the Rio Grande rivers.  Four companies were 
immediately raised and proceeded to these points with him, and Gen. 
E. B. Nichols, having been appointed a commissioner of the State of 
Texas to receive the surrender of the Federal troops at Brownsville 
as a guard with Gen. Twigs, Gen. Nichols soon returned from Brazos, 
Santiago, for reinforcements and the Galveston Rifles than tendered 
their services under Captain A. C. McKeen, Col. Steele as Second 
Lieutenant.  On the return of this company the Brazos, Santiago 
expedition, Nichols' regiment was immediately organized, and the 
Galveston Rifles disbanded.  Col. Steele was appointed as Instructor 
of Tactics and assigned to Nichols' regiment, when after two months 
of constant drilling of officers and men he was appointed Adjutant 
of the regiment.  Nichols' regiment was mustered in for six months; 
at the expiration of that time the men enlisted in other commands.  
Col. Steele was offered a commission as captain to raise a company 
of Waul's Texas Legion but declined and went for a short period of 
service in the office of Brig. Gen. P. O. Hebert, then in command of 
the District of Texas.  The Legion consisted of twelve companies of 
infantry, six of cavalry and two light batteries of artillery.  In 
August the Legion was divided and marched east by different routes, 
rendezvousing at Vicksburg.  After a day or two there orders came to 
proceed at once to reinforce Gen. Van Dorn in his movement to Corinth.  
The Legion proceeded to Holly Springs by rail, but were too late; the 
second battle of Corinth had been fought.  The Legion was here 
reorganized and the infantry formed into two battalions, Col. Steele
was elected Major of the second battalion and served as such during 
the march north from Holly Springs, thence east to Yazoo City and
Fort Pemberton, finally to Vicksburg, where, after the seige, the 
command was surrendered and returned to Texas.  After exchange was 
assigned to duty as a commander of the port of Gonzales, and later 
Col. Waul, having been appointed Brigadier General, was promoted to 
Lieutenant Colonel and assigned to the command of the third military 
sub District of Texas with headquarters at Victoria.  Here he 
organized four companies of cavalry, which were on duty until the 
final break up.  Col. Steele was mentioned for distinguished services 
during the seige of Vicksburg in the reports of Gen. S. D. Lee and 
Gen.  (the Colonel) Waul and for special and important services 
rendered for Gen. Magruder, was rewarded with command of the third 
military sub District of Texas as mentioned.  Referring to Col. 
Steele's services with the Legion Gen. Waul in a letter dated 
Sept. 6, 1890, writes:"I consider it due to you to say that from my 
intercourse with you from the beginning until the close of the war 
you had and now have my perfect confidence and no officer in my 
various commands of the Legion, brigade or division, was more 
capable, prompt or willing than yourself, or more efficient in 
carrying out every order in the office or on the field with gallantry, 
alacrity and skill to my perfect satisfaction."  After the close of 
the war Col. Steele lived some years in Galveston, then in Georgetown 
and finally settled in Dallas, and now takes great interest in the 
U. C. V., having been Adjutant of Sterling Price Camp No. 31 for 
years, and for the last five general reunions served on the staff 
either of the commander of the Trans Mississippi department or the 
Division of Texas.