The ten companies of the Terry Texas Rangers were officially activated into the Confederate Army as the 8th Texas Cavalry Regiment, but throughout the Civil War they were known by the name of their first commander, Col. Benjamin F. Terry, who fell at the battle of Woodsonville. In over 200 battles including Shiloh, Bardstown, Perryville, Murfreesboro, Chichamauga and Knoxville, they gave credence to Gen. John B. Hood's remark that there was "no body of cavalry superior." When the South finally surrendered, there were scarcely enough men left to form one company. This volume of vivid descriptions, of the first-hand experiences of men in the ranks throughout the duration of the war, makes available three of the rarest pieces of Texana concerning the Terry Texas Rangers' role in the Civil War.

Introduction by: Thomas W. Cutrer