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Appendix.
A Supplemental account of the service of Texas commands Outside that State-Compiled from the official records.
in the
battle of Valverde, fought near the ford on the
Rio Grande above
Fort Craig, the
Federals were commanded by
Gen. E. R. S. Canby, and
Col. Thomas Green was in immediate command of the Confederate forces.
The action was brought on in the morning of the 21St of February, 1862, by an attack upon a reconnoitering party under
Major Pyron, who was reinforced by a battalion under
Scurry and
Teel's battery.
At noon,
Green, who was threatening the fort on the south side of the mesa, was ordered up to the scene of action, and he brought into the fight several companies of his regiment, and the lancers of
Captains Lang and
McCown under
Major Lockridge, sending three companies under
McNeill to drive the enemy from the mesa.
Green then took command of the line of battle by order of
General Sibley.
Describing the action he says:
About 3 p. m. a most galling fire was opened upon Lieutenant-Colonel Scurry's command, on our right, by 300 or 400 of the enemy's riflemen.
Captain Lang, of the Fifth regiment, with about 40 of his lancers, made at this time one of the most gallant and furious charges on these light troops of the enemy ever witnessed.
His little troop was decimated, and the gallant captain and Lieutenant Bass severely wounded, the latter in seven places.
The enemy was repulsed, and our right was for some time unmolested.
Large bodies of the enemy's 150
