Henry Marshall Elmore was a Colonel

Colonel

Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...

 for the Confederate States Army

Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...

 and he commanded the 20th Texas Infantry

20th Texas Infantry

The 20th Regiment Texas Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.-Service:...

 during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

. His infantry regiment, although composed predominantly of middle-aged men and despite the fact that they did not see much action outside of Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, played an important part in the Confederate

Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...

 recapture of Galveston in January 1863 (See the Battle of Galveston

Battle of Galveston

The Battle of Galveston or the Second Battle of Galveston was a naval and land battle that occurred on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War when Confederate forces under Maj. Gen. John B...

).

Early life

Henry M. Elmore was from one of the oldest families in the South, his first American ancestor having arrived in Virginia in 1647. As was common in the new world, Elmore's ancestors moved West and South with each new generation. Henry M. Elmore was born in Laurens County, South Carolina, and moved with his father, General John Archer Elmore (who fought in the American Revolution), to what is now Elmore County, Alabama. Following the advice of his brother who served in the Mexican American War, Henry Marshall Elmore moved his own family to Texas in 1853. http://www.colonel-henry-marshall-elmore.com/elmore/elmore.htm Although this brother Physic Rush Elmore suggested that he not settle until he was West of the Texan Colorado River, Henry M. Elmore stopped in the East Texas county of Walker, and was one of the founding fathers of Waverly, Texas, named for the Waverley novels of Sir Walter Scott.

American Civil War service

Elmore fought for and organized the 20th Texas Infantry Regiment at Galveston, Texas, during the early summer of 1862. Many of the men under his command had previously served in the 9th Texas (Nichols’) Infantry regiment. They were primarily from Waller, Montgomery, Austin, Kaufman, Galveston, and Walker Counties. The majority of the men from Montgomery County who enlisted in the 20th Texas were in Company G, commanded by Dixon H. Lewis of Old Waverly and Company K, commanded by Captain Lemuel G. Clepper of Montgomery. This regiment had a high percentage of middle-aged men. The regiment was assigned to the Trans-Mississippi Department and was charged with defending the Texas coast from the Sabine River to Galveston. Despite the fact that they did not see action outside of Texas, the 20th Infantry played an important part in the Confederate recapture of Galveston in January of 1863. In addition to Colonel Henry Marshall Elmore, its commanding officers were Lieutenant Colonel Leonard A. Abercrombie and Major Robert E. Bell.

Death

In Waverly, Elmore was one of the leading citizens, donating land for the location of the Methodist Church, the Boys and Girls academies, and the Waverly Cemetery, where he is buried.

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