Philip N. Luckett
Encyclopedia
Philip Noland Luckett was an American
soldier and physician. He served as a general in the Confederate States Army
during the American Civil War
and was most noted for his service in the Trans-Mississippi Theater
. He was influential in convincing a veteran United States Army
general to peacefully abandon Federal-held military installations to the Confederacy
before the start of the war, providing the fledgling nation with much needed arms and munitions.
. He attended medical school and became a physician. As a young adult, he moved to Ohio
, where he was offered an appointment to the United States Military Academy
. In 1847, he moved again, this time to Corpus Christi, Texas
. He volunteered as the physician for the famed Texas Rangers
, serving the company commanded by Captain John "Rip" Ford for most of the decade of the 1840s. Luckett became an ardent advocate of states' rights
. He was suspected of being involved with the Knights of the Golden Circle
.
Luckett was elected as a delegate from Nueces and Webb
counties to the Texas state secession
convention in the mid-winter of 1861. After Texas passed its ordinance of secession
, Luckett was one of four men appointed as commissioners of public safety to negotiate with the Federal government for the safe transfer of military installations and bases in Texas to the Confederates. Along with land baron Samuel A. Maverick and Thomas J. Devine, Luckett met on February 8, 1862, with United States Army
General David E. Twiggs
to arrange the surrender of the Federal property in San Antonio
, including the military stores being housed in the old Alamo mission
. As a result of the negotiations, Twiggs delivered his entire command and its associated Army property to the Confederacy.
in South Carolina
, Dr. Luckett was appointed as the Quartermaster General
of the newly organized Confederate forces in Texas. He served on the staff of the commander of the Department of Texas, Earl Van Dorn
. He rode northward from his Corpus Christi home on a recruiting expedition, seeking volunteers to travel to designated recruiting camps in Austin
and San Antonio. By May, his efforts were paying off, and hundreds of men had signed up for Confederate service thanks to Luckett's efforts.
In the autumn of 1861, Luckett was elected as colonel
of the recently raised 3rd Texas Infantry, a regiment
he helped raise during his recruiting trip. Luckett and his 648 men were initially assigned to Colonel Ford's Western Subdistrict of Texas and encamped along the Rio Grande
for several months, starting in December.
Beginning in October 1862, Luckett and the 3rd Texas garrisoned a number of widely scattered posts from Fort Brown
to Laredo
. After spending the winter on the frontier
manning a defensive line near the Brazos River
just southwest of Houston
, the 3rd Texas moved from Brownsville
to Galveston
, arriving in the coastal town on July 12, 1863. Within a few weeks, Luckett received a brevet promotion
to brigadier general
. By early August, he was back in Brownsville, having succeeded Rip Ford as subdistrict commander.
Luckett's men were reassigned in April 1864 to the front lines, serving in the brigade
of Brig. Gen. William R. Scurry
of Walker's Texas Division
during the Red River Campaign
. During the Camden Expedition
, Luckett's regiment participated in the climatic Battle of Jenkins' Ferry
, where Walker's "Greyhounds" helped repulse a Federal force under Maj. Gen.
Frederick Steele
. Luckett assumed command of the brigade following Scurry's death and led it for the balance of the year. However, a combination of illness and detached duty kept Luckett from any further front line duty as the war waned in early 1865. He served as a judge on the court of inquiry into Sterling Price
's disastrous Missouri Raid
.
in April and May 1865, Luckett, a firebrand secessionist, refused to surrender to Federal authories. Instead, he and a group of forty men accompanied General John G. Walker
across the Rio Grande into Mexico
.
In November of that year, Dr. Luckett returned to Texas. However, he, along with fellow commissioner of safety Thomas Devine, was arrested by Federal authorities. He was transported to Fort Jackson near New Orleans
and incarcerated over the winter. Efforts on his behalf were successful, and he was finally released from prison. However, Luckett's health was broken. He spent several months in New Orleans recovering.
He was finally well enough to travel north to Cincinnati, Ohio
, where he lived with several relatives until his death in May 1869.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldier and physician. He served as a general in 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...
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...
and was most noted for his service in the Trans-Mississippi Theater
Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War
The Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War was the major military and naval operations west of the Mississippi River. The area excluded the states and territories bordering the Pacific Ocean, which formed the Pacific Coast Theater of the American Civil War.The campaign classification...
. He was influential in convincing a veteran United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
general to peacefully abandon Federal-held military installations to the Confederacy
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...
before the start of the war, providing the fledgling nation with much needed arms and munitions.
Early life and career
Philip N. Luckett was born in VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. He attended medical school and became a physician. As a young adult, he moved to Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, where he was offered an appointment to the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
. In 1847, he moved again, this time to Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
. He volunteered as the physician for the famed Texas Rangers
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
, serving the company commanded by Captain John "Rip" Ford for most of the decade of the 1840s. Luckett became an ardent advocate of states' rights
States' rights
States' rights in U.S. politics refers to political powers reserved for the U.S. state governments rather than the federal government. It is often considered a loaded term because of its use in opposition to federally mandated racial desegregation...
. He was suspected of being involved with the Knights of the Golden Circle
Knights of the Golden Circle
The Knights of the Golden Circle was a secret society. Some researchers believe the objective of the KGC was to prepare the way for annexation of a golden circle of territories in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean for inclusion in the United States as slave states...
.
Luckett was elected as a delegate from Nueces and Webb
Webb County, Texas
Webb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. The official 2010 population for the county is 250,304. In 2000, its population was 193,117, and in 2006 its population had been estimated to have reached to 231,470. Its county seat is Laredo...
counties to the Texas state secession
Secession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
convention in the mid-winter of 1861. After Texas passed its ordinance of secession
Ordinance of Secession
The Ordinance of Secession was the document drafted and ratified in 1860 and 1861 by the states officially seceding from the United States of America...
, Luckett was one of four men appointed as commissioners of public safety to negotiate with the Federal government for the safe transfer of military installations and bases in Texas to the Confederates. Along with land baron Samuel A. Maverick and Thomas J. Devine, Luckett met on February 8, 1862, with United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
General David E. Twiggs
David E. Twiggs
David Emanuel Twiggs was a United States soldier during the War of 1812 and Mexican-American War and a general of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
to arrange the surrender of the Federal property in San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, including the military stores being housed in the old Alamo mission
Alamo Mission in San Antonio
The Alamo, originally known as Mission San Antonio de Valero, is a former Roman Catholic mission and fortress compound, site of the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, and now a museum, in San Antonio, Texas....
. As a result of the negotiations, Twiggs delivered his entire command and its associated Army property to the Confederacy.
Civil War
Following the bombardment of Fort SumterFort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter.- Construction :...
in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, Dr. Luckett was appointed as the Quartermaster General
Quartermaster general
A Quartermaster general is the staff officer in charge of supplies for a whole army.- The United Kingdom :In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is one of the most senior generals in the British Army...
of the newly organized Confederate forces in Texas. He served on the staff of the commander of the Department of Texas, Earl Van Dorn
Earl Van Dorn
Earl Van Dorn was a career United States Army officer, fighting with distinction during the Mexican-American War and against several tribes of Native Americans...
. He rode northward from his Corpus Christi home on a recruiting expedition, seeking volunteers to travel to designated recruiting camps in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
and San Antonio. By May, his efforts were paying off, and hundreds of men had signed up for Confederate service thanks to Luckett's efforts.
In the autumn of 1861, Luckett was elected as colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
of the recently raised 3rd Texas Infantry, a regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
he helped raise during his recruiting trip. Luckett and his 648 men were initially assigned to Colonel Ford's Western Subdistrict of Texas and encamped along the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
for several months, starting in December.
Beginning in October 1862, Luckett and the 3rd Texas garrisoned a number of widely scattered posts from Fort Brown
Fort Brown
Fort Brown was a military post of the United States Army in Texas during the later half of 19th century and the early part of the 20th century.-Early years:...
to Laredo
Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
. After spending the winter on the frontier
Frontier
A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary. 'Frontier' was absorbed into English from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"--the region of a country that fronts on another country .The use of "frontier" to mean "a region at the...
manning a defensive line near the Brazos River
Brazos River
The Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers , is the longest river in Texas and the 11th longest river in the United States at from its source at the head of Blackwater Draw, Curry County, New Mexico to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico with a drainage...
just southwest of Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, the 3rd Texas moved from Brownsville
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
to Galveston
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
, arriving in the coastal town on July 12, 1863. Within a few weeks, Luckett received a brevet promotion
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
to brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
. By early August, he was back in Brownsville, having succeeded Rip Ford as subdistrict commander.
Luckett's men were reassigned in April 1864 to the front lines, serving in the brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of Brig. Gen. William R. Scurry
William Read Scurry
William Read Scurry was a general in the Confederate States Army in the American Civil War.-Biography:...
of Walker's Texas Division
Walker's Greyhounds
Walker's Greyhounds was the name given to a division of the Confederate States Army composed exclusively of regiments from Texas. It fought exclusively in the Western Theater and gained a reputation as a solid fighting force.-Organization:...
during the Red River Campaign
Red River Campaign
The Red River Campaign or Red River Expedition consisted of a series of battles fought along the Red River in Louisiana during the American Civil War from March 10 to May 22, 1864. The campaign was a Union initiative, fought between approximately 30,000 Union troops under the command of Maj. Gen....
. During the Camden Expedition
Camden Expedition
The Camden Expedition was a military campaign in southern and central Arkansas during the American Civil War. It involved Union forces stationed at Little Rock and Fort Smith under the command of Major General Frederick Steele...
, Luckett's regiment participated in the climatic Battle of Jenkins' Ferry
Battle of Jenkins' Ferry
The Battle of Jenkins' Ferry was fought April 30, 1864, in Grant County, Arkansas during the American Civil War. It was the climactic battle of the Camden Expedition, which was a part of the Union Army’s failed Red River Campaign. Each side sustained a large number of casualties, especially...
, where Walker's "Greyhounds" helped repulse a Federal force under Maj. Gen.
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Frederick Steele
Frederick Steele
Frederick Steele was a career military officer in the United States Army, serving as a major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was most noted for his successful campaign to retake much of secessionist Arkansas for the Union cause.-Early life:Steele was born in Delhi, New...
. Luckett assumed command of the brigade following Scurry's death and led it for the balance of the year. However, a combination of illness and detached duty kept Luckett from any further front line duty as the war waned in early 1865. He served as a judge on the court of inquiry into Sterling Price
Sterling Price
Sterling Price was a lawyer, planter, and politician from the U.S. state of Missouri, who served as the 11th Governor of the state from 1853 to 1857. He also served as a United States Army brigadier general during the Mexican-American War, and a Confederate Army major general in the American Civil...
's disastrous Missouri Raid
Price's Raid
Price's Missouri Expedition, also known as Price's Raid, was an 1864 Confederate cavalry raid through the states of Missouri and Kansas during the American Civil War. While Confederate Major General Sterling Price enjoyed some successes during this campaign, he was decisively beaten at the Battle...
.
Postbellum activities
With the collapse of the ConfederacyConfederate 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...
in April and May 1865, Luckett, a firebrand secessionist, refused to surrender to Federal authories. Instead, he and a group of forty men accompanied General John G. Walker
John George Walker
John George Walker was a Confederate general in the American Civil War.-Early life and military career:Walker was born in Jefferson City, Missouri...
across the Rio Grande into Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
In November of that year, Dr. Luckett returned to Texas. However, he, along with fellow commissioner of safety Thomas Devine, was arrested by Federal authorities. He was transported to Fort Jackson near New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
and incarcerated over the winter. Efforts on his behalf were successful, and he was finally released from prison. However, Luckett's health was broken. He spent several months in New Orleans recovering.
He was finally well enough to travel north to Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, where he lived with several relatives until his death in May 1869.