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4105 Gate 2 Road
Powderly, Texas 75473
Pleasant Washington Woodard was born on 18 Jan 1838. He was the son of William Woodard (born 1799 South Carolina died 1840 Sumter County, Alabama) and Sarah Drinkard Woodard. William and Sarah married 29 Apr 1819 in Clarke County, Alabama.
Pleasant was the grandson of Charles Woodward/Woodard born 1757 South Carolina, died December 1843 buried Bethel Cemetery Marengo County, Alabama married Rebecca born 1770 South Carolina, died 1856 Anderson County, TX.
Pleasant Washington Woodard married Etta Josephine Martin on 12 Jan 1868 in Bowie County, Texas.
Their children were:
1. Wood R. Woodard, b. 15 Aug 1871, d. 28 Apr 1899
2. John Wesley Woodard, b. 10 Aug 1872, d. 22 Apr 1940 m. Georgia Ann Lee 20 Oct 1899
3. C. W. Woodard, b. 14 Jan 1877, d. 9 Nov 1891
4. H. P. Woodard, b. 9 Oct 1879 d. 11 Oct 1885
5. Willie E. Woodard, b. 20 Apr 1883, m. Ethel V. Newman 28 Feb 1904, d. 1 Aug 1933
Pleas Woodard died 6 Jan 1890 in Bowie County, Texas and is buried in Woodstock Cemetery north of New Boston and has a Confederate marker.
My Great-great grandfather Pleasant Washington Woodard (on record as Pleas Woodard) was a private in Captain Cameron's Company, Texas Infantry (later known as Company H, 9th Kentucky Mounted Infantry) C.S.A. He enlisted 15 Sep 1861. He was transferred to Company H, 15th (also known as 32nd) Texas Calvary C.S.A on May 2, 1863. He was surrendered at Citronelle, Alabama May 11, 1865 and paroled at Meridian, Mississippi May 11, 1865.
From his Widow's Pension Application his witnesses claimed to have fought with him at Murfreesboro, Chicamunga, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge and under Joseph E. Johnson (Johnston?) and Hood in Georgia Campaign.
His service record states:
Woodard, Pleasant W. - transferred from 9th Kentucky, May 1, 1863.
Present, muster rolls dated May-October, 1863.
Present & reenlisted, roll dated April 5, 1864.
POW, Spanish Fort, Alabama, April 8, 1865, & received at Ship Island, April 10, 1865.
He was transferred to Vicksburg, May 1, 1865 and received on parole at Camp Townsend, May 6, 1865.
Pleas Woodard's company commander was Captain Benjamin T. Estes, who was also captured at Spanish Fort. After the war, Estes was judge of the 5th Judicial District, from 1877-1885, and president of the Texarkana National Bank until his death in 1902.
Tim Bell, Waco, Texas provided information regarding the battles of the 32nd Texas Cavalry, they parallel those battles fought by Ector's Brigade. They were:
Richmond, Kentucky, August 30, 1862:
Commanded by Lt. Col. James A. Weaver of Sulphur Springs, the 32nd defeated the Yanks of William "Bull" Nelson in what some have called the most complete Confederate victory of the Civil War. Kirby Smith, the overall Confederate commander, gave much credit for the victory to McCray's Texas and Arkansas brigade. 4,303 Yankees were captured, and several thousand stand of small arms, several field-pieces, wagons and teams also captured. After the battle, Ector was promoted to command the brigade. McCray's brigade lost about 30 killed and 130 wounded, most in the 10th Texas Cavalry. The Yanks were so mad after the battle that Union General Jefferson C. Davis assassinated Bull Nelson.
Murfreesboro, Tennessee, December 31, 1862:
Ector's Brigade, of McCown's Division, was the initial unit on the field. They began the Confederate charge in a big way, routing Union opposition and driving them for over 3 miles before being stopped. The 32nd lost 5 killed, 36 wounded, and 3 captured during the battle, the smallest casualties in Ector's brigade. They were led by Col. Julius A. Andrews.
Jackson, Mississippi, July, 1863:
The brigade participated in the siege of Jackson. Exact reports are not present in the Official Records. There were few casualties.
Chickamauga, Georgia, September 18-20, 1863:
Ector's Brigade and Claudius Wilson's Georgians were the first two Confederate infantry units on the field. Forrest fed them into the battle, and got them massacred. The 32nd, under Col. Andrews, lost 13 killed, 65 wounded and 40 captured, out of 217 engaged, for a loss of over 50%. Andrews himself suffered a very serious chest wound, and every mounted officer in the brigade had his horse shot from underneath him.
Atlanta campaign:
From May 16-September 4, 1864, Ector's Brigade participated in French's Division, Polk's Corps. The 32nd had one man wounded at Cassville (May, '64); 2 wounded at New Hope Church (May 27, '64); 5 killed, 7 wounded at Latimer House (June 18); 3 wounded at Kennesaw; 2 killed, 13 wounded, at Smyrna; 1 killed, at Chattahoochie (July 3); 1 killed at Peachtree Creek (July 20); 2 killed, 8 wounded at Atlanta (July 22); and one wounded at Lovejoy Station (Sept. 3-4), for a total loss of 11 killed, 35 wounded. There were several wounded in the trenches not reflected here, and individual service records show several men captured during the campaign. Gen. Ector lost a leg sighting an artillery battery on July 27, and Col. Young of the 9th Texas took command.
Allatoona, Georgia, October 5, 1864:
Ector's Brigade participated in the assault of the Federal works at Allatoona, which was the most bloody battle of the war, for the size of forces engaged. Gen. Young was wounded, and captured, his foot later amputated. The 32nd lost only one man wounded, Captain William Somerville of Red River County, who was gut-shot and left to die. He was saved by Yankee surgeons, and lived until 1917.
Nashville, Tennessee, December 15-16, 1864:
Col. Andrews was severely wounded on December 4, and had commanded the brigade up to that time. Several others were wounded, but there are no exact casualty records. Ector's Brigade held open the turnpike long enough for the balance of the army to escape to safety.
Spanish Fort, Alabama, April 8, 1865:
The last major land battle of the war. This was another footrace; Canby's Federals attacked Ector's Brigade in their position, capturing many and forcing the rest to flee through the mud and across the bay. The only battle of the war where Ector's brigade lost their colors, every regiment except the 9th Texas had their flags captured. Col. Andrews returned from his wound to command the brigade. At least 34 officers and men, Pleas Woodard included, where captured here. At the surrender on May 9, 1865, at Meridian, Miss., only 10 officers and 48 privates and NCO's of the 32nd surrendered, under the command of Brevet Major Nathan Anderson, of Company A.
©Ron Brothers and Vance Woodard, 1999, All Rights Reserved.
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