We are out on White River near Devalls Bluff the terminus of the Rail Road from Little Rock toward Memphis we were ordered out to fight the Yankee Gun boats and Transports that were trying to ascend White River to carry supplies to Gen Curtis at Batesville with his army some hundred and fifty miles above us.    We started down to St Charles - a little fort some fifty miles below here - by water and the Yankees took it before we got there, we could have saved it if we had gotten there in time.    The battery sank one of their Gunboats & killed 160 men   so the Federal Col told one of our scouts.    We then landed above the fort some 20 miles and commenced hunting a good position to fight them Col Nelson posted me with five companies at Pylarus Bluff five miles of this & Maj Young with the others & a Company of Artillery Here I was in the advance as the Yankees came up the river. Some companies of Arkansas troops & Citizens fired on them from every bend in the river, killing their men - I had a splendid position and would have whipped them out easily but they heard of us by some one & came in about five miles fired a gun and retreated down the river.   I must tell you of a piece of Ben's chivalry [Ed: Lt. Col. Mills' Negro Servant].   We left our waggons down the river - below below us but seven or eight miles from the river and out of danger, but some of our scouts mistaking our cavalry for the cavalry of the enemy, came in a great hurry to the Officer Commanding the waggon guard (20 men) and told them that the Yankee cavalry was coming to capture the train.   The alarm was sounded and the guards were falling in, the other niggers were looking to the woods, Ben ran to the wagon got a musket and cartridge box and buckled it on and took his place in the ranks, I am told as Cool and Keen as any for the fight.   That night he slept on his arms and waited for the foe but they did not come.   We are all in pretty good health - I am as usual well, no news of importance - I am anxious to hear from you - I have not heard a word since I ___ write me long letters about all the family affairs and give me the news of the Cavalry     Give my love to your Pa   Frank   Ann   John Holbert   Helen
   Kiss my babies    Tell all the darkies howdy    and receive another assurance of the constant love of

[Mills Papers - Center for American History - University of Texas, Austin, Texas]
 
 

Col. Roger Q. Mills - Age 29 upon appointment to the post of Lt. Col. by Brig. Gen. Hebert at Houston, Texas, on October 21, 1861. A native of Todd County, Kentucky, he was born within 5 miles of Jefferson Davis' home. Mills moved to Palestine, Anderson County, Texas, at age 17, and began practicing law, he passed the bar in 1852, at age 20; at which time he moved to Corsicana, Texas, and set up a practice. He represented Navarro County in the 1859-60 Texas Legislation; and was a delegate at the Texas Secession Convention. At the outbreak of the war, Mills enlisted as Pvt. in the 3rd Texas Cavalry.

Lt. Col. Mills was promoted to Col. of the 10th Texas Infantry, on September 12, 1862, by order of Gen. Holmes, taking command of the regiment.

Col. Mills was captured at Arkansas Post, Arkansas, on January 11, 1863; arriving captive, at Camp Chase Prison, Columbus, Ohio, on January 30th. He was paroled from prison for exchange on April 10th, then sent to Ft. Delaware, where he was held until April 29th, at which time he was exchanged at City Point, Virginia. According to his parole certificate, Col. Mills stood 5'9" tall with dark eyes, brown hair and a dark complexion.

Col. Mills took temporary command of Deshler's Brigade at 1 P. M., September 19, 1863, when Brig. Gen. Deshler was killed in the breast by a shell, in the heat of battle at Chickamauga, Georgia. Mills remained in command of the brigade until replaced on October 6th, by Brig. Gen. James A. Smith.

Both Gen. Smith and Col. Mills were seriously wounded while leading a charge at Missionary Ridge, a.k.a. Tunnel Hill, Tennessee, on November 25, 1863. Mills was sent to the hospital at LaGrange, Georgia.

Col. Mills and Gen. Smith were both wounded, for a second time, seriously, "Near Atlanta" on July 22, 1864, while leading a charge upon the rear Federal works at Bald Hill.

His last military record has him in Macon, Georgia, on August 25, 1864, purchasing "one Whitney Pistol for $125 + one Pistol Holster for $5 Macon Arsenal."

After the war, Mills served in the United States Congress from 1873 to 1892. During that time, Mills was chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, and wrote the Mills Tariff Bill, and was a bitter opponent of Free Silver and Prohibition. He failed to gain the seat of Speaker of the House in 1891, and resigned his post in 1892. He was elected to the United States Senate in March 1892 to fill a vacant seat.

Mills retired from the U.S. Senate in 1899. After several years of long deserved of retirement, Mills died peacefully on September 2, 1911, in his home of Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas. He was buried in the Oakwood Cemetery of that city.