Copyright © 1999-2009, Scott McKay
"No one whose life has been cast in these parts, has been more true to the duties of citizen than J. A. Formwalt. Tall, commanding and composed in personal appearance, one would naturally single him out among his fellows as a man of soldierly qualities. He was born at Knoxville, Tennessee, that noted center of a region prolific in the production of men of distinction. He was first married to the daughter of Col. D. K. McEwen, in Mississippi; was in California in 1849, back to Mississippi, and thence to Texas in 1851. After a residence in Anderson and Freestone counties, he and Col. McEwen removed with their families to the border settlements, intending to have settled much farther up the Brazos, but upon arriving here, learned of the great disturbances breaking out between the Caddos [Ed: Indian tribe] and the settlers, and not caring to place themselves, their families and their property in such jeopardy, as their contemplated destiny, in the very midst of the savage camps, would have exposed them, they began to look about for homes here, and soon purchased a section of land from P. Thorp and settled on Stroud's creek, just below Thorp Spring. But in this settlement they soon found themselves not exempt from the perils of those penetrating forays of plunder and murder, which now began to be so frequently practiced by the Indians. To those not acquainted with the Indian's traits of character, it is hard to comprehend the adept boldness of these wild worriors in their thieving expeditions into the settlements, often thwarting the wisest dispositions and precautions of the settlers to save their horses. Thus it is related by D. L. Nutt, that on one occasion, during the war, his brother, Abe, came home from the army on a visit to his father's place, half a mile south of the present court house in Granbury, and it being understood, that the Indians were in the vicinity, the horse he rode was placed for security in the hall-way between the two log houses, which was also occupied by D. L. Nutt, then a small by, as a bed-room; but all this precaution was insufficient, as on the following morning they awoke to find the horse gone, and moccasin tracts to tell of his departure. And Mr. Sam H. Smith tells of one occasion, while he and other stockmen were herding a drove of horses farther west. They went in camp for the night, keeping two of the men on guard all the time to watch out for the Indians, protect the horses and give prompt alarm in case of their approach, but all to no purpose, as the Indians came so stealthily that no sign of them was discovered until they were right upon the horses and guards, stampeding both and almost running the guards off with the horses, and before and defense could be made they were off with almost the entire herd.
In this state of affairs, in the absence of adequate government protection, citizens everywhere on the border had to organize themselves into militia companies in the hope that by watchfull and prompt pursuit to be able in some measure to stay the hand of savage butchery, and recover stolen property, women and children. And J. A. Formwalt, keenly sensative to the demands of public duty as well as self-protection, frequently, at his own expense led a company of the militia far to the west in pursuit of the Indians, but owing to the advantages possessed by the pursued over the pusuers in the circumstances, among other supplies, Formwalt was never able to overtake them, but forced to return after exhausting all their provisions, and suffering often for days without food for men or horses.
But soon the exigencies of a new born Republic, struggling for recognition upon the map of the world, called to its standard many of the brave spirits, who hitherto had withstood the wiley savage; and J. A. Formwalt in October, 1861, as a true born Southernor, enlisted as a private in Capt. Wm. Shannon's company to serve in the Confederate army, and in the spring following Col. A. Nelson, to whom this company reported, well discerning in the modest private, qualities fitting him for command, sent Formwalt back to the Brazos (Johnson and Bosque counties) to raise a company which, with the aid of J. A. Willingham, was soon accomplished. Formwalt was elected Captain, Willingham, 1st Lieutenant, and Jerry Johnson and George Wakefield, from the neighborhood of Acton, 2nd and 3rd Lieutenants. Among those who enlisted in this company I am now enabled to mention the names of Add Huffstettler, Jno. Edwards, James Allison, Mart Sikes, Andrew Ledbetter, Clint Goodwin, ______ Arrington, Manuel and Dan Gibson, and two sons of Gabriel Deavers. This company was organized into Col. Nelson's Texas infantry, of which Col. Roger Q. Mills was their Lieutenant Colonel and afterward Colonel. This regiment was noted for gallantry and hard service: At the battle of Franklin, while serving under those heroic Generals, H. B. Granbury and Pat Cleburne, Formwalt, as senior Captain in command of the regiment, led it in that fatal assault and fell severely wounded among other heroes whose right blood commingled on the soil of Tennessee. After this he was promoted to the rank of Major, but the war soon coming to a close, he returned to his west Texas home, to find that his brave wife, with her little children, had by the farm and the loom managed to support and clothe themselves, while having suffered many dangers and hardships known only to those who were within the territory so frequently invaded by the Indians. Much of his property was wasted and gone, but with spirit yet undaunted, Formwalt set about with his usual energy, the duties of a civilian, and soon became prosperous as a farmer. Early in the seventies he entered a mercantile business at Granbury, but his kindly nature rendered it impossible for him to resist the importunities of the sometimes unfortunate, and at other times unprincipled debtor classes, and after a few years' experience he retired to his farm much crippled in fortune. After this he lost his noble companion, and some years later married again, this time an estimable daughter of Judge Jowers of Palestine, whom he had known in her childhood, and is now living a quiet life in Granbury, serving his neighbors as magistrate, at the age of seventy five years, but with figure sitll erect and buoyant steps appears not to be exceeding sixty."
Notes
Capt. John A. Formwalt - Age 41 upon enlistment as Pvt. with Co. C, 10th Texas Infantry, at Virginia Point, Galveston, Texas, on October 25, 1861. Pvt. Formwalt had been was recruited at Buchannan, Johnson County, Texas, on October 16th. He was granted at 30 Day Furlough on December 10, 1861. Pvt. Formwalt was promoted to Capt., of Co. I, 10th Texas, at Millican, Brazos County, Texas, on January 16, 1862.
Capt. Formwalt was captured at Arkansas Post, Arkansas, on January 11, 1863; arriving at Camp Chase Prison, Columbus, Ohio, on January 30th. He was paroled from prison for exchange on April 10, 1863; then arriving at Ft. Delaware on April 12th. Capt. Formwalt was exchanged at City Point, Virginia, on April 29th. According to his parole certificate, Capt. Formalt stood 6'2" tall with hazel eyes, dark hair and a dark complexion.
Enroute to their new Command at Tullahoma, Tennessee, four of the 10th Texas Infantry's officers stopped off in Decatur, Georgia, to visit one of their sisters. She was, Mary A. H. Gay, the half sister of 3Lt. Thomas Stokes of Co. C, 10th Texas Infantry. Miss Gay wrote in her book, Life In Dixie During the War, that "Thomie then introduced us to Captain Lauderdale, Captain Formwalt, and Lieutenant McMurray, his Texas friends and comrades in arms. Our cordial, heart-felt welcome was appreciated by this trio of gentlemen, and to this day we receive from them messages of abiding friendship... Captain Formwalt was also a fine specimen of manhood - free and easy, gay and rollicking. He seemed to think his mission on earth was to bring cheerfullness and glee into every household he entered."
Capt. Formwalt took temporary command of the 10th Texas Infantry, Near Atlanta, Georgia, on July 22, 1864, after Col. Roger Q. Mills had been wounded in action at the battle of Atlanta. Formwalt took command a second time, in the heat of battle, upon the death of Col. Robert B. Young at Franklin, Tennessee, on November 30, 1864; Capt. Formwalt was seriously wounded in that action. Capt. Formwalt was admitted for "Diarrhea" to Way Hospital, Meridian, Mississippi, on January 17, 1865, then, "transferred to Uniontown."
Sometime in the Spring of 1865, Capt. Formwalt was promoted to Major and placed in command of Granbury's Consolidated Texas Brigade. He surrendered the brigade, which had dwindled down to a mere regiment, near Greensboro, North Carolina, on April 28, 1865.
In the April 1904 issue of Confederate Veteran Magazine, J. H. Doyle reported the burial of Brig. Gen. Granbury at Granbury, Hood County, Texas, and wrote "Maj. Farmwalt will be eighty-four years old on April 24 next. He is tall and straight as a Comanche Indian, as jovial as a boy, and a native of the State, renowned for the gallant heroes it has produced - Tennessee. He is impatiently waiting to attend the next reunion at Nashville."
At age 89, Formwalt applied for a Soldier's Pension at Granbury, Hood County, Texas, on February 2, 1909; he was indigent and unable to work due to old age and poor health. His application was approved on August 31, 1909.
John A. Formwalt died in Granbury, Texas, on January 11, 1914, at age 93. He was buried not more than 30 paces to the south of the grave of his former brigade commander, Gen. Hiram B. Granbury. They both rest in the Granbury Cemetery, a few blocks from the Granbury Courthouse. In Hood County History in Picture and Story - 1978, the following is written, "Those who remember the community reunion when it was the big event of the year remember Maj. J. A. Formwalt. And there are those who remember with a lump in their throats the white horse with the empty saddle and the black band around its neck that was led in the Reunion parade which followed Formwalt's death."
At age 70, Mrs. Annie Lacy Formwalt applied for a Widow's
Pension at Granbury, Hood County, Texas. Her application was submitted on
October 2, 1915; and her application was approved on February 2, 1916; she died
on February 10, 1922, and lays beside her husband and family, in the family plot
of the Granbury Cemetery, Granbury, Hood County, Texas.
Copyright © 1999-2009, Scott McKay