DODDRIDGE, Ark. – Dozens of people gathered in southwest Arkansas on Saturday to honor a group of Texas soldiers whose service during the Civil War ended before they ever reached the battlefield.
Members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans held a memorial service and Texas flag-raising ceremony at Camp Blair Confederate Cemetery in Doddridge, recognizing soldiers of the 13th Texas Cavalry who died from disease while traveling to Arkansas in 1862.
According to organizers, most of the soldiers were recruited from the Crockett area of southeast Texas. They were enroute to help defend the Arkansas state capital in Little Rock from Union forces when a deadly outbreak of measles and typhoid fever swept through their camp.
"They didn't die in battle. They died from disease. But they deserve just as much honor and recognition as those that died in battle," said Joe Stuckey of the Sons of Confederate Veterans Arkansas Division.
The soldiers were buried or memorialized at what is now known as Camp Blair Confederate Cemetery in Miller County.
Shelby Little, commander of the Texas Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, said disease claimed more lives than combat during much of the Civil War.
"They were struck down by disease, which really over half the casualties throughout the war were caused by disease. In this case, measles and typhoid were the principal killers of these 30 men," said Little.
During the ceremony, participants honored the soldiers with a memorial service before raising a Texas flag above the cemetery. Organizers said the flag serves as a lasting tribute to the men and their contributions.
"To denote the contribution of these Texas soldiers and recognize them for being who they were. And that will fly there, hopefully, in perpetuity," Little said.
The land where Camp Blair Confederate Cemetery is located was donated to the John B. Burton Camp by Harold Hollenshead of Benton, Louisiana. Organizers say that donation helped preserve the memorial site and ensure the Texas soldiers continue to be remembered.