TEXAS RANGER ROBERT H. MATTHEWS LETTER TO CIVIL WAR GENERAL BENJAMIN HILL

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TEXAS RANGER ROBERT H. MATTHEWS LETTER TO CIVIL WAR GENERAL BENJAMIN HILL:
$499.00

VERY RARE SIGNED LETTER FROM ROBERT HARVE MATTHEWS IN SPRING HILL TEXAS, ONE OF THE FIRST MEMBERS OF THE TEXAS RANGERS AND CIVIL WAR HERO WITH THE CONFEDERATE TEXAS MILITIA, WRITTEN TO CIVIL WAR CONFEDERATE GENERAL BENJAMIN JEFFERSON HILL. ROBERT MATTHEWS WAS A MEMBER OF THE TEXAS REVOLUTIONARY ARMY STARTING IN 1836 AND PARTICIPATED IN THE BATTLE OF SAN JACINTO UNDER CAPTAIN ROBERTSON. HE THEN BECAME A TEXAS RANGER, SERVING THE BARNES\' RANGERS UNDER CAPTAIN SMITH AND THEN WITH ELI CHANDLER\'S COMPANY WHERE HE REMAINED UNTIL TEXAS BECAME A STATE.
THE LETTER IS IN REGARDS TO BACK TAXES THAT ROBERT MATTHEWS HAS BEEN PAYING ON GENERAL HILL\'S LAND FOR DECADES AND HE IS REQUESTING PAYMENT.
THE INTERESTING PART OF THIS STORY IS THAT GENERAL HILL DIED 3 YEARS EARLIER. SO APPARENTLY, THEY HAD NOT BEEN KEEPING IN TOUCH FOR A LONG TIME.
WE BELIEVE HE IS A MEMBER OF THE TEXAS RANGERS HALL OF FAME.
SEE PHOTO FOR CONDITION.
SIZE: APPROX. 12 1/2\" X 8\"
Benjamin J. Hill began his Civil War service as colonel of the 5th Tennessee Volunteers in the Provisional Army of Tennessee. He resigned to enterConfederate States Armyservice as colonel of the 35th Tennessee Infantry Regiment by Tennessee Governor Isham Harris, which was the designation given to the 5th Tennessee Volunteers when they were mustered into Confederate service.Hill\'s regiment was assigned to the brigade ofBrigadier GeneralPatrick Cleburneand fought at theBattle of Shiloh.Hill served under Cleburne until Cleburne was killed at theBattle of Franklinon November 30, 1864.Hill also led the regiment at theSiege of Corinth.

Hill led his regiment in Bragg\'sKentucky Campaign, in which they initiated the attack at theBattle of Richmond, and at theBattle of Stones River(Murfreesboro).Hill led Cleburne\'s brigade at Richmond and at theBattle of Perryvilleafter Cleburne was wounded in those battles. Hill also was wounded at Richmond.Hill and his regiment also fought at theBattle of Chickamaugaand in theChattanooga Campaign, including the unsuccessful defense ofMissionary Ridge, where they were consolidated with the 48th Tennessee Infantry.Hill served as provost marshal of the Army of Tennessee between February 3, 1864 and August 23, 1864.

Hill was promoted to brigadier general (temporary) on November 30, 1864.Although his experience had been in the infantry, Hill was transferred to Brigadier GeneralWilliam Hicks Jackson\'sdivision ofLieutenant GeneralNathan Bedford Forrest\'sCavalry Corps. He cooperated with Major GeneralWilliam Bate\'sdivision in destroying the railroad and blockhouses betweenMurfreesboroandNashvillenear the end of theFranklin-Nashville Campaign.In the closing months of the war, he participated in Forrest\'s defense againstUnion ArmyMajor GeneralJames H. Wilson\'sraidin Alabama and Georgia, in particular at theBattle of Selma.Hill was paroled at Chattanooga, Tennessee on May 16, 1865.

Aftermath

After the war, Hill returned to McMinnville where he again engaged in business as a merchant and practiced law.He also was president of the McMinnville and Manchester Railroad.

Benjamin Jefferson Hill died January 5, 1880 at McMinnville, Tennessee and is buried in Old City Cemetery, McMinnville.