GEORGE J. NICHOLS

George J. Nichols was born in 1831. Little is known about him, and he does not appear on the 1850 or 1860 censuses in Montgomery County. He may be the G. J. Nichols enumerated in the community of Carolina, Falls County, in 1860 with wife, Sarah. Several Montgomery County families had moved to Falls County by this time. This G. J. Nichols was a thirty-year-old stock raiser and was born in Alabama. He and Sarah had no children.

G. J.'s name was on a list of the Danville Mounted Riflemen who voted for militia officers on December 21, 1861, and he was named as an election judge. On February 14, 1862, a George B. Nichols was on the muster roll for the company; it is likely the same George Nichols, although the Montgomery Tax Lists for the period do not include his name.

George's name is alternately listed as D. J. Nichols on one of the muster rolls of the 24th Regiment in the Compiled Service Records.

George enlisted in the Company B of the Second Texas Lancers at Danville on March 29, 1862, the same day that Walter W. Nichols enlisted. The two men were probably related in some way, and both were born in Alabama in the 1830s.

The Second Lancers became the 24th Regiment, Texas Cavalry. George was mustered in at Camp Carter near Hempstead on April 28. It was fifty miles from his home to the place of rendezvous. His horse was worth $160.00 and his equipment was valued at $20.00.

He was counted present on the muster rolls of Company B, 24th Regiment Texas Cavalry in August and October. He rode to Arkansas with the regiment and was dismounted there with the rest of the men.

After Infantry training at Camp Holmes near Pine Bluff, the men were assigned to Garland's Brigade and were sent to Ft. Hindman at Arkansas Post, where they spent the fall building winter cabins. They were attacked by Union forces, which steamed up the river in iron clads on the 9th and 10th of January.

George fought in the Battle of Arkansas Post on January 11, 1863, was captured by the Union Army, and was transported to Camp Butler, Illinois. He is on the roster of troops captured, and on the roll of prisoners admitted to Camp Butler.

George died in prison on March 18, 1863, probably of disease. No cause of death is noted in his records.

He was buried the same day. You may see photos of the cemetery at Twenty-Fourth Regiment Texas Cavalry Burials at Camp Butler Cemetery. His grave is #267 in the Confederate Section of the cemetery.

The final muster roll with his name, dated April 30, 1863 after the men had been paroled and exchanged, notes his death.

Thanks to Gene Schnierle, who made a special trip to Camp Butler National Cemetery to photograph this marker for us.

The information above was compiled from the Adjutant General�s records at the Texas State Archives, the Compiled Service Records housed in the National Archives, accessed at the Confederate Research Center at Hillsboro, and from the Camp Butler Cemetery web page.

For further information and records of all Confederate soldiers of Montgomery County, Texas, as well as histories of the regiments they served in, see Montgomery County, Texas, CSA by Frank M. Johnson. The book may be purchased by visiting Frank's website at frankmjohnson.net or by contacting Frank at [email protected].

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