BANCROFT 
 LIBRARY 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
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 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
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I 
 
 Biographical Sketch 
 
 jLu-y-* 
 
 GENERAL THOMAS NEVILLE WAUL 
 
 SOUTHERN PUBLISHING COMPANY. 
 
 1880. 
 
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Biographical Sketch 
 
 OF 
 
 GENERAL THOMAS NEVILLE WAUL. 
 
 SOUTHEKN PUBLISHING COMPANY. 
 
 1880. 
 
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 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH, 
 
 UL, GENERAL THOMAS 
 NEVILLE— lawyer of ability 
 and large experience — is a na- 
 tive of South Carolina, and 
 now a resident of Galveston in the prac- 
 tice of his profession. His paternal an- 
 cestors at an early day immigrated to 
 Virginia, and their descendants scatter- 
 ed thence through New Jersey and the 
 Carolinas. They were among the early 
 settlers of the Western States. The 
 great grandfather of the subject of this 
 sketch settled on the Yadkin and Pedee 
 rivers, in the eastern portion of the Car- 
 olinas. The grandfather Thomas Waul 
 — or Wall, as the family records show 
 the name to have been spelled — estab- 
 lished himself in the Santee district. 
 He intermarried with Miss Anna Mul- 
 cahy, the daughter of a prominent 
 planter of the State. 
 
 General Thomas Neville Waul was 
 born near Statesburg on January 5, 1815 
 — the sole issue of the marriage, and the 
 sole remaining descendant of the Car- 
 olina Wauls. He had the misfortune 
 to lose his mother during his infancy. 
 His ancestors were remarkable for their 
 patriotism, a trait which has been per- 
 petuated in their offspring. The grand- 
 lathers of General Waul, on both sides, 
 
 took an active part in the Revolutionary 
 struggle, and at its conclusion settled 
 on the hills of Santee, near neighbors 
 of their old commander General Sump- 
 ter, widely known as the ''Game Cock 
 of the South." 
 
 Thomas entered the South Carolina 
 College in Columbia, but left in 1832 
 without graduating, owing to feeble 
 health and straightened circumstances, 
 incident upon the death of his father. 
 In this connection an act of the gener- 
 ous invalid should be related. Though 
 without means, and in a condition that 
 required them, he refused to receive 
 any portion of his father's little prop- 
 erty, but unselfishly gave it to his 
 stepmother, as only adequate to her 
 support, and as a testimonial of his 
 gratitude for her affection. He had at 
 an early age selected the profession of 
 law as a pursuit, and he now deter- 
 mined to seek a place, and the means 
 for acquiring it. His horse, and the 
 contents of his valise, constituted his 
 earthly possessions. With these, and a 
 brave heart, he traveled through upper 
 Georgia into Alabama, and halted at 
 Florence. In a brief time he received 
 the compliment of election as principal 
 of Florence male academy, although but 
 seventeen years of age. Here he taught 
 one session, but becoming impatient to 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
 
 pursue his chosen profession he relin- 
 quished the position of principal, and 
 with high testimonials from the trustees 
 proceeded to Vicksburg, Mississippi. 
 There he became acquainted with S. S. 
 Prentiss. That distinguished man was 
 at the time young, and had not devel- 
 oped the capacity which afterward 
 made him so famous. But his brilliant 
 genius, even then, caused him to tower 
 above his fellows, as did Saul among 
 the prophets. Young Waul naturally 
 was captivated by his magnetic power 
 and engaging eloquence. The esteem 
 was mutual, and at the invitation of 
 Prentiss the young aspirant for judicial 
 knowledge became a student in his 
 office, received the advantage of his 
 training, and enjoyed the warm friend- 
 ship of that remarkable man through 
 life. 
 
 Young Waul made rapid progress in 
 his profession, was licensed in 1835 by 
 the Supreme Court of Mississippi, be- 
 fore his majority, and was appointed 
 District Attorney for the river district, 
 including in its limits Natchez, Vicks- 
 burg, and some of the principal counties 
 of the State. He resided a short time 
 in Yazoo City, and thence removed to 
 Grenada. About this time he was mar- 
 ried to Miss Mary Simmons, a highly 
 cultured and accomplished young lady 
 of Georgia. He now followed his pro- 
 fession with so much ardor and success 
 that in a few years he was enabled to 
 abandon the general practice, and to 
 confine himself to business in the Fed- 
 deral Chancery and Court of Appeals, 
 and to special engagements in impor- 
 tant cases. Having at length acquired 
 by his efforts sufficient fortune to justi- 
 fy some degree of respite from his se- 
 vere toil, he removed to Texas, and es- 
 tablished a rural home on the Guada- 
 loupe, in Gonzales county. He had 
 interests of importance, however, in 
 Mississippi that frequently required his 
 presence there, and hence he tempora- 
 rily established himself in New Orleans. 
 
 There he obtained a license from the 
 Supreme Court of that State, and prac- 
 ticed again his profession with his ac- 
 customed success. But the pursuit of 
 law alone did not wholly employ his 
 time. Being fond of discussion, an ar- 
 dent admirer of Calhoun, a thorough 
 Democrat of the school of States Eights 
 and a strict construction of the Con- 
 stitution, he took part in all public 
 debates whenever his peculiar views 
 were assailed. The independence of 
 his position, and particularly so of his 
 character, placed his advocacy always 
 above the suspicion of ambitious de- 
 signs. He enjoyed a reputation upon 
 the hustings for earnestness uninspired 
 by personal aims, and for a vigor of 
 presentation which gave him a com- 
 manding influence. During his long re- 
 sidence in Mississippi and Louisiana he 
 was never a candidate for a political 
 office. The organization and the ag- 
 gressive march of the Know Nothing 
 party called him from his life of com- 
 parative repose on the Guadaloupe. He 
 found much of the ability, and many 
 of the leaders of the Democratic party, 
 the strongest supporters of the new 
 movement. He immediately attacked 
 the principles and practices of that or- 
 ganization, sought its champions upon 
 every battle ground, and invited contro- 
 versy on the hustings with all who 
 upheld its dangerous doctrines. The 
 triumphs of the Democracy, through his 
 able assistance, made him upon its re- 
 organization the appropriate candidate 
 for Congress in 1859, with Hon. A. J. 
 Hamilton as his opponent. They can- 
 vassed together the western district, at- 
 tracting great numbers, and inspiring 
 unprecedented enthusiasm. Though the 
 Democracy sustained defeat from the 
 opposition, headed as it was by the 
 great name of General Houston, they 
 had cause to be proud of their cham- 
 pion in the contest. Afterward General 
 Waul was put forward as one of the j 
 electors of the State at large on the 
 
GENERAL THOMAS N. WAUL. 
 
 Breckenridge ticket, in which capacity 
 he discharged his duty with fidelity and 
 ability, wisely predicting the coming 
 storm. He demonstrated the impor- 
 tance of the united South as the only 
 means of averting impending war. 
 Whatever may be the fact of the un- 
 lawfulness of Secession, he felt, and so 
 argued, that it could not, as to some 
 of the States, be averted. In case of 
 w r ar Texas could not remain inactive 
 against a united and aggressive North. 
 There was a hope that this aggression 
 might be obviated by the display of a 
 united South. He therefore invoked 
 this union as a measure of patriotism, 
 disregarding on his part, and asking 
 others to sink, all party issues. The 
 people did as they were desired, but 
 war was not averted ; still, it was 
 doubtless ow r ing to these masterly ap- 
 peals that the great majority of bitter 
 opponents of Secession joined the cause 
 of the South when coercion was at- 
 tempted. The State having seceded, 
 General Waul was sent to the Provi- 
 sional Congress at Montgomery, and 
 with his usual sagacity urged upon that 
 body the necessity of adequate prepa- 
 ration for a struggle, as the most effect- 
 ive method of securing a satisfactory 
 arrangement between the sections, or 
 if necessary to fight, for an honorable 
 peace. Before his term of service ex- 
 pired it was obvious that an amicable 
 adjustment was impossible. He declined 
 re-election, being resolved to take the 
 field. He succeeded in raising over 
 two thousand troops. They were or- 
 ganized as "Waul's Legion," went into 
 camp in Washington county, and pro- 
 ceeded thence to Vicksburg and Cor- 
 inth, where Federal and Confederate 
 troops were being concentrated. At 
 Holly Springs he heard of the defeat 
 of the Confederate forces, and was or- 
 dered to the rear of the defeated army 
 to protect and cover its retreat. Thence- 
 forth the Legion, under the command 
 of General Waul, was actively engaged 
 in the conflicts of war. Its valor and 
 
 discipline made its name a household 
 word in Southern homes, never to-be 
 forgotten. General Waul's accurate 
 knowledge of the topography of Mis- 
 sissippi enabled him to render effective 
 service in defense of the State. He 
 urged the importance of defending Yazoo 
 Pass, and though engineers had reported 
 that an entrance through that channel 
 was impossible, his views were adopted 
 by the Government, and at the instance 
 of the President, and by the wish of 
 General Pemberton, he was ordered to 
 the defense of the Yazoo and Talla- 
 hatchie rivers. The commanding gen- 
 eral requested him to make his selec- 
 tion of troops in the field to aid the 
 Legion in this responsible undertaking. 
 His choice fell upon the Second Texas, 
 commanded by Colonel Ashbel Smith, 
 whose gallantry had been illustrated in 
 many engagements. General Waul pro- 
 ceeded to a strategic point near the 
 confluence of the Tallabusha and Tal- 
 lahatchie rivers, where he quickly erect- 
 ed a fortification of the South's great 
 staple. 
 
 The Federal General Ross, with troops 
 and gunboats, had already entered the 
 Pass, and was approaching with a well 
 appointed land and naval force. But 
 the narrowness of the river and the 
 want of knowledge of the channel some- 
 what retarded the Federal advance, 
 while the Confederates toiled in the mud 
 through the night to complete their 
 works. Simultaneously with the dawn 
 of morning the Federal fleet appeared, 
 and the fortification received its last 
 and only large gun. Notwithstanding 
 the heavy armament and superior force 
 of the Federals they were defeated, and 
 for a time Vicksburg and the Missis- 
 sippi were saved to the Confederates. 
 General Loring arrived on the eve of the 
 engagement, but in his report of the 
 battle truthfully gave the credit of the 
 victory to the brave Texans and their 
 commander. At the siege of Vicksburg 
 General Waul's command did active 
 service in the trenches, their presence 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
 
 being required to repel every attack 
 along the lines. They suffered greatly 
 in loss of officers and men during the 
 siege, but there, as elsewhere, sustained 
 the high reputation achieved by Texas 
 valor on every battle field of the war. 
 After the surrender of Vicksburg Gen- 
 eral Waul was ordered to Richmond, 
 and was promoted for gallant service in 
 the field to the rank of Brigadier Gen- 
 eral. He was then sent to Texas to re- 
 cruit his Legion to the full comple- 
 ment of regiments, and to organize the 
 command into a brigade of cavalry, 
 and report for duty in the cis-Missis- 
 sippi department. Before the orders 
 could be executed General Banks ap- 
 peared with a force, to invade Texas. 
 General Kirby Smith, commanding the 
 department of the trans-Mississippi, 
 offered General Waul the command of 
 one of his best brigades. He accepted, 
 and led it at the battles of Mansfield 
 and Pleasant Hill, in both of which he 
 bore an active and conspicuous part. 
 When the division commander, Gen- 
 eral Walker, was wounded, General 
 Waul was placed in command of the 
 division, and was subsequently placed 
 in command of the field by General 
 Taylor for personal gallantry, and the 
 military skill displayed in the success- 
 ful massing of the troops. General Waul 
 took an active part in the battle of 
 Saline, or Jenkins' Ferry, which, on 
 account of the mud rendering the use 
 of artillery impossible, was fought ex- 
 clusively with muskets and bayonets. 
 The Federals were driven from the 
 field, but the severest losses were sus- 
 tained by the Texas troops. Of their 
 three generals, two were killed, and 
 General Waul was severely wounded, 
 while some twenty other general com- 
 manding officers escaped unhurt. The 
 war soon ended, and General Waul 
 returned to his home on the Guadaloupe. 
 In 1865, against his opposition and pro- 
 tests, he was elected to the Reconstruc- 
 tion Convention. In obedience solely 
 to a sense of duty, he accepted the 
 
 responsible position, and employed 
 every influence to secure a constitu- 
 tional recognition of the rights of the 
 people of Texas, and allay sectional 
 animosity. His course in the Conven- 
 tion, brave and wise, was warmly sup- 
 ported by friends, and respected by 
 political foes. Without regarding South- 
 ern submission as a disgrace, and with 
 no tinge of petulance or irritability at 
 the settlement of issues by the sword, 
 he urged reciprocal compromises, and 
 a guaranty of the inalienable rights of 
 the vanquished in justifiable war, as 
 the only means of securely establishing 
 sectional peace and national prosperity. 
 Having lost his material possessions 
 by the war, General Waul resumed the 
 practice of law, which he had aban- 
 doned, and located in Galveston. His 
 talent and devotion to business secured 
 a lucrative practice, and placed him in 
 the front rank of active practitioners. 
 He was soon called by the profession to 
 the presidency of ths Bar Association, 
 over which he has since presided. His 
 practice, from choice, is chiefly in com- 
 mercial and admiralty matters, and 
 in Federal and Supreme Courts, in 
 cases involving large transactions, but 
 he is intimately familiar with the prin- 
 ciples and practice of all divisions of 
 the law. His intuitive good judgment, 
 and the unsparing pains bestowed upon 
 his cases, fully account for his unvary- 
 ing success at every epoch of his life. 
 Though a profound lawyer, he has found 
 time to devote to the amenities of liter- 
 ature, as well as to the researches of 
 science and philosophy. For intellec- 
 tual accomplishments, and breadth of 
 culture, he is without a superior in 
 the State. His personal, like his men- 
 tal characteristics, are strongly defined. 
 With every attribute of moral and phy- 
 sical courage, of the most undaunted 
 character, is mingled justice and gen- 
 erosity, while thought and act are sub- 
 ordinate to a sense of duty, to which 
 personal feelings and interests are ever 
 sacrificed. Exalted obedience to dutv 
 
GENERAL THOMAS N. WAUL. 
 
 has marked his whole course and 
 guided his every act, whether citizen 
 or soldier. General Waul is a consis- 
 tent member oi' the Baptist church ; has 
 no political ambitions; is faithful to 
 his clients, and devoted to his friends. 
 lie has a great deal of common sense, 
 allied to perfect candor, and enjoys 
 that merited tribute of esteem which 
 his talents, knightly character, and high 
 
 bred courtesy have never failed to 
 secure. 
 
 General Waul is an accomplished bo- 
 tanist, and spends his leisure moments 
 among the indigenous plants that adorn 
 his garden. His home is an elegant 
 and hospitable retreat, where courtly 
 manners and womanly grace preside 
 over the amenities of life. 
 

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