"Sul" Ross’s Texas Brigade

General Whitfield’s health soon became bad enough that he had to be relieved of duty. Colonel Lawrence S. "Sul" Ross was appointed commander of the Texas Brigade.

General Ross was only 25 years of age at the time of his assumption of command. He was born on September 27, 1838 in Bentonsport, Iowa. During his Summer vacation from college, he would come to back to Texas where he earned quite a reputation as an Indian fighter. In 1858 he was commission a Captain in the Texas Rangers by Same Houston.

He further enhanced his reputation by rescuing Cynthia Ann Parker and killing Comanche Chief Peta Nocona in an encounter just prior to the Civil War. Sul Ross entered the ranks of the 6th Cavalry regiment as a private but swiftly made it up the ranks. On May 14, 1862 he was promoted to full Colonel. He was promoted to Brigadier General on December 31, 1963. During the war Ross participated in 135 engagements with the Texas Brigade and had five horses shot out from under him. Sul Ross was to lead the Texas brigade well. He turned the moral around, boosted the spirits of the entire command and showed solid leadership. Taking command, he soon turned the Texas Brigade back to a fighting force to be reckoned with. It was "Ross’s Texas Brigade" that the name stuck to and forever more, the veteran’s referred to it thus. "Lawrence Sullivan" Ross would be known as "Sul Ross" for the remainder of his life which was not over by any means. He went on to become Governor of the State of Texas in 1887. He served two terms and was then appointed President of Texas A&M University. A post he held until his death on January 8, 1898. He is buried in Waco, Texas.