John Steinmann’s military service began when he left his wife and infant son at home in Independence, Texas, and joined the Confederate States Army. He never returned. If his family ever had any information about his service, it was lost with time. As the author began searching for some trace of his great-great-grandfather, he discovered that he belonged to Company A, Waul’s Texas Legion. This discovery created as many questions as it answered. Colonel Waul’s unique command contained two infantry battalions, a cavalry battalion, and an artillery battery—all of which had a Company A. In his quest for more information, the author discovered that very little had been written about the legion. This book represents the most complete and comprehensive account of its formation and activities during the Civil War. On March 6, 1862, the secretary of war of the Confederate States of America authorized Thomas Neville Waul to form a legion of troops—amounting to about two thousand men.
