Dallas Veteran: Maj. H. W. Graber

Confederate Veteran
Volume , Number 11, Page 502
November 1901

Interest will grow for the next several months in Dallas, Tex., and with Dallas people, especially official comrades in the U. C. V. Notice of some of these will be printed. First of all interest may be expected in the Commissary General. This comrade's career is interesting:

Henry W. Graber, of Dallas, is a veteran of the famous Terry's Texas Rangers, a cavalry regiment that achieved fame on so many battlefields of the Middle South, from Kentucky to the Carolinas.

Mr. Graber is a native of Germany, born in the city of Bremen in 1841, where his father conducted a large manufacturing and exporting business. In 1853 the family moved to Houston, Tex., where both parents and a brother died the same year. Young Henry was employed in business there, and afterwards in Waxahachie, Cypress City, and Hempstead. In 1860 he became the junior partner of the firm of Faddis & Graber at Hempstead, and was engaged in prosperous general merchandising at the beginning of the war. From this place he promptly joined the State troops in expeditions to Brazos, Santiago, and Indianola, where the garrisons soon surrendered. In September, 1861, he enlisted for the war as a private in Company B, Eighth Texas Cavalry, familiarly known as Terry's Texas Rangers, under the command of Col. B. F. Terry.

When elected second lieutenant in the first company organization at Hempstead he declined the honor, having no ambition to gratify, save to do his duty in a humble capacity. He served with his regiment in Kentucky in the fall and winter of 1861, fought at Woodsonville, the regiment's first engagement, where the gallant Terry fell, and at Shiloh under Col. Wharton. He was in the first battle and capture of Murfreesboro under Gen. Forrest, then with his regiment went into Kentucky with Bragg's army, and was in the battles of Mumfordsville, Bardstown, Perryville, and many minor engagements.

Early in 1863, while on a scouting expedition in Kentucky in an engagement near Bowling Green with an infantry force many times their number, he was severely wounded and six of his comrades killed. Unable to ride and make his escape, he was left near Woodburn, and the second night was captured by the Eleventh Kentucky Mounted Infantry. He was held at Bowling Green for several months awaiting court martial, but, having attempted his escape, was sent to Louisville for safe keeping, and there placed in irons of resenting an insult by Black, a negro captain. Subsequently, on the demand of Gen. Bragg, he was treated as a prisoner of war and sent to Camp Chase, Ohio. After several months sent to Fort Delaware, from whence he escaped after four months' detention by assuming a sick man's name at roll call, going out with a party of Marylanders that were expecting to be paroled at Washington, but instead they were sent to Point Lookout, Md., from where, after several months' detention, again assuming the name of a dead Louisianian, he was sent with a part of Hay's Brigade of Louisianians to City Point for exchange. Arriving at Richmond, he immediately left for and rejoined his command in East Tennessee. His next active service was in the Georgia campaign of 1864, participating in numerous engagements from Dalton to Atlanta and Jonesboro. He served under Gen. Joe Wheeler against Sherman during the latter's march to Savannah, wherein they fought daily. Near Savannah his company was detached for duty as scouts with Gen. McLaws, with whom he remained until the surrender in North Carolina. He was in the battle of Averasboro, Bentonville, and other smaller engagements.

At the close of this active military career, never having missed a duty on account of sickness or otherwise save during his twelve months' imprisonment, Mr. Graber returned to Texas, and resumed business at Hempstead, and was later at Courtney, Rusk, and Waxahachie. He has lived at Dallas since 1885. He has always been active and prominent in the work of the United Confederate Veterans, and was honored with a position as Quartermaster General on the staff of Lieut. Gen. W. L. Cabell, commanding the Trans Mississippi Department U. C. V., at the time of its organization, which position he still holds, He is a member of Sterling Price Camp. He was its Commander in 1898, fully enjoying the confidence of his comrades. Mr. Graber is now a member of the Board of Directors of the Texas Reunion Association, organized for the purpose of entertaining the General Reunion in April next at Dallas, and to build a monument to Gen. Robert E. Lee at the State capital. As President of the Graber Machinery Company and in all social and business relations he is highly regarded among the people of Dallas.