Born in Tennessee on February 22, 1835, William M. Hogsett moved with his family to Texas at the age of 16 and settled in Hopkins County. His father died in 1846 while serving in the Mexican-American War.

On May 10, 1862, Hopkins joined Captain S.A. Minter’s Company K, Richard Waterhouse, Jr.’s Regiment of Texas Volunteers, which subsequently became the 19th Texas Infantry. He served with his company until May 1863, when he was “left sick at Monroe, La,” and was listed as absent without leave from October 16, 1863 to February 17, 1864, when he returned to duty by order of General William R. Scurry.

The 19th fought at the Battle of Milliken’s Bend, Louisiana, on June 7, 1863, then, in 1864, participated in stopping the advance of Union General Nathaniel Banks up the Red River and pursuing General Frederick Steele’s Union force from Camden to Little Rock. Company K was then detached to Marshall, Texas, for guard duty.

Following the war, Hogsett returned to farming and died on September 12, 1913, in Hopkins County. He is buried in Pine Forest Cemetery.

Ambrotype by Unknown Photographer

Image on loan from R. Joyce Hunt and Christopher Crouch