Benjamin Franklin Carter

(1831 - 1863)
Home State: Texas
Command Billet: Commanding Regiment
Branch of Service: Infantry
Unit: 4th Texas Infantry

see his Battle Report

Before the Antietam Campaign:
After graduating from Jackson College, Columbia, Tennessee, he studied Law at Cumberland University (Lebanon, TN). In the fall of 1852 he moved to Austin, Texas and began his legal practice. He served as Mayor of Austin 1858-59.

The Tom Green Rifles, led by Captain Carter, was the second company to depart Camp Van Dorn (Harrisburg, Texas) for Richmond, and officially became Company B of the Fourth Texas Volunteer Infantry on September 30, 1861. He was in action on the Peninsula Campaign of 1862, and was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment on 11 July 1861. He was out of action with typhoid fever for the rest of the summer, but rejoined his regiment in time to command at Second Manassas on 30 August.

In the Antietam Campaign:
Lieutenant Colonel Carter's 4th Texas was part of the Texas Brigade's counterattack from the West Woods through the Cornfield on the morning of Sept 17. It stopped Federal General Hooker's I Corps attack, but wrecked the Brigade.

The remainder of the War:
At Gettysburg on 2 July 1863, the Fourth Texas participated in the attack against the Union left flank and in the fighting for Little Round Top, losing 140 men (twenty-five killed, fifty-seven wounded, and fifty-eight captured), including Lieutenant Colonel Carter, who was seriously wounded there. He was left behind - too badly injured to return to Virginia - was captured soon after, and died in (or near) Chambersburg, PA on the 21st of that month.

References, Sources, and other notes:
Biographical details from Chaplain Davis1. A fuzzy photo of unknown original source is on FindAGrave.

Place of Birth: Maury County, TN
College: Jackson (Tn) College    Graduating Year: 1850
Death Date: 7/21/1863    Death Place: Chambersburg, PA

Notes

1 Davis, Rev. Nicholas A., The Campaign from Texas to Maryland, Houston: Telegraph Book and Job Establishment, 1863, pp. 78-79 [AotW citation 1079]

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