Twentieth Texas Infantry. – The Twentieth Texas Infantry, organized in Walker Country in the spring of 1862,spent most of the Civil War stationed in or near Galveston. Made up of recruits primarily from the Trinity valley counties north of Houston, the Twentieth Infantry was one of the largest regiments formed in Texas, listing more than 1,800 men on its muster rolls. Even late in the war, when most Texas regiments had fewer than 300 men, the Twentieth Texas reported more than 600 men present for duty. The regiment consisted for the most part of middle-aged men, heads of families, and prominent citizens. Because it was stationed in Texas throughout the war and had comparatively light duty, it was sometimes referred to as "the Feather-bed Regiment." Henry M. Elmore, native of South Carolina, resident of Waverly, and Walker County representative in the Ninth Texas Legislature, was colonel and commanding officer of the Twentieth Texas. Leonard A. Abercrombie, twenty-nine-year-old prosecuting attorney from Huntsville and member of the Texas secession convention, was lieutenant colonel. Robert E. Bell was major. The regiment spent the summer of 1862 at Camp Groce near Hempstead. Training went smoothly, although illnessand lack of weapons reduced in the numbers and effectiveness of the troops. In late September the regiment was ordered to move to Sabine Pass . Maj. Josephus Irvine, Confederate commander at Sabine Pass, reported that a Federal landing party had come ashore, destroyed the fort and varracks, and burned the railroad bridge at Taylor´s Bayou and the railroad depot near the town. Col. Xavier Debray, commanding the Houston Sub-district, feared this might be a major invasion. He ordered Elmore and his regiment to move by train to Houston and then on to Sabine Pass.

By the time the Twentieth Texas reached Sabine Pass the Federal raiders had returned to their ships. Debray, who accompanied Elmore´s men to Sabine Pass, ordered the regiment back to Houston. In his report of the affair to Gen. Paul O. Hebert, commander of the Texas District, Debray complained that while the Twentieth Texas had "an excellent composition of men," it was poorly officered. "In fact," he wrote, "they hace no notion of discipline or military instruction." He went on to point out that the men were terrified by the threat of yellow fever in the region. "I was so harassed by the objections and remonstrances of the lieutenantcolonel in command at my taking them so close to an infected place that I was compelled to forbid him to mention the word(s) yellow fever before me, "concluded Debray.

The Twentieth Texas remained in the Houston area after the excursion to Sabine Pass. Following the Union occupation of Galveston in early October, the regiment was stationed at Virginia Point near the old railroad bridge connecting the island with the mainland. When General Magruder ordered the attack on the island on January 1, men from Pyron´s Regiment, Griffin´s Battalion, and Companies A and B of Elmore´s Regiment made up the storming party that attempted unsuccessfully to drive Union troops off Kuhns´s Wharf. The remainder of the regiment led by Lieutenant Colonel Abercrombie served with Scurry in the Confederate forces that moved into the center of town. In his report of the battle, General Magruder praised Abercrombie and men of the Twentieth Texas for their part in the libertaion of Galveston.
After the Confederate reoccupation of the city, the Twentieth Texas remained as part of the Galveston garrison. In later September 1863 four companies of the regiment led by Abercrombie were sent to Sabine Pass. Colonel Elmore and the rest of the regiment stayed in Galveston. Drills and military appearance in the Sabine companies of the regiment wehr apparently lax, due perhaps in part to Lieutenant Colonel Abercrombie´s illness. When the inspector general visited Sabine Pass in September, he found Capt. Jesse C. Dickie of Company H in command. The inspector reported the clothing of the men was good but their Springfield and Enfield rifles not in good order. He also noted that the officers and men of regiment were deficient in drill and military appearance.
As the threat of Union attack at Sabine Pass eased, the companies of Twentieth Texas returned to Galveston. Apparently, the deficiencies found in the October inspection were corrected. While the inspector general was critical of many of the regiments in the Texas District in February 1863, he praised Elmore´s Regiment and four other regiments in the Galveston area for their spirit, discipline and drill.

The regiment spent a rather uneventfull spring and summer of 1864 garrisoning various fortifications on and around Galveston Island. While there was little threat from the enemy, the men of the Twentieth shared the same frustrations that caused unrest in the Third and Eigth infantries on the island. Although the men of the Twentieth did not take part in the refusal to drill, there was unhappiness with the food, the heat, and the drilling. In mid-September Capt. D. H. Lewis, in command at Fort Magruder, reported that a dozen men in G Company considered joining a larger group from Fort Point who threatened to leave their posts. Cooler heads prevailed, however, and the men were talked out of leaving.

Although there were some absences due to illness and desertion, the Twentieth Texas maintained a roster of 600 or more men present for duty throughout 1864 and early 1865. From time to time there were organizational changes for reporting purposes, but these had little effect upon the men. The regiment was part of James M. Hawes´ Brigade from May 1864 until April 1865, when it was assigned to a new brigade commanded by Brig. Gen. James E. Harrison, the former commander of the Fifteenth Texas Infantry.
In the closing days of the war the Twentieth Texas was moved from Galveston in the Houston area. In late April 1865 the regiment was at Richmond when it received orders to report to Navasota. The regiment was there on May 24, 1865, when Harrison ordered his regimental commanders to discharge their men from service. For most of the men it was only a short trip home.