Maj John Formwalt of the 10th Texas Infantry: “Gen. Granbury died in my boots.”

Among the handful of survivors of Granbury’s that returned to Texas at war’s end was none other than “Major” John Formwalt of the 10th Texas Infantry.  Upon the celebration of his 93rd birthday on April 23, 1913, the local Granbury paper published the following item relative to him, as reflected herein:

Special to the News:
Granbury, Tex., April 23–Major J.A. Formwalt today celebrated his 93rd birthday anniversary and was able to walk to town, standing six feet and two inches and as erect as when he took command of his first company in the Civil War.  With the exception of his eyesight and hearing he appears as strong and walks as rapidly as he did forty years ago.  Major Formwalt is one of the few remaining veterans (possibly there are only three left in this part of the country whom he recalls) who served the entire four years.  He took command of Co. I, Tenth Texas Infantry, at the beginning of the war and served as the Captain until they surrendered at Arkansas Post.  At the Battle of Franklin, Tenn., he was colonel in command of 650 men and was wounded there.  He was in the same line of march as Gen. H. B. Granbury when the latter was killed.

The question having arisen of late, in connection with the erection of a monument to Gen. Granbury, as to whether the statute should be shown with boots or shoes, Major Formwalt said:

“Gen. Granbury died in my boots.  They were a new pair of shop-made boots made by an old shoemaker in Georgia, for which I paid $150.  The fact that I had these boots became known to Gen. Granbury, who remarked that he was nearly barefoot, and offered to break them in for me.  I gave them to him and he had them on when he was killed.”

 The remnants of these boots were brought to Granbury in 1892 by Dr. J. N. Doyle and were buried with the bones of Gen. Granbury in Granbury Cemetary.