In the fall of 1861 Archer enlisted as a private in the 9th Texas Infantry, captained by Joseph J. Dickson. He was soon promoted to Sergeant. He spent early 1862 in the hospital. He returned to his unit and participated in battles at Corinth, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, Altoona, Perryville, Ky., and Nashville, Tennessee. In a post war memoir, he reported being wounded at the battle of Corinth, Tennessee, in October, 1862. However, his wartime record records the wounding as occurring several months earlier, on May 28th, 1862.
James W. Howard, a fellow soldier in the 9th recorded this incident involving Archer:
"At Marietta, Ga., I was on picket duty and we had been run into the breastworks. This was on July 4th. The weather was warm and as we had "double-quicked" through a cornfield and I was very hot and was about to smother in the ditches and had climbed upon the embankment for some fresh air, when Arch Candler said: "Jim. you had better get down from there; they will kill you," and I said: "I had as well be killed as smothered to death." Just then a bullet hit me under the eye, and I tumbled over. The litter bearers started to carry me off the field, when one of them was shot and fell. I told them if they would help me up maybe I could walk. They did so and I found I could run."Archer and the 9th Texas were at Meridian, Mississippi when the War ended and he made his way back home, walking and riding on steamboats.
In his post war reminiscences he recalls:
"I had many narrow escapes incident [in the] war, and remember many things which happened to my comrades, but there is not space to set them down here. I want to thank the noble women of the South for their many kindnesses, and hope they have not forgotten me."
After the war he engaged in the freight business and lived until 1912, when he was killed by a train while looking after his sheep. [More about the death of Archer J. Candler in an upcoming post.]
Archer was twice married, the first to Nancy Elizabeth Honaker on January 7th, 1869, the second time to Mattie H. Ball on March 25th, 1894.
Younger brother William J. married Rhoda Day on Christmas Eve, 1861. On July 30th, 1862 he enlisted as a private in the Fifth Texas Partisan Rangers under Captain John K. Bumpass.
William's Compiled Service Record has no details of his war time career, but his comrade Tom Howard detailed his death at the second battle of Cabin Creek, Oklahoma which occurred on September 19th, 1864:
"Comrade Candler was killed at Cabin Creek, Okla. Bill Candler was not a talker, but when he was called on, or when volunteers were called for, he stepped to the front without a word and was ready for duty. He was the only man killed in the Cabin Creek fight. He was wounded in the bowels and we put him on a litter and started to carry him off the field. We had gone but a short distance when he said he was dying and was soon gone. We dug his grave as best we could with our big knives, and as his blanket was bloody, I wrapped him in my own. He was buried near where he fell. Such was the fate of many a good man. May the good Spirits keep watch over his lonely resting place."
