Civil War in Texas

Texas in the Civil War

The American Civil War was a monumental conflict in American history. The conflict was brewing for a long time, as southern and northern states argued over the role of the federal government and the extent of state rights. The debate erupted into an outright war with the election of Abraham Lincoln. Seven southern states formed the Confederacy as before the inauguration of President Lincoln. The issue of states' rights originates with the debate of slavery. Runaway slaves would escape the south and head to northern states where they would be deemed free, however, Southern states argued that they were still slaves and wanted a return of their property (Baum 1998). The main issue at hand is what rights extended beyond a state. Southern states naturally supported the stance that citizens of every state could take their property anywhere within the United States, in this case slaves, while Northern states rejected this idea. This cultural divide effected national politics, and the election of a Northerner who opposed the expansion of slavery, was the last straw for the South. In this conflict, one of the major states to side with the South was Texas. Texas declared secession from the United States on February 1, 1861 and joined the Confederacy on March 2nd, 1861 (Baum 1998).

After the election of Abraham Lincoln, the general opinion in the South was that they were better off seceding from the union. While other states held conventions to discuss the matter of secession, Texas' convention was delayed because of Sam Houston. Sam Houston actually supported the Union and refused to even speak about secession until he realized citizens were willing to act without his consent. The legislature met in 1861 and voted to uphold the legality of whatever actions were decided upon. By January 28th, an ordinance was created listing the grievances, stating that the federal government had failed to protect the lives and property of Texans and blaming the North for the same failures as the federal government (Bell 2005). When the legislature convened to vote on the matter of secession only one voted no, James Webb Throckmorton. It is interesting to note, that while Throckmorton opposed secession he still served his state and rose to the rank of brigadier-general in the Confederate army (Buenger 1984). After Texas when it declared its support for the Confederacy replaced Sam Houston, who refused to swear his allegiance to the Confederacy. Texas made its position clear, as to why it was declaring for South, by issuing a declaration. The declaration essentially justified the institution of slavery and claimed the African race as inferior (Bell 2005).

After the passing of the Ordinance of Secession, Texas quickly arranged the surrender of federal property throughout the state, including military supplies held in the Alamo. General David E. Twiggs gave about 10, 000 rifles to the Confederacy as part of his surrender (Buenger 1984). Of course, this caused an outcry among Unionists. Despite the perception, many Texans actually did not agree with secession. The epicenter of Union support was found in the German Texan population located in the Texas Hill Country and certain regions of North Texas. Yet, like other loyal Texans, these communities still served on the side of the Confederacy, supporting Texas in their cause. There was actually about 2,000 Texans who did serve on the side of the Union (Bell 2005).

The biggest Union supporter was Sam Houston. Houston was a strong believer in states' rights but believed secession was not the correct course of action. He thought that a conflict with the North would ultimately end in their favor. While he accepted the result of the secession convention, he could not in good faith swear allegiance to the Confederacy. His son did serve in the Confederate army, following in the footsteps of other Texans. In fact, over 70,000 Texans fought for the Confederacy, with Texan regiments fighting in every major battle in the Civil War. Some of these soldiers were veterans of earlier conflicts such as the Mexican-American War and the Texas Revolution. Some famous units were the Terry's Texas Rangers, The Texas Brigade, and Walker's Greyhounds (Buenger 1984). The Texas Brigade in particular was a favorite of General Lee and consistently fought with superb fighting skills.