Preservation of Texas Civil War sites a priority in the Sesquicentennial
Texas played a unique role in the American Civil War, and the Sons of Confederate Veterans has created a preservation program for sites in Texas. by Mark Vogl
(conservative)
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
While the State of Texas was not the main theatre of the War for Southern Independence, (1861 -1865), the struggle in Texas was both significant and unique. The actions of Texans to defend their state are filled with stories of heroism and ingenuity adding to the legendary tales of Texas. They also illustrate the very different character of the war west of the Mississippi River.
Texas was unique for many reasons, some of which were:
the only state of the Confederacy to border a foreign nation, providing a means of commerce with the outside world, and also creating a secondary military concern for both President Davis and Lincoln.
Texas endured a series of fires in her major cities in 1860 which were attributed to abolitionists and influenced the vote on secession.
the only Southern state to conduct a referendum on the question of secession.
a state not fully settled, on the frontier where the US cavalry and Texas militia fought Indians. Lack of US commitment was a cause of tension between the state and the federal government. Many of the coming generals of the war were stationed in Texas in the ante bellum years.
Texas had been an independent republic, separate from the United States, just fifteen years before secession.
The largest state of the Confederacy, and within the Department of Trans Mississippi, Texas was on the Confederacy’s frontier. Military operations in Texas, while not of hundreds of thousands of soldiers, were, or could have been, important to the outcome of the war. General Sibley’s campaign to capture California was the first invasion of northern territory by Confederate forces, and if successful could have changed history.
The Battle of Galveston on January 1st, 1863 was a successful combined arms operation which took back the largest city in Texas, and largest port west of the Mississippi River. Just days later, off the oast of Texas the famed Confederate cruiser C.S.S. Alabama would engage and sink the U.S.S. Hatteras.
By the fall of 1863, the Confederate Cause had suffered strategic defeats at Gettysburg and Vicksburg and all seemed lost. Northern advantages in numbers and manufacturing capacity, and the enlisting of thousands of immigrants from Europe who arrived through New York City and other northeastern ports was overwhelming. But then, like a mythical story from old Erin, forty – eight Irish Catholics holding a rudimentary fort on Sabine Pass won the most remarkable victory of the war when they defeated a fleet of twenty eight Union ships, and five thousand men. The prisoners of Sabine Pass were sent to the largest Confederate Prisoner of War Camp west of the Mississippi River at Camp Ford in Tyler, Texas,
Texans fought along the fort line west of the Ft. Worth – Austin – San Antonio axis to the largest battles of the Army of Northern Virginia in the eastern theatre of the war.. Texans fought in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. with the Army of Tennessee and held their own in the Red River Campaign, the largest federal operation in the Trans Mississippi. And while Texans left the state to fight across the South, the capital of Missouri relocated to Marshall, Texas for much of the war. The last battle of the war was fought down near the Rio Grande and a large contingent of defeated rebels crossed Texas on their exodus to Mexico after the war ended.
The Texans who lived during this era were men of true grit. Sam Houston was governor and opposed to secession when his state left the union. Famed Indian fighter “Rip” Ford would rise quickly to the rank of Colonel. Dick Dowling, commander of the men at the Sabine Pass was a saloon owner when the Texas left the Union. Leander McNelly would prove himself a fierce fighter during the war, and would become a Texas Ranger after the war ended. Military commanders like Albert Sydney Johnston, William henry Parsons, Mathew Ector, Cullen Earp and many others made contributions to the Confederate war effort.
Texas is not riddled with battlefields like most southern states. The successful defense of the state was unparalleled during the war. Victories at Galveston, Sabine Pass and Mansfield, Louisiana prevented the Yankees from occupying lsrge portions of the state. Still, there are many places within Texas which are important and should be preserved, and more, developed to tell the story of Texas during the war.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans (S.C.V.) is an international fraternal organization composed of descendants of the men who wore the gray. The S.C.V shares the responsibility of protecting southern history and heritage with the Daughters of the Confederacy. These two organizations are working to take advantage of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary, the Sesquicentennial. The anniversary is raising public awareness of the struggle and hopefully will encourage people, north and south, to provide funds to preserve and develop areas within Texas which are a part of the state’s history.
At the Texas S.C.V. meeting in June, 2011,a resolution was offered to create the Texas Division Sesquicentennial Project. The purpose of this resolution was to create a framework to guide S.C.V.’s financial efforts to preserve and help develop important locations across the state.
Projects were included in the initial resolution to illustrate examples of the types of projects which the Texas S.C.V. and other persons interested should be aware of. Other projects may be added as time passes. The Texas S.C.V. Sesquicentennial Committee should be approached and their input sought concerning the addition of projects within Texas to this program. Below are the projects thus far approved for possible financial support by the Texas Division;.
The largest battle in the state of Texas was the Battle of Galveston. In the City of Galveston is the Henley Building. This building was constructed prior to the war and did play a role in the battle. Confederate cannon were taken into the building and lifted to floors above the first so that they would be able to engage Yankee warships in the bay. This project was included in the resolution.
In Austin, the local camp has been approached by Oakwood Cemetery concerning a portion of the cemetery which is the resting place for four hundred Confederate veterans. The cemetery would like to separate this section of cemetery and transfer ownership to the S.C.V. The local camp is hoping to cause to be erected a large memorial for the veterans resting there. This project was included in the resolution.
And lastly, in Tyler, Texas the Camp Ford Historical Association is working to create a museum focused on the Trans Mississippi and Camp Ford. Just south of Interstate 20, this museum would be conveniently placed between the Dallas – Ft. Worth area and Louisiana. It would provide a real opportunity to tell the story of the war in Texas to a large audience. The Camp Ford Historical Association has been dedicated to this cause for decades, and has gathered approximately two hundred thousand dollars in capital and property. This project was included in the resolution.
The Texas Division Sesquicentennial Project is open to more projects and encourages input from local communities, Civil War Round Tables, historians, and others interested in preserving the state’s history.
Please discuss the Texas Sesquicentennial Project at your organizational meetings and consider contacting the Texas Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans to help with this project to preserve Texas history.
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