Brush Men and Vigilantes: Civil War Dissent in Texas

Sam Rayburn Series on Rural Life, sponsored by Texas A&M University-Commerce

by David Pickering

As Charles Frazier's novel Cold Mountain dramatized, dissenters from the Confederacy lived in mortal danger throughout the South. In scattered pockets from the Carolinas to the frontier in Texas, some men who clung to a belief in the Union or an unwillingness to preserve the slaveholding Confederacy died at the hands of their own neighbors. Brush Men and Vigilantes tells the story of how dissent, fear, and economics developed into mob violence in a corner of Texas -- the Sulphur Forks river valley northeast of Dallas.Authors David Pickering and Judy Falls have combed through court records, newspapers, letters, and other primary sources and have collected extended-family lore to relate the details of how vigilantes captured and killed more than a dozen men. Unlike most other parts of Texas, at the onset of the Civil War the Sulphur Forks river valley had a significant population of Upper Southerners, some of whom spoke out against secession, objected to enlisting in the Confederate army, or associated with "Union men". For some of these dissenters safety meant disappearing into the tangled brush thickets of the region.

Betrayed by links to a well-known Union guerrilla from the Sulphur Forks area, some of these men were captured, tried in mock courts, and hanged. Still others met their death by sniper fire or private execution, as did brush man Frank Chamblee, who after cleverly eluding his enemies for several years, was finally gunned down after the war, reportedly by one of the area's most prominent men.

This carefully researched and well-written account not only tells the story of the brush men's ordeal, but also provides insight into the emotions and thought processes of theTexans who resorted to extralegal means to protect their communities from all enemies, even imaginary ones. Anyone with an interest in the new history of the Civil War or of Texas should find much to digest in this compelling book.

Genres: History, Civil War

223 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2000

Reviews

[Clair · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding and well researched account of Unionism in Northeast Texas during the Civil War. It is a fascinating story of a history that some have attempted to sweep under the historical rug over the course of the last 150 years. A must-read for those interested in Texas/Civil War history.

[Robert Starnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way the author conveys the stories! It was a pleasure read even for someone with dyslexia! Awesome work!

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sam Houston was not the only Texan that opposed succession from the Union. Numerous hangings of Union sympathizers and others who wanted to stay neutral occurred during the Civil War.