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Fred Rider Cotten Popular History Series
Civil War Texas (Volume 14)
Written by one of the deans of Texas history, Civil War Texas provides an authoritative, comprehensive description of Texas during the Civil War as well as a guide for those who wish to visit sites in Texas associated with the war. In one compact volume, the reader or tourist is led on an exciting historical journey through Civil War Texas.
Because most of the great battles of the Civil War were fought east of the Mississippi River, it is often forgotten that Texas made major contributions to the war effort in terms of men and supplies. Over 70,000 Texans served in the Confederate army during the war and fought in almost every major battle. Ordnance works, shops, and depots were established for the manufacture and repair of weapons of war, and Texas cotton shipped through Mexico was exchanged for weapons and ammunition.
The state itself was the target of the Union army and navy. Galveston, the principal seaport, was occupied by Federal forces for three months and blockaded by the Union navy for four years. Brownsville, Port Lavaca, and Indianola were captured, and Sabine Pass, Corpus Christi, and Laredo were all under enemy attack. A major Federal attempt to invade East Texas by way of Louisiana was stopped only a few miles from the Texas border.
The Civil War had significant impact upon life within the state. The naval blockade created shortages requiring Texans to find substitutes for various commodities such as coffee, salt, ink, pins, and needles. The war affected Texas women, many of whom were now required to operate farms and plantations in the absence of their soldier husbands. As the author points out in the narrative, not all Texans supported the Confederacy. Many Texans, especially in the Hill Country and North Texas, opposed secession and attempted either to remain neutral or work for a Union victory. Over two thousand Texans, led by future governor Edmund J. Davis, joined the Union army.
In this carefully researched work, Ralph A. Wooster describes Texas's role in the war. He also notes the location of historical markers, statues, monuments, battle sites, buildings, and museums in Texas which may be visited by those interested in learning more about the war. Photographs, maps, chronology, end notes, and bibliography provide additional information on Civil War Texas.
Because most of the great battles of the Civil War were fought east of the Mississippi River, it is often forgotten that Texas made major contributions to the war effort in terms of men and supplies. Over 70,000 Texans served in the Confederate army during the war and fought in almost every major battle. Ordnance works, shops, and depots were established for the manufacture and repair of weapons of war, and Texas cotton shipped through Mexico was exchanged for weapons and ammunition.
The state itself was the target of the Union army and navy. Galveston, the principal seaport, was occupied by Federal forces for three months and blockaded by the Union navy for four years. Brownsville, Port Lavaca, and Indianola were captured, and Sabine Pass, Corpus Christi, and Laredo were all under enemy attack. A major Federal attempt to invade East Texas by way of Louisiana was stopped only a few miles from the Texas border.
The Civil War had significant impact upon life within the state. The naval blockade created shortages requiring Texans to find substitutes for various commodities such as coffee, salt, ink, pins, and needles. The war affected Texas women, many of whom were now required to operate farms and plantations in the absence of their soldier husbands. As the author points out in the narrative, not all Texans supported the Confederacy. Many Texans, especially in the Hill Country and North Texas, opposed secession and attempted either to remain neutral or work for a Union victory. Over two thousand Texans, led by future governor Edmund J. Davis, joined the Union army.
In this carefully researched work, Ralph A. Wooster describes Texas's role in the war. He also notes the location of historical markers, statues, monuments, battle sites, buildings, and museums in Texas which may be visited by those interested in learning more about the war. Photographs, maps, chronology, end notes, and bibliography provide additional information on Civil War Texas.
- GenresHistory
88 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 15, 2015
Admirably brief.
August 3, 2019
Excellent short but scholarly study of Texas during the Civil War. Maps and historic photographs are included. Information about locations and their current accessibility is also set into the text at the appropriate times, though as the publication date is 1999, some of this data may have changed in the intervening years.
The footnotes are extensive, but it would have been much easier to look up additional source material if the books and articles referenced had also been listed as a bibliography. There is a detailed index.
The footnotes are extensive, but it would have been much easier to look up additional source material if the books and articles referenced had also been listed as a bibliography. There is a detailed index.
March 22, 2021
Conversationally written and generally informative, it lacks some crucial details that would make it great. How, for example, did the relatively untrained Texas Confederate Army units defeat several Union forts in New Mexico? Sheer numbers?
Like some other books on the Civil War, this one glosses over the Union victories and goes from a string of Confederate victories to the collapse of the South in a few paragraphs. Barely mentions Gettysburg, and if you didn't know the rest of what was going on at the time would leave you mystified that the Union armies ultimately prevailed.
Like some other books on the Civil War, this one glosses over the Union victories and goes from a string of Confederate victories to the collapse of the South in a few paragraphs. Barely mentions Gettysburg, and if you didn't know the rest of what was going on at the time would leave you mystified that the Union armies ultimately prevailed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2019
I'm reading this book for research. I find the information to be concise and presented effectively for my use of gathering facts specific to Texas during these years. I will be reading some more lengthy books on this subject ... but the succinct writing of this book is perfecting for my outline.
April 11, 2025
Quick Painless Read
This gives information about the major events of Texas in the civil war, but there are no specifics in between. It’s a quick kind of boring read.
This gives information about the major events of Texas in the civil war, but there are no specifics in between. It’s a quick kind of boring read.
July 5, 2016
A very brief overview. I would have liked more about the Texas homefront, and more of the politics of seccession, however it did provide a good chronology. Read for a class I'm teaching next semester.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews