General Alexander W. Terrell

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it: this one's about General Alexander W. Terrell, and friend, it is quite a life to unpack. Alexander W.

Terrell came into this world in Virginia, and by 1852 he'd made his way to Texas, which, if you know anything about Texas, means he arrived right on time for things to get complicated. He served as a District Judge from 1857 to 1863, so the man knew the law cold. Then the war came, and the judge put down his gavel and picked up a commission.

He entered Confederate service in 1863 as a Lieutenant Colonel, commanding Terrell's Texas Cavalry. Now the marker gives this unit a special assignment worth pausing on: they were tasked with keeping open the vital supply sources of cotton. Cotton was the lifeblood of the South, the marker says, and somebody had to make sure that lifeline kept pumping.

That was Terrell's charge. Then came 1864 and the Red River campaign, a Union push aimed at nothing less than the invasion of Texas itself. Terrell led his unit into that fight to stop it.

At the Battle of Mansfield, he was wounded. He kept going. By 1865, he'd been promoted to Brigadier General.

And then the war ended. Now here's where Terrell does something that tells you exactly the kind of man he was: rather than surrender, he went to Mexico. Not forever, mind you.

He soon returned to Texas, because Texas has a way of pulling people back. Back home, he stepped into the state legislature and authored the present primary election law. The man who commanded cavalry and crossed a war was now reshaping how Texans choose their leaders.

And if that weren't enough, from 1893 to 1897 he served as Minister to Turkey. Virginia born, Texas made, and apparently the world couldn't hold him in one place. The marker calls him an outstanding lawyer and public servant, and it's hard to argue the point.

But the marker doesn't stop with one man. It steps back and looks at what Texas did, all of Texas, during those war years. And the picture it paints is staggering.

Texas cast its lot with the Confederacy after a three-to-one popular vote for secession. From that decision came ninety thousand troops, famed, the marker says, for mobility and daring, who fought on every battlefront. Two thousand miles of frontier and coastline were defended against Union troops and, the marker notes, against Indian raids as well.

And while the men fought, the supply lines had to breathe. Wagon trains heavy with cotton crossed the state all the way to Mexico, trading that cotton for medical supplies, clothing, and military goods. Back inside Texas, state and private industry turned out wagons, pots, kettles, leather goods, ammunition, guns, salt, and hospital supplies.

The state was one long, straining supply chain. And at home? Old men, women, children, and slaves provided grain, meats, cotton, and cloth to the army.

Giving much, the marker says quietly, and keeping little. This marker was erected by the State of Texas in 1963 as a memorial to Texans who served the Confederacy. It names a general, but it ends with the ones who never made the history books, the ones who gave much and kept little, holding the whole thing together from the inside.

That's the story the marker tells. And out here on the road, it's worth sittin' with for a mile or two.

What the marker says

Born Virginia. Came to Texas 1852-Dist. Judge 1857-63. Entered confederate service 1863 as Lt. Col. Commanded Terrell's Texas cavalry. Assigned special duty to try to keep open vital supply sources of cotton-lifeblood of South. Led his unit in Red River campaign 1864 to prevent Union invasion of Texas, being wounded battle Mansfield. Promoted Brigadier General 1865. Went to Mexico rather than surrender at war's end, soon returned to Texas. As state legislator authored present primary election law. Minister to Turkey 1893-97. Outstanding lawyer and public servant. Texas made an all-out effort for the confederacy after a 3 to 1 popular vote for secession. 90,000 troops, famed for mobility and daring, fought on every battlefront. A 2,000-mile frontier and coastline was successfully defended from union troops and savage Indians. Wagon trains, laden with cotton-life blood of the south-crossed the state to Mexico to trade for medical supplies, clothing, military goods, state and private industry produced wagons, pots, kettles, leather goods, ammunition, guns, salt, hospital supplies. At home old men, women, children, slaves provided grain, meats, cotton, cloth to the army, giving much, keeping little. A memorial to Texans who served the confederacy erected by the state of Texas 1963.