DUANE
Duane's take
Here's what the official marker has to say, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Montgomery County, C.S.A. Now that title alone ought to tell you something about where this story is headed.
It's 1861, and Montgomery County is a wealthy farm area — prosperous, productive, the kind of place that has something to give. And give it did. In the Civil War, the county threw itself behind the Texas cause with goods, funds, and men.
Two companies from right here wound up in Hood's Texas Brigade — famed, the marker calls it, and famed it was. But here's the part that'll stay with you. One of those companies went into that war as a full fighting unit and came out the other side with only nine men still living by 1865.
Nine. Let that settle for a moment before we move on. Back home, the county didn't wait around for someone else to fill the gap.
Young boys, old men, the partially disabled — they formed five home guard and state companies. Montgomery County was going to defend itself with whoever it had left. And the county clothed its own soldiers.
The courthouse — standing right on this very site — had a sewing room dedicated to that work. The homefolk cooperated, working looms and cotton cards to keep those soldiers dressed. Meanwhile, people ate sparingly.
Few new clothes for anybody. The war consumed everything the county could produce and then some. By 1864, so much had been given over to the war effort that not a single store was open in Montgomery.
Not one. A wealthy farm area in 1861 — and four years later, a county that had poured itself out completely. That's Montgomery County, C.S.A.
What the marker says
A wealthy farm area in 1861. In Civil War, supported Texas with goods, funds and men. 2 companies from here were in famed Hood's Texas Brigade-- one company had only 9 men in one living by 1865. Young boys, old men and the partially disabled formed 5 home guard and state companies. The county clothed its own soldiers. The Courthouse, then on this site, had a sewing room for that work. Cooperating were homefolk using looms, cotton cards. People ate sparingly, had few new clothes. By 1864, so much was given to war effort that not a store was open in Montgomery. (1965)