DUANE
Duane's take
The way the official marker tells it, here's a chapter of Texas history that doesn't get a lot of campfire time — but it ought to. When Texas joined the Confederacy in 1861, not every man in the state fell in line. Some disagreed.
Mainly these were men from foreign countries, or from the North, or men who simply did not uphold states' rights. What happened to them? Well, it went a few different ways.
Some left Texas altogether and joined Northern army units far from home. Others found ways to join Federal forces closer by. Now here's where the story gets interesting.
A colonel by the name of E. J. Davis — a Texan himself — went across the Rio Grande into Mexico and organized the 1st Texas Cavalry, Union side.
Three hundred and ten men, eight companies, built just over the river. Meanwhile, the nucleus of a 2nd Texas Cavalry, Union, was being formed clear over in New Orleans, picking up men in Louisiana and Mexico until it had four companies. Those two outfits eventually merged in 1864 into the 1st Texas Volunteer Cavalry, Union.
Then there were the prisoners of war — Texans who obtained their freedom by becoming what they called galvanized Yankees. Men coating over their old opinions with blue uniforms, as the marker puts it. And here's the wry twist: those men weren't sent to fight their former Confederate comrades.
They were sent to fight Indians on the frontiers. Out of the way, so to speak. But not every Federal Texan got that kind of distance.
Some found themselves in the Red River campaigns in Louisiana. On the coast. In south and west Texas.
In battle against old neighbors. Against their own relatives. You want to talk about a hard row to hoe.
And then there were the partisan rangers of A. J. Vidal, who managed to desert both sides — left the Confederates in 1863, then left the Federals and the war itself entirely in 1864.
Some men, it seems, had strong opinions about everybody. When all the counting was done, Federal soldiers from Texas were a small minority. Ninety thousand Texans fought for the Confederacy.
Ninety thousand. The men in blue from Texas were a footnote — but they were real, and they were there, and some of them looked across a battlefield and recognized a face. That's the part that stays with you.
What the marker says
When Texas joined the Confederacy in 1861, some men disagreed. Mainly these were from foreign countries or the North, or did not uphold states' rights. Some of them left here and joined Northern army units. Others joined Federal forces near home. A 1st Texas Cavalry (Union), made up of 310 men in 8 companies, was organized by a Texan, Col. E. J. Davis, across the Rio Grande, in Mexico. Nucleus of 2nd Texas Cavalry (Union) was formed in New Orleans, adding men in Louisiana and Mexico until it had 4 companies. They merged 1864 into 1st Texas Volunteer Cavalry (Union). Individual Texas prisoners of war obtained freedom by becoming "galvanized Yankees" -- men coating over their old opinions with blue uniforms. These fought Indians on frontiers, not old Confederate comrades. However, Texans in the Federal Army sometimes were in battle against old neighbors, or even their own relatives, in Red River campaigns in Louisiana, on the coast, and in south and west Texas. On each side by turns were enlisted the partisan rangers of A. J. Vidal -- deserting the Confederates in 1863, the Federals and the war itself in 1864. Federal soldiers from Texas were a small minority, because 90,000 Texans fought for the Confederacy.. (1965)