Texas in the war for southern independence 1861-1865

Texas was in a unique position in the Confederacy. Unlike her sister states, she was contiguous to foreign territory. Much of her vast area was devoid of human habitation while most of the remainder was sparcely settled. Three-fourths of her people were recent immigrants, and she had a larger foreign element than any other confederate state. She was partly southern and partly western. The interests of the large planters along the lower courses of the rivers were quite like those of the planters in other states of the South. The settlers who resided along the western frontier were imbued with the ideas which generally prevailed in frontier communities; but, being mainly of southern stock, and believing in state rights, they joined their fellow Texans of the more populous areas in upholding a principle and in making common cause against aggression. On the other hand, individualism, so prevalent in frontier peoples, frequently marred the best efforts of the military authorities. Texas was practically free from invasion, hence her economic life could continue uninterrupted throughout the war, being affected mainly by a scarcity of workers because of the absence of men in the army. She was fortunate, too, in being able to have access to foreign markets through the port of Matamoras, Mexico. In the mobilization of the military strength of Texas the officials were inclined, to put undue stress on local defense to the injury of the cause of the entire confederacy. The protection of his home and neighborhood was frequently of greater concern to the frontiersman than service in the confederacy in another part of the country. Disloyalty and desertion weakened the military strength perceptibly. The efficiency of the military forces was lowered because so many Texans preferred service in the cavalry when most of them were needed for the infantry; and their effectiveness was impaired because at times there were not enough arms of any kind to supply those enrolled for service. Men suffered from the lack of proper shelter while in camp, and at times because of poor shoes and clothing. Food was often limited and of poor quality. Hospitals were never adequately supplied with medicines, bandages, and other necessary appliances. On the whole, however, the soldiers in Texas and Texans in other parts of the Trans-Mississippi Department fared better than did the men in the armies east of the river. Primarily an agricultural region, Texans made the most of the situation by spinning and weaving in the homes and by establishing small factories. The Military Board rendered a valuable service in securing from abroad cotton and wool cards which were so necessary for preparing cotton and wool for spinning. Because of the opportunity denied other confederate states of marketing cotton, Texas cotton growers opposed a restriction of the acreage despite the exhortations of editors to raise more foodstuffs and less cotton. A rather bitter feeling prevailed, not without justification, that the poor man was bearing more than his share of the burden of the war while the large planters and speculators were making profits at his expense, scarcity of specie and depreciation of paper money made trade conditions unstable. Both the Texas and Confederate governments failed to set up the machinery which would finance the war. While the unionist element was rather strong throughout the war, it was never powerful enough to venture into politics. Although there were some "slackers" in all parts of the state, the great majority of the people were willing to make sacrifices for the cause, and the men cheerfully offered themselves on the field of battle. But when the news reached them of the surrender of the two largest confederate armies, commanded by such esteemed leaders as Robert E. Lee and Joseph E. Johnston, no oratory or other arguments or devices could prevail upon them to continue the fight. The small forces fell to pieces and the men straggled homeward to their families where they were soon confronted with the reconstruction regimeHistor