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 Texas in the Civil War Federal Forces
N 30° 18.591 W 097° 45.570
14R E 619274 N 3353771
This is one of five TX historical markers in a close grouping at the W 35th Street entrance to Camp Mabry in Austin, TX, that is inaccessable to the public without having to go through a security check point first.
Waymark Code: WMDD9R
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 12/28/2011
Views: 8
This marker tells of the Texans who did not want to participate with the Confederacy, but wanted to join Union forces instead. There were at least two Union cavalry units formed that recruited from Texas and Louisiana. Confederate soldiers captured as prisoners of war could change sides and join a Union Army unit that would be assigned to guard the frontier borders from Indian attacks. Needless to say, those Texans who sided with the Federal forces were in the minority.
Marker Number: 6464
Marker Text:
When Texas joined the Confederacy in 1861some men disagreed. Mainly, those were from foreign countries or the North, or did not uphold State’s 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 in 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)
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Visit Instructions:
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