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Introduction.
Texas was several months behind some other States of the
South in the preparation to do her part in the war. This was due to two causes: First, a course of political events that placed the chief executive of the
State in opposition to the will of the mass of the people in regard to the right and policy of immediate State action; second, being a frontier State, she had first to expel from her borders a large body of Federal troops.
These causes which delayed
Texas demanded that the first efforts of the people should be made for their removal, and therefore it was near the 1st of June, 1861, before attention could be given to raising troops for the
Confederate service.
It is due to the people of
Texas that these embarrassments should be explained in the history of the war.
There was no record of the organization of the
Texas troops kept in the executive offices of the
State, and hence, in writing this history, the principal sources of information were found in the war department at
Washington, as follows: 1.
A list of ‘Texas Regiments and Battalions in the
Confederate Service from 1861 to 1865,’ from published records.
2. ‘The Official Records of the
Union and Confederate Armies,’ published by the
secretary of war. 3.
A statement from the war department of
Texas troops in service and in battles in other Southern States.
In none of these, however, are stated the original organization of the commands, or the changes of the field officers by promotion or otherwise.
These had to be obtained, when practicable, from other sources.
Much information
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on these and other subjects was derived from the History of
Walker's Division, by
J. P. Blessington, from officers and soldiers still living, and from other reliable persons.
Information in regard to the government and civil officers of the
State has been obtained from the executive offices of the
capitol at
Austin.
The effort, at this late day, to make a consecutive and consistent account of the part taken by
Texas and her people in the war between the States has been an arduous and difficult task.
While it must fail to do full justice to the subject, it is hoped that the perusal of it will exhibit an earnest effort to make the best performance practicable under the circumstances by the
author.
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