Why Texans Fought in the Civil War

by Charles David Grear

Overview

In Why Texans Fought in the Civil War, Charles David Grear provides insights into what motivated Texans to fight for the Confederacy. Mining important primary sources—including thousands of letters and unpublished journals—he affords readers the opportunity to hear, often in the combatants’ own words, why it was so important to them to engage in tumultuous struggles occurring so far from home.
As Grear notes, in the decade prior to the Civil War the population of Texas had tripled. The state was increasingly populated by immigrants from all parts of the South and foreign countries. When the war began, it was not just Texas that many of these soldiers enlisted to protect, but also their native states, where they had family ties.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781603448093
Publisher:	Texas A&M University Press
Publication date:	09/01/2012
Series:	Sam Rayburn Series on Rural Life, sponsored by Texas A&M University-Commerce , #20
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

CHARLES DAVID GREAR, who received his PhD in history from Texas Christian University, is an assistant professor of history at Prairie View A&M University.

Editorial Reviews

"Charles David Grear, one of the rising talents in Civil War and Texas scholarship, has asked—and answered—one of the salient questions of the war.  Why did men from the far western reaches of the Confederacy put their lives on hold, set their futures aside, and push headlong into a conflict they might have been able to avoid?  The answers in this excellent book are sure to provoke debate and discussion for years to come. . . an excellent and fascinating look at what motivates men to go to war."—Donald S. Frazier, professor of history, McMurray University

Donald S. Frazier

"Grear argues that geography, more than anything, swayed the decisions that white Texans made about whether (and where) to fight for the Confederacy. His logic is simple yet compelling. Still, the central premise of Grear's work rings true: understanding how white Texans chose between their competing attachments to Texas and other Confederate states sheds light on their decisions and behavior during the war."—Journal of Southern History

Journal of Southern History - Andrew J. Torget

"Grear's study is a valuable contribution to Civil War history. Not only does he examine the military aspect of the Lone Star State, a worthy notion in itself, but his study delves into the realm of the social history of Texas and the South as it explores the diverse makeup of Texans while touching on the themes of ethnic and immigration history to support his interpretations. The author grounds his study on a rich array of archival accounts, newspapers, and published works in addition to a long list of secondary studies. No other study of Civil War Texas has provided such a comprehensive list of manuscript sources and archives. Accordingly, Grear's book will serve as the standard work on Texas Civil War soldiers; yet Civil War scholars beyond the Lone Star State can also benefit from this study and its arguments."—Southwestern Historical Quarterly

Southwestern Historical Quarterly - Alex Mendoza

". . . first-rate work on the motivations of Texans to fight in the Civil War. . . a well-written and exhaustively researched book. . . will appeal to both scholars and general readers. . . "—Civil War Book Review

Civil War Book Review - Adrien Ivan

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Military History of the West - Robert Wooster

"As the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War approaches, the question of why men fought for or against the United States government still remains a hotly debated topic. . . . While historians have debated this topic for decades, Grear is the first scholar to devote an entire book to the motives of Texans. . .While the reasons Texans fought are no different from those of other soldiers, Grear is the first historian to bring them together through quotations from participants and by using the research of historians of various Texas units. As a result, this is a book that deserves its place on any bookshelf."—Kentucky Historical Society

Kentucky Historical Society - Anne J. Bailey

"Charles Grear's Why Texans Fought in the Civil War is a welcome addition to the military and social history of the Civil War in the Trans-Mississippi. Thoroughly researched, well documented, and engagingly written, this volume is a must for the scholar and Civil War enthusiast alike."—Gary D. Joiner, assistant professor of history, Louisiana State University, Shreveport

Louisiana State University, Shreveport - Gary D. Joiner

"This book is recommended to those interested in Texan involvement in the Civil War."—NEWSOK

NEWSOK - Benet Exton

"Grear argues that geography, more than anything, swayed the decis
— Andrew J. Torget

Journal of Southern History

"This book is recommended to those interested in Texan involvement in the Civil War."--NEWSOK

— Benet Exton

NEWSOK

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— Robert Wooster

Military History of the West

"Grear's study is a valuable contribution to Civil War history. Not only does he examine the military aspect of the Lone Star State, a worthy notion in itself, but his study delves into the realm of the social history of Texas and the South as it explores the diverse makeup of Texans while touching on the themes of ethnic and immigration history to support his interpretations. The author grounds his study on a rich array of archival accounts, newspapers, and published works in addition to a long list of secondary studies. No other study of Civil War Texas has provided such a comprehensive list of manuscript sources and archives. Accordingly, Grear's book will serve as the standard work on Texas Civil War soldiers; yet Civil War scholars beyond the Lone Star State can also benefit from this study and its arguments."--Southwestern Historical Quarterly

— Alex Mendoza

Southwestern Historical Quarterly

"As the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War approaches, the question of why men fought for or against the United States government still remains a hotly debated topic. . . . While historians have debated this topic for decades, Grear is the first scholar to devote an entire book to the motives of Texans. . .While the reasons Texans fought are no different from those of other soldiers, Grear is the first historian to bring them together through quotations from participants and by using the research of historians of various Texas units. As a result, this is a book that deserves its place on any bookshelf."--Kentucky Historical Society

— Anne J. Bailey

Kentucky Historical Society

". . . first-rate work on the motivations of Texans to fight in the Civil War. . . a well-written and exhaustively researched book. . . will appeal to both scholars and general readers. . . "--Civil War Book Review

— Adrien Ivan

Civil War Book Review