The Civil War Comes to Texas
A Choice Between Blue and Grey
The Battles
The Benavides Family
April 12, 1861 Confederate troops
open fire on Fort Sumter in Charleston,
South Carolina
The Confederate States of
America



60,000 Texans join the
CSA army
Some who join the CSA
army do so for their love
of Texas not the CSA
Texans join the cavalry
not the infantry or navy
Young Johnny Reb
ready for war.
The Union Army



Those who join are
called the Texas
Unionist
Mexican Americans
and African Americans
join the Union army
Mexicans tend to join
for the pay and
because the Union is
against slavery
Objectors to the War?


German immigrants do
not fight in the war
some are against
slavery
42 Germans were
hung in October 1862,
because CSA
supporters feared they
would support the
Union in Texas
Members of a German
shooting club.
The Battle of Galveston



Cotton is shipped
through Mexican
waters and sold to
England and France
Union ships and troops
capture the port of
Galveston in Oct. 1862
CSA retakes the port
on January 1863
Union gunboat docked at
Galveston port.
The Battle of Sabine Pass


On Sept 8, 1863 Union
forces attempt to block
another Texas port
CSA defeat the Union
forces. It is an
important because its
stops the Union army
for taking Texas
Union and CSA Naval
gunships engaged in battle.
The Battle of Brownsville


November 1863, the
Union forces capture
Brownsville
The capture of
Brownsville hurts the
CSA because cotton
and weapons move
through the port for
the CSA
The Battle of Laredo



March 19, 1864, 42 CSA
Mexican Americans defeat
200 Union troopers for
Laredo
Colonel Santos Benavides
rallies men to fight
Laredo serves as a way
station for cotton as it is
shipped to Mexico
The Benavides Brothers


Colonel Santos
Benavides commands
Texas Cavalry, 33rd
Regiment, in an area
known as "The
Benavides Texas
Confederacy”
The Benavides
brothers all serve in
the CSA as officers
Hood’s Texas Brigade at Antietam:
Considered one of the bravest fighting
units in the Civil War
The Texas Brigade!
Terry’s Texas Rangers


Terry’s Texas Rangers
fought in over 200
battles
John Bell Hood’s
Brigade started out
with over 4,000 men
when war ends there
are only 600 men left
Over 62,000 Texans served
during the Civil War more
than 1/3 were cavalry troopers
The Civil War Ends


General Robert E. Lee
surrenders to General
Grant at Appomattox
courthouse April 9,
1865
Last battle of Civil
War is fought at
Palmito Ranch near
Brownsville, Texas
May 13, 1865