Throughout the early mobilization period Texans were anxiously observing
the invasion of New Mexico by Lieutenant Colonel John R. Baylor and
three hundred men of the Second Texas Rifles. As the summer of 1861
passed, the Baylor force pushed scattered Federal defenders northward
along the upper Rio Grande.[31] Despite this early success, the Texas
commander made it clear to leaders of the South that he would need many
more soldiers to hold these gains. Southern control of the Arizona-New
Mexico territory would increase the Confederate land area, it would give
the new government access to rich minerals and poorly guarded Union
supply dumps, it would secure western Texas from invasion, and it would
give the South ownership of the Old Santa Fe Trail gateway to the Far
West.[32]
To strengthen Baylor's position, Brigadier General Henry H. Sibley
organized three regiments in San Antonio and proceeded to Fort Bliss in
December, 1861. In the meanwhile, a deeply concerned Union War
Department rushed forces from California and Colorado to bolster sagging
Federal defenses in upper New Mexico. Sibley cut his way to Albuquerque
and Santa Fe before these Union relief columns could arrive on the
scene. During the battle at Apache Canyon, a United States detachment
destroyed the Confederates' supply train. This disaster plus the
intelligence the Federal relief columns were converging on him from two
directions caused Sibley to order a withdrawal to southern New
Mexico.[33]
This retreat quickly degenerated into a rout, however, as the sick,
hungry, and hard-pressed Texans straggled towards El Paso. In all,
General Sibley lost over half of his 3,000 men in the withdrawal that
ended only after the Union had seized the western tip of Texas. The
United States kept patrols and small garrisons in the Davis Mountain
region of the state and in El Paso throughout the remaining years of the
war.[34]
Union successes in Arkansas in March of 1862 again reminded Texans of
the dangers they faced from invasions through that state. The Federal
victory at Pea Ridge, where Confederate Brigadier General Ben McCulloch
of Texas was killed, opened the way for United States troops to advance
on Fayetteville.
To neutralize this threat, Governor Lubbock had several state regiments
shifted to Tyler where they could act as guard forces to blunt Union
thrusts.[35] Yet, as this precaution was being taken, the sudden fall of
New Orleans and ever increasing United States naval activities in the
Gulf caused Texans again to cast anxious eyes on their vulnerable
coastline. In May, Galveston was partially abandoned under the threat of
Union gunboat bombardment that never materialized.[36] Several months
later Corpus Christi withstood a four day shelling by three Federal
ships.[37]
October saw an overpowering flotilla of eight enemy craft secure the
surrender of Galveston Island. With the loss of Galveston, Governor
Lubbock sealed off the entire bay area and called for 5,000 volunteers
to defend the main coastline. In issuing this call, Lubbock declared
that "The crisis of the war seems to be at hand in Texas, and we must
prepare to defend our homes, or be driven from them with insult and
degradation, and all the horrors of rapine and violence."[38]
Some five hundred Massachusetts soldiers occupied Galveston while Union
Major General N. P. Banks ordered several strong regiments to be
transferred from Louisiana to this Texas toe-hold.[39] Before these
reinforcements could embark for Galveston, however, Major General John
B. Magruder, recently named commander of the Confederate Military
District of Texas, instituted a lightening stroke to regain the island
for the South. He called for volunteers from Sibley's veterans and a
number of militia companies to mass at Virginia Point. Then in the early
hours of January 1, 1863, two converted gunboats, the _Neptune_ and the
_Bayou City_, attacked the United States fleet while Magruder, whose men
had crept across the railroad bridge, attacked the Galveston wharves.
Within a matter of minutes the attack ended in marked success. The
Texans took three Federal ships and over three hundred and fifty
prisoners. Galveston was once more under the Stars and Bars.[40]
In various actions during the first two years of the war, Texans took a
number of prisoners of war. These men had to be held in custody until
arrangements could be made for their exchange. Some of the prisoners
were kept in "prison canyon" near Camp Verde in Kerr County. There was a
pit-like gully where Union soldiers were allowed to build shacks and to
get adequate exercise with little risk of escape. At one time this crude
system held six hundred inmates.[41]
A much larger and better equipped prison was Camp Groce, near Hempstead.
Prisoners were housed in four long rows of rough barracks that were
described as "enclosed cowsheds." Because of open country to the north
and much military patrol activity to the south, few prisoners attempted
to escape from Camp Groce.[42]
The largest prison in the state was Camp Ford, four miles northeast of
Tyler. Eventually it consisted of ten acres enclosed by a stockade of
eighteen foot logs. Prisoners made dugout shelters on a hillside and
roofed these "shebangs" with split logs. About 5,000 men were held in
confinement there when the prison was operating at maximum capacity.[43]
The Confederate Congress, in April of 1862, passed its first
conscription act. Although Texas now had fifty-five regiments
formed,[44] all able-bodied young men from eighteen to thirty-five (the
age limits were later repeatedly raised) would henceforth be subject to
the draft.[45] Indignation against this act caused many protests to be
heard in areas that were unenthusiastic about the war. Strongest
anti-conscription feeling centered in Gillespie County. In fact, the
German settlers near Fredericksburg went so far as to form a five
hundred man Union Loyal League to defy the draft and to promote
sympathetic feelings for the United States. To suppress this subversive
group, Dunn's and Freer's state militia companies took control of the
town, declared martial law, and gave the citizens six days in which to
take an oath of loyalty to the South. Most Germans peacefully complied
with this requirement, a few troublemakers were arrested for a short
time, and a small number of incorrigibles quietly fled to Mexico.[46]
Occasionally pro-Union refugees would make their way to occupied New
Orleans, where they could enlist in Judge E. J. Davis' First Regiment of
Texas United States Volunteers. As this unit grew in size, Texas
officials came to fear that it might be used in the execution of raids
on the state. One embittered Houston editor, in publishing the facts on
Davis' command, stated "let these refugee traitors set foot on the soil
of Texas, whether as mounted or unmounted riflemen, and their blood will
wash out their treason.... God grant that their carcasses may all enrich
the soil their lives have cursed!"[47]
As passive signs of disloyalty continued to exist, Confederate military
and state civil officials decided to cope with Unionism in an
overpowering fashion. In mid-1862 martial law was declared over the
entire state. Every alien and all native white males over sixteen were
to register and to answer the questions of county provost marshals.
People were required to have passes to cross county lines. Severe
punishments were set for those who attempted to depreciate Confederate
currency. Finally, those suspected of disloyalty were to be expelled
from their counties--presumably to settle in some other county and
conform, or else, to be driven from county to county until they left the
state. Unfortunately for the proponents of this stern policy, the
martial law decree was not approved by Richmond. That fall President
Jefferson Davis declared it to be an unwarranted assumption of power and
revoked the entire program.[48]
During the first two years of the war, the state government and the
people at home diligently struggled to supply Texas regiments with the
essentials of life. Prison made cloth, contributed items of clothing,
and special county tax funds and bond sale receipts were forwarded to
needy companies.[49] As for the care of the sick and wounded Texans, the
financially embarrassed state passed heavy appropriations for the
establishment and support of special hospitals for Texas casualties in
various parts of the South.[50]