Civil War Battlefields in Texas

April is Confederate History Month. This month is celebrated across the Southern States, including Texas. The State Legislatures of each of the Southern States have officially set aside designated April as Confederate History Month. Texas passed the legislation in 1999 giving April desingation as Confederate History Month. Although Texas was a part of the Confederate States, few people realize the extensive number of battles fought within the limits of Texas.

Many textbooks gloss over or fail to mention the number of battles or the significance, both militarily and politically of the battle fought in Texas. Texas continues mainating several monuments on the grounds of the State Capitol in Austin in honor of the accomplishments of those Texas soldiers who sacrificed so much.

The battles in Texas were fought against Indians, Mexican invaders, and Union invasions as well. Texas has the distinction of having the only port (Galveston) still open to blockade runners at the close of the war.

Battles Fought in Texas

Aransas Bay, February 22, April 22, July 7-17, 1862

Aransas Pass, February 11-13, 1862, November 17, 1863

Beaumont, October 2, 1861

Fort Belknap, October 13-20, 1864

Fort Bliss, March 31, August, 1861

Brazos Santiago, February 21, 1861, August 4-15, September 6, 1864 May 11-14, 1865

Fort Brown, March 20, 1861

Brownsville, November 6, 1863, July 30, 1864

Caney Bayou, January 8-9, February 7, 1864

Cedar Bayou, November 23, 1863

Fort Chadbourne, February 28, 1861

Fort Clark, August 10, 1862

Camp Colorado, February 20, 26, 1861

Concho River, January 8, 1865

Camp Cooper, February 21, 1861

Corpus Christi, August 16-18, 1862, March 17-22, 1864

Fort Davis, April 13, 1861

Dove Creek, January 8, 1865

Fort Duncan, March 20, 1861

Eagle Pass, June 19, 1864

Elm Creek, October 13, 1864

Fort Esperanza, November 22-30, 1863

Flour Bluffs, September 13-14, 1862

Galveston, January 1, 1863

Galveston Harbor, November 7, 1862

Indianola, April 25, 1861, February 22, 1864

Fort Inge, March 19, October 11-16, 1861

Fort Lancaster, March 19, 1861

Laredo, March 19, 1864

Los Patricios, March 13, 1864

Fort McIntosh, March 12, 1861

Matagorda Bay, December 29-30, 1863, April 12-13, 1864

Matagorda Peninsula, December 29, 1863, January 21-25, 1864

Mustang Island, November 17, 1863

Northwestern Texas, April 30, September 20, 1862

Nueces River, August 10, 1862

Palmitto Ranch, September 6, 1864, May 12-13, 1865

Pass Cavallo, June, 1864

Rio Grande River May 29, 1865, November 16, 1866

Sabine Pass, January 24, September 7, 1863

San Antonio Arsenal and Barracks, February 16, 1861

San Lucas Springs, March 9, 1861

Taylor’s Bayou, September 27, 1862

Camp Verde July 22, 1862

Although some scholars claim that there were few if any battles in Texas, the reality is that there were many engagements. These engagements were often small in terms of numbers of men involved, although significant in terms of preserving Texas freedoms. Texans faced threats from invading Union forces, naval bombardment fleets, Mexican bandits and marauding Indian tribes during the years 1861-1865.

The fighting in Texas was also being watched by the international community. THe French government maintained consolates in Richmond Virginia and in Texas. It was from the French consolate from which the international community watched the events with concern. While the Texas forces were busy protecting Texas borders, French forces (along with Belgian troops) under the leadership of Maximillian were fighting with Mexican forces in Mexico for control of that nation during this time of upheaval. It was during that struggle between the Mexican and French forces that Texas born Ignacio Zaragosa defeated the French at the Battle of Puebla on 5 May 1862, which became the source of "Cinco de Mayo".

Many of the battles in Texas were defending the coastal areas from naval bombardments from the Union fleet. The common proceedure was for the Union naval commander to issue a warning to the community asking for its surrender. When those communities did not surrender, the fleet began bombarding the area, killing men, women and children. The bombardments did not discriminate between civilian or military nor between black, white or Hispanic. The damage was not limited to military targets, but included civilian centers as well. To protect the people, authorities in Texas began construction of protective forts. Earthen forts were constructed on many of the rivers to protect the nation from invading Yankee troops who often conducted operations on the major rivers.

The other battles consisted of raids or attempted invasions of Texas. The raids were common along the border, where Union commanders recruited troops in Mexican cities across the Rio Grande.

Texas and Florida were the only Confederate States whose State Capitols of Austin and Tallahassee were never occupied during the war. In the closing days of the war, Governor Pendleton Murrah abandoned the captial in Austin with hopes it would be spared. The capitals of many other Southern States such as Jackson (Mississippi) Montgomery (Alabama), Columbia (South Carolina), Atlanta (Georgia), Richmond (Virginia), and Nashville (Tennessee) were each either heavily damaged or destoryed. (It was common practice for federal troops to destroy courthouses and records in the Southern states). Since most of the State Capitols were burned or destroyed by invading forces, there was great anxiety that the same would be done to Austin. For this reason, the governor of Texas abandoned to capitol of Austin in hopes of saving it from the destruction that was wreaked on other State Capitols.

One of the most remarkable battles was that of Sabine Pass, where 52 Confederate defenders turned back an invading force of 5,000 Union troops. The Confederates managed capturing several boats with no casualties in this action.Governor Pendleton Murrah referred to it as "the Thermopolaye of Texas". In recognition of their achievement a medal was struck for those men who fought in the battle. It was one of the few military medals awarded by the Confederate government.

The Davis Medal was the only medal awarded by the Confederate government. President Jefferson Davis ordered it be struck. Citizens of the city of Houston paid for the medals. They consisted of mexican silver peso coins which had been smoothed and engraved. The medals for the officers were made of gold.

The First Confederate Monument erected in Texas, April 3, 1896

Sacred to the memory of our Confederate dead: True Patriots. They fought for their home and country, for the holy principles of self-government-the only True Liberty. Their sublime self-sacrifice and unsurpassed valor will teach future generations the lesson of high born patriots, of devotion to duty, of exalted endurance and their chivalry”

History has enshrined them immortal