Why Texans Fought in the Civil War (Volume 20) (Sam Rayburn Series on Rural Life, sponsored by Texas A&M University-Commerce)

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 Mining important primary sources—including thousands of letters and unpublished journals—he affords readers the opportunity to hear, often in the combatants’ own words, why it was so important to them to engage in tumultuous struggles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. Donald S. Frazier 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 "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 Mining important primary sources -- including thousands of letters and unpublished journals -- he affords readers the opportunity to hear, often in the combatants' own words, why it was so important to them to engage in tumultuous struggles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"--Dust jacket. Into the fray : why Texans fought in the Civil War Defense of the Lone Star State : why Texans fought in the Trans-Mississippi Defense of their former homes : why Texans fought east of the Mississippi River Demoralization and desertion : why Texans returned to the Lone Star State during the war Fighting in a new land : why foreign immigrants and minorities in Texas fought. Offers insights into what motivated Texans to fight for the Confederacy. Mining important primary sources - including thousands of letters and unpublished journals, this title 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.