On this day in 1861, Texas made a game-changing move that would alter the course of history.
In a bold declaration, the Lone Star State officially seceded from the Union, setting the stage for the Civil War and reshaping America’s future.
With its own flag and fierce independence, Texas wasn’t just asserting its rights – it was staking its claim on a new chapter of American history.
164 years ago today, Texas became the seventh state to secede from the Union
Texas had not been in the Union long, becoming a state only in the waning days of 1845. For the 10 years prior, from 1836 to 1845, they had been the independent “Republic of Texas.”
At the time of the 1860 census, Texas was one of the smaller states in population, ranking 23rd out of 33 states. It listed a population of 604,215. Of that number, 182,566, or a full 30%, were enslaved.
Following the lead of other Southern States after the election of Abraham Lincoln, Texas held a secession convention, which met on January 28, 1861. Four days later, on February 1, the assembled members voted by a margin of 166 to 8 to secede.
On February 2, the assembly published, “A declaration of the causes which impel the State of Texas to secede from the Federal Union.” Like the other 10 states that would secede, the Texas document contained a list of grievances and of course mentioned states rights and slavery.
But it also contained a unique issue. Texans were extremely upset with the inability of the federal government to protect them from vicious raids by both Indians and Mexican bandits.
The declaration stated, “The Federal government . . . almost entirely failed to protect the lives and property of the people of Texas against the Indian savages on our border, and more recently against the murderous forays of banditti from the neighboring territory of Mexico; and when our State government has expended large amounts for such purpose, the Federal Government has refused reimbursement therefor, thus rendering our condition more insecure and harassing than it was during the existence of the Republic of Texas.”
Protection from the listed threats fell under federal jurisdiction, and the lack of effort to address these problems incensed Texans. Fast forward 164 years, the name of the threats change, but Texans have valid grievances about control of the border to this day.
In late February, The Ordinance of Secession was approved by a popular vote in a statewide special election.
On March 2, 1861, Texas formally joined the Confederacy. They did so after replacing their Governor, Sam Houston, who had refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy.
In a public speech delivered on April 19, 1861, one week after the firing on Fort Sumter, Sam Houston prophetically told a crowd: “Let me tell you what is coming. After the sacrifice of countless millions of treasure and hundreds of thousands of lives, you may win Southern independence if God be not against you, but I doubt it.”
“I tell you that, while I believe with you in the doctrine of states rights, the North is determined to preserve this Union,” Houston continued. “They are not a fiery, impulsive people as you are, for they live in colder climates. But when they begin to move in a given direction, they move with the steady momentum and perseverance of a mighty avalanche; and what I fear is, they will overwhelm the South.”
Houston did what he could to prevent secession and the coming war. But his first loyalty, like countless others across his section of the country, most notably General Robert E. Lee, was to his native state.
Thus, on May 10th he announced he would stand with the Confederacy in its war effort.
Texas played a mostly “supply role” for the Confederacy, and few battles were fought inside its territory. It furnished men, livestock, and horses in the South’s war effort. Their efforts were greatly hampered in 1863 when Union forces seized control of the Mississippi River and supplies could not be moved east.
Texas regiments fought in every major battle throughout the war and the state furnished over 70,000 troops.
These included 45 regiments of cavalry, 12 battalions of cavalry, 23 regiments of infantry, 4 battalions of infantry, 30 batteries of light artillery, and 5 regiments of heavy artillery.
Some Texas regiments would be shrouded in glory. According to the source book, Fox’s Regimental Losses in the American Civil War written in 1889, the 1st Texas Infantry would endure the greatest percentage loss of any southern unit in a single battle of the war.
In the bloody Cornfield, at the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg) out of 226 men the regiment had present for duty, 45 were killed, and another 141 wounded, for a stunning casualty rate of 82.3%.
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