| Key to Texas |
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The Civil WarOn April 1, 1861, Texas adopted a new state constitution based on its secession from the United States. On April 12, 1861, two months after the South seceded from the Union, Confederate troops fired the first shots of the Civil War. They fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina because it remained in Union hands. The fort fell after about 36 hours of bombardment. Afterwards, Texans were quick to join the fight. By the end of the war, 90,000 Texans served in the Confederate army. Approximately a third of the Texas companies fought east of the Mississippi River. The the rest saw action in Texas, Louisiana or Arkansas.
Few major battles took place in Texas, however, there were some noteworthy engagements. At the Battle of Galveston, Union soldiers planned to capture the busy port city and disrupt trade with foreign countries that was vital to the Confederate cause. Union soldiers actually held the city for a short period of time, before Confederate Texans retook it. Union and Confederate forces also clashed at the Battle of Sabine Pass and in the Red River campaign. A Union blockade of the Texas coast gradually had an adverse effect on the state�s economy. Many of the goods once shipped to merchants in Texas could not be found in the state after the start of the war. Such items included dresses, shoes, suits and other similar items. Scarcity of goods brought about high prices. Soon many citizens in Texas could not longer afford to buy those few goods that were available. Paper and paper products were scarce. That forced many newspapers to close their doors. Salt and medicine were also hard to find items. However, Texans soon learned to cope with these shortages. For example, if no coffee could be obtained, people used potatoes, rye or okra to make their drinks. Homespun clothing also became common. The Texas home front, though protected from military battles, took its toll on women who were left behind by their men to maintain family businesses, especially small farms. Women also worked in small factories or in their home. They made uniforms, bandages and medical supplies for the soldiers on the front lines. To produce goods needed for the war, Texas established new industries. Workers made ammunition, rifles and cannons in factories located in Austin, Marshal and Tyler. Iron foundries were built in Jefferson and Rusk. Inmates at the Huntsville prison produced a million and half yards of cloth per year. Smaller industries made saddles, tents and other wartime supplies. These items were shipped regularly to the east until Union forces took control of the Mississippi River, which made it more difficult to transport military goods to other Confederate states. The Texas government continued to function in much the same way it had prior to the war. Most office holders supported the Confederate cause. However, a few Texans were unwilling to accept secession or Texas involvement in the war. One of the more famous dissenters was Sam Houston, who resigned as governor rather than sign an oath of allegiance to the Confederate States of America. After four years of bloody battles, the Confederate spirit was finally broken on April 9, 1865. Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Union commander, General Ulysses S. Grant, at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. News of Lee�s misfortune traveled relatively slow across the South. Texans did not learn about the Army of Virginia�s surrender until nearly a month after the event. By that time, Confederate troops had fought and won the last battle of the war, the Battle of Palmito Ranch near Brownsville, Texas. The victory was short lived and did not change the fact that much of the South lay in ruin. With the war over, it was now time for President Lincoln and Congress to focus on reconstructing the Union.
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