About Howell's The Seventh Star of the Confederacy

On February 1, 1861, delegates at the Texas Secession Convention elected to leave the Union. The people of Texas supported the actions of the convention in a statewide referendum, paving the way for the state to secede and to officially become the seventh state in the Confederacy. Soon the Texans found themselves engaged in a bloody and prolonged civil war against their northern brethren. During the course of this war, the lives of thousands of Texans, both young and old, were changed forever.

This new anthology, edited by Kenneth W. Howell, incorporates the latest scholarly research on how Texans experienced the war. Eighteen contributors take us from the battlefront to the home front, ranging from inside the walls of a Confederate prison to inside the homes of women and children left to fend for themselves while their husbands and fathers were away on distant battlefields, and from the halls of the governor’s mansion to the halls of the county commissioner’s court in Colorado County. Also explored are well-known battles that took place in or near Texas, such as the Battle of Galveston, the Battle of Nueces, the Battle of Sabine Pass, and the Red River Campaign. Finally, the social and cultural aspects of the war receive new analysis, including the experiences of women, African Americans, Union prisoners of war, and noncombatants.

“Howell has managed to gather eighteen of the very best Texas Civil War historians for this fine publication that is certain to attract considerable attention. It surpasses similar edited versions of the war in Texas and may well be one of the very best books on the subject.” —Jerry Thompson, professor of history, Texas A&M International University

“This book is an important addition to works pertaining to Texas 1861-1865 as a Confederate state. The survey chapter by Alwyn Barr on historiography is exemplary. Particular chapters that stand out include James Smallwood on the causes of the Civil War and Vicki Betts on the families of Confederate soldiers.” —Joseph G. “Chip” Dawson, professor of history, Texas A&M University

“The essays covering military topics are particularly strong… Overall, this is a first-rate essay compilation and Editor Howell should be applauded. The essays are tied together smoothly with hardly any overlap… Seventh Star of the Confederacy is an important collection for any historian of the Civil War period in Texas and would serve as an excellent book for undergraduates.” —Southwestern Historical Quarterly

“Among the strongest essays in the collection are James Smallwood’s piece on Texas’s role in the secession crisis, Gary Joiner’s work on the role of Texas cavalry in the Red River Campaign, and Vicki Bett’s discussion of the role played by families of Texas soldiers.” —New Mexico Historical Review

“With its sweeping coverage of military, political, economic, and social issues and subjects, there’s something new for scholars and interested readers of all stripes. This is the best Texas Civil War essay compilation I’ve encountered. Highly recommended.” —Civil War Books and Authors

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I: A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF TEXAS AND THE CIVIL WAR

• Alwyn Barr - THE IMPACT OF NEW STUDIES ABOUT TEXAS AND TEXANS ON CIVIL WAR HISTORIOGRAPHY
• Archie P. McDonald - THE CIVIL WAR AND THE LONE STAR STATE: A BRIEF OVERVIEW

PART II: THE TIME FOR COMPROMISE HAS PASSED

• James M. Smallwood – THE IMPENDING CRISIS: A TEXAS PERSPECTIVE ON THE CAUSES OF THE CIVIL WAR
• Linda S. Hudson - THE KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN CIRCLE IN TEXAS, 1858-1861: AN ANALYSIS OF THE FIRST (MILITARY) DEGREE KNIGHTS

PART III: IN SIGHT OF MY ENEMY

• John W. Gorman - FRONTIER DEFENSE: ENLISTMENT PATTERNS FOR THE TEXAS FRONTIER REGIMENTS IN THE CIVIL WAR
• Mary Jo O’Rear - RECKONING AT THE RIVER: UNIONISTS AND SECCESSIONISTS ON THE NUECES, AUGUST 10, 1862
• Donald Willett - WITHOUT A FIGHT: THE EIGHTY-FOUR DAY UNION OCCUPATION OF GALVESTON, TEXAS
• Edward T. Cotham, Jr. – “NOTHING BUT DISASTER”: THE FAILURE OF UNION PLANS TO CAPTURE TEXAS
• Charles D. Spurlin - HIDE YOUR DAUGHTERS: THE YANKEES HAVE ARRIVED IN THE COASTAL BEND, 1863
• Charles D. Grear - RED AND WHITE FIGHTING THE BLUE: RELATIONS BETWEEN TEXANS AND CONFEDERATE INDIANS
• Gary D. Joiner - DEFENDING THE LONE STAR: THE TEXAS CAVALRY IN THE RED RIVER CAMPAIGN
• James M. Smallwood - PRISON CITY, CAMP FORD: LARGEST CONFEDERATE PRISONER-OF-WAR CAMP IN THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI

PART IV: POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND CULTURAL LIFE DURING THE WAR

• Kenneth E. Hendrickson, Jr. - THE CONFEDERATE GOVERNORS OF TEXAS
• Vicki Betts – “A SACRED CHARGE UPON OUR HANDS”: ASSISTING THE FAMILIES OF CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS IN TEXAS, 1861-1865
• Ronald E. Goodwin and Bruce A. Glasrud - ON THE EDGE OF FIRST FREEDOMS: BLACK TEXANS AND THE CIVIL WAR
• Carol Taylor - FEED THE TROOPS OR FIGHT THE DROUGHT: THE DILEMMA TEXAS BEEF CONTRACTORS FACED IN 1861-1865
• Bill Stein - DISTRESS, DISCONTENT, AND DISSENT: COLORADO COUNTY, TEXAS, DURING THE CIVIL WAR