James R. Arnold brings a bit of Texas history to life in his book “Jeff Davis’s Own,” a tale of the Second Cavalry.“Jeff Davis’s Own: Cavalry, Comanches and the Battle for the Texas Frontier” by James R. Arnold is a good way to be introduced to the Civil War in North Texas.This period is an exciting era of Texas history that doesn’t get as much attention as other topics.
Let’s face it, many conflicts of culture and politics were boiling in Texas from 1850 through the onset of the Civil War. Of course, they didn’t go away after the war, but at least the men in the family had returned to deal with the Indians and to put food on the table.
The Indian raids were so threatening in Young County that most of the citizens left and the county government was disbanded. In fact, Comanches and Kiowas stepped up raids all across North Texas. Conflicts about loyalty to the North and South rose to such a height that 137 German farmers were executed in Gainesville. Deserters from the Civil War were often transformed into outlaws in the brushy thickets around Denton.
“Jeff Davis’s Own” focuses on the creation of the Second Cavalry, who were assigned the awesome task of dealing with the early problems preceding the war. There are many anecdotes about the soldiers freezing in zero weather around Christmas time at Fort Belknap, Robert Neighbors’ feud with John R. Baylor, Robert E. Lee and the Brazos Indian Reservation.
The book’s title refers to the U.S. Second Cavalry, formed in the 1850s to fight the Comanches. For a brief time, North Texas had the best defense imaginable. Jefferson Davis, Secretary of War, hand-picked his officers for what became an elite body of mounted soldiers. Known as “Jeff Davis’s Own” because of his patronage, the Second Cavalry got the best of everything available.
They rode thoroughbreds with each company issued horses of a unique, matching color and special saddles. They shot Samuel Colt’s five-shot revolver instead of using the traditional saber. They broke tradition by modeling their strategy after the French army’s experiences in Algeria and the use of rapid movement and looser formations than traditional strategy.
This special group attempted to deal with many of the complicated problems and events happening in various counties in North Texas, particularly the Brazos Indian Reservation and the Comanche reservation. “Jeff Davis Own” follows the Second as it progresses through Texas and it performs its duties. They began at the 1856 clash at Guadalupe until Major George Thomas escorted the Brazos Indian Reservation when they fled the reservation to go to Oklahoma.
Ultimately, almost all of the officers of the Second Cavalry became generals during the Civil War — a total of 16. Deciding whether to stay with the United States Army or go to the Confederacy was not an easy decision. These commanders who united to fight an enemy on common ground in Texas, would eventually face each other in battles during the Civil War.
The novelistic style and limited footnotes may bother die-hard Texan historians, but the book is a lively account of complicated issues and events — a lot of information that could bog down the beginning history enthusiast. But perhaps the book will motivate readers to explore other topics in depth related to the Civil War in Texas.
Another book, “Frontier Defense in the Civil War: Texas Rangers and Rebels” by David Paul Smith covers events in North Texas during the Civil War itself. The book is more scholarly, but it is written so that Texas’ battles come to light. Settlers and the Texas Rangers faced the Union and the Plains Indians in situations complicated by deserters, outlaws and little help from anybody outside the state.
Other books are “The Civil War in Texas and the Southwest” by Roy Sullivan, “Fort Griffin on the Texas Frontier” by Carl Coke Rister and “Standing in the Gap: Army Outposts, Picket Stations, and the Pacification of the Texas Frontier 1866-1886” by Loyd Uglow. Unfortunately, I have not read all of these, but reviews indicate they would be helpful.
For the serious scholar or genealogist, “Bourland in North Texas and Indian Territory during the Civil War” contains two large volumes that would be the ideal gift for the serious researcher. The first volume contains original documents, letters, timetables, photos, maps and covers all the personalities and battles of the Civil War in Texas.
The most valuable information in the second volume contains all the rosters of names for Texas brigades, listed by counties (I found my maternal great-grandfather, James Manley, who served in Jack County’s 21st Brigade in Major Quayle’s First Frontier District). Other interesting trivia includes information on Tonkawa Massacre survivors, officers’ reports on all Texas battles and an exhaustive index. This book is a dream-come-true for anyone researching family history.
Anyone who wants to start a collection of Texas history books should consult Amazon.com to get the most affordable choices. If a book is out of print, check Ebay, estate sales, library sales and antique stores that carry books. If money is no object and you want to see the latest Texas history books, check books published by the University of Texas, the University of North Texas and the University of Oklahoma, to name a few. An advantage for checking out these publications is getting free catalogs and taking advantage of annual sales.