San Angelo Library, TX
In driving to Livingston, Texas, which is roughly 100 miles north of Houston, I noticed a sign in Brownwood stating that Comanche was c35 miles to the north-east. Since I had the time I made a detour to it and parked at the Comanche County Courthouse. I asked one of the women in the Clerk's [Clerk-Recorder in other states] Office if she could find a recording of the birth of my maternal grandmother, Mary Cordelia Shackelford.
Two of the women looked, but, alas, they could find nothing. However, the older of the two got back on-line and visited the LDS site [FamilySearch.Org] and told me that in 1900 both my grandmother and her mother were in an adjacent county. I thanked her and told her I'd check it out when I got back to San Angelo, which is where both my grandmother and her mother grew up -- even though each was born elsewhere.
As I left I took a couple of photos of the Comanche Courthouse. This first is the back entrance which I used to get to the Clerk's Office.
And this is a view from the front where the trees didn't block out too much of the building.
This final photo from the front lawn of the Comanche Courthouse is of a memorial to those who lost their lives during the Civil War fighting for the Confederate States of America.
Because I could not think of any Civil War battle sites in Texas, I thought there must not have been many Texas casulties.
The Wikipedia article (1st link below) indicates that were 140,414 Union combatants killed in action, and a total of of c365,000, including non-combatants, who died while 72,524 CSA combatants were killed in action, with c260,000 total dead.
Historian John Huddleston estimates that during the War Between the States 10% of all Northern males 20-45 years of age were killed and 30% of all Southern white males 18-40 years of age died. The 2d link below for the 37th Texas Calvary indicates that "more than 70,000 Texans served in the Confederate army." Using Huddleston's percentage for CSA deaths yields 21,000.
The National Park Service, which has made most Civil War battlefields National Historic Sites lists five such battlefields or battle areas in Texas in the 3d link below, the most important of which was the second battle of Sabine Pass. [N.B. a break in the offshore islands to a calmer route nearer the coast of Texas along the Gulf Coast is called a "pass."]
Finally, when Gov. Sam Houston refused to pledge allegiance to the CSA, he was deposed as governor and replaced by the Lietenant Governor. Before he left for his home in Huntsville, TX, he said that the war would be costly both financially and in terms of human life. While the CSA might gain it freedom, he said, "I doubt it." [See the Texas State Historical Association piece just below (4th link).]
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Links:
- Wikipedia article on the American Civil War
- 37th Texas Calvary web pages
- National Park Service Historic Texas Civil War Battlefields
- Texas State Historical Association's explanation of the Civil War
Routes:
W 1 Jan - T 28 Jan Actual Route: Big Spr VA Hosp
W 29 Jan Actual Route: Big Spr VA Hosp - Texas Dept of Publ Safety (Driver Lisc Div) - Big Spr VA Hosp
Th 30 Jan - Su 2 Actual Feb Route: Big Spr VA Hosp
M 3 Actual Feb Route: Big Spr VA Hosp - Sterling City - San Angelo Lib - Sherwood Way W/M
T 4 Actual Feb Route: Sherwood Way W/M - San Angelo VA Clinic - San Angelo Lib - Sherwood Way W/M
W 5 Actual Feb Route: Sherwood Way W/M - Freudiger RV Services - San Angelo VA Clinic - San Angelo Lib - Sherwood Way W/M
Th 6 Feb Actual Route: Sherwood Way W/M - TX Dept Publ Safety - San Angelo Lib - GM Welding Supply - Sherwood Way W/M
F 7 Feb Actual Route: Sherwood Way W/M - Hm Depot Pk Lot - San Angelo VA Clinic - San Angelo Lib - Sherwood Way W/M
F 7 Feb Actual Route: Sherwood Way W/M - Hm Depot Pk Lot - San Angelo VA Clinic - San Angelo Lib - Sherwood Way W/M
Sa 8 Feb Route: Sherwood Way W/M - San Angelo Lib - O'Reilly Auto Parts - Sherwood Way W/M
Finding Campgrounds:
- RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
- Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
- Free campsites website
- Info on finding BLM Campgrounds
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