The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 72, July 1968 - April, 1969 Page: 490
498 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
are developed in greater depth elsewhere as the author suggests in his
critical bibliographical notes. It would be hard, however, to find so
many vignettes put together much better in a single volume. In fact,
he who is in a hurry may sample this smorgasbord of southwestern
historical tidbits that range from the Indian to oil roustabouts, from
tenant farmers to aerospace workers, from Robert E. Lee to Barry
Goldwater, with delight and increased understanding even though he
has read more of it elsewhere.
Southern Methodist University FRANCIS EDWIN BALLARD
The Dark Corner of the Confederacy-Accounts of Civil War Texas as
Told by Contemporaries. Edited by B. P. Gallaway. Dubuque, Iowa
(Wm. C. Brown Book Company), 1968. Pp. xvi+188. Foreword, map,
appendixes, index, $3.95.
Despite the ever-growing mass of material available on the Confederacy,
certain areas of the Civil War South remain only marginally covered
in terms of historical research. One such "dark corner of the Confed-
eracy" (certainly a most appropriate title) was Texas. In an effort to
shed light on this subject, Professor Gallaway has drawn together an
interesting series of contemporary accounts of the general wartime period
in the Lone Star State. The selections were evidently picked with great
care, for each pinpoints one particular aspect or one specific problem
of Texans in those years. Because so many events were unfolding then,
the book naturally has an extremely wide range-from Indian problems
on the frontier to blockade-running on the coast, from refugee life in
northern counties to travels on the "cotton trail" to the Rio Grande,
and from the initial formation of a military unit to the return of the
veteran.
Despite the fact that many of the accounts are taken from readily
available sources such as Heartsill, Fremantle, and Olmsted, the book has
a great deal to offer. The overall subject is introduced in an extremely
penetrating description and analysis of 'Texas in 186o. Likewise, each se-
lection is introduced by an informative "setting of the scene." The
appendixes include Colonel Harold B. Simpson's comments on Con-
federate military organization, Professor John Duncan's very helpful war-
time chronology, and Professor Alwyn Barr's comprehensive essay on
Texas Civil War historiography.
Perhaps the greatest value of The Dark Corner of the Confederacy is
its role as a splendid introduction to the period. Those not well-versed
in Civil War 'Texas will gain an excellent over-view of the subject. Also,
the interesting nature of the accounts should encourage such persons
to read further into the sources from which the selections were taken.
In these ways Professor Gallaway has certainly offered some much needed
light.
Texas A&M University ALLAN C. ASHCRAFTg0o
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 72, July 1968 - April, 1969, periodical, 1969; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117146/m1/324/?rotate=90: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.