Battle on the Nueces, 1862

Stanley S. McGowen, "Battle or Massacre?: Thecontrol the situation, and martial law was declared in
Incident on the Nueces, April 10, 1862," SouthwesternGillespie County. After learning of plots to attack the
Historical Quarterly, vol. CIV, no. 1 (2000), 64-86.ThisConfederate troops, Captain James Duff arrested
article examines the events that led to theseveral local citizens and executed two German
confrontation between German unionists andimmigrants that he considered to be troublemakers.
Confederate soldiers on the banks of the NuecesThese incidents caused many German unionists to
River. Stanley McGowen presents evidence that thedecide to flee to Mexico.Informants told Duff of this
German settlers were heavily armed and, therefore,exodus, and he sent ninety-six soldiers in pursuit of
not massacred as some later generations havethem. They located the German unionists on August
claimed. However, the German unionists who were9 at the Nueces River. The soldiers planned to attack
captured in the battle were killed later underat 1 a.m. while the Germans were asleep. The soldiers
suspicious circumstances, and they could be said tosplit into two forces to attack from two directions.
have been massacred.German settlers did not initiallyHowever, two Germans ran into one of the Texas
participate in unionism after Abraham Lincoln's electionforces, and the battle was begun prematurely. The
to the presidency. They organized the Union LoyalGermans took what cover they could and fought
League in 1861, and earned the title of traitors andback, killing and wounding twenty-one men, but were
insurrectionists from secessionists. Although manyoverrun by superior forces. About twenty-three men
people assert that the Union's purpose was toescaped early in the battle, and six others escaped
maintain neutrality in the war and prevent animosityafter the Confederates overran the camp. What
between Union and Confederate sympathizers,happened after the Confederates took the camp can
McGowen contends that soon after Texas secededbe considered a massacre; nine or eleven of the
the Union Loyal League organized militias in eighteenwounded Germans were dragged into the woods
German communities to actively oppose theand shot in the head.The Battle of the Nueces
Confederacy. Members of the militia swore oathsresulted in a bushwhacker war between Unionists and
never to betray the United States of America andConfederate sympathizers. Ambushes from both
were well armed with rifles and ammunition.sides were so common that many features of the
McGowen presents the testimony of a Union Loyalsurrounding terrain were named Bushwhacker. Many
League member as to the Union's purpose, whichhomes and farms were set on fire, and sometimes
was to join the Federal troops as soon as theythe occupants were shot. These incidents created
invaded Texas. Some of the actions taken by theanimosity between the two factions and it continues
German unionists were to write letters of antoday among the descendants of German unionists
insurrectionist nature to Northern newspapers,and Confederate sympathizers.Mary Arnold graduated
establish an underground communication systemfrom University of Houston-Clear Lake with a B.A. in
between themselves and the United States, and toliterature and history.She is an author on which is a
intimidate anyone who supported thesite for Writers.
Confederacy.Soldiers were sent to Fredericksburg to