"Texas Tough: The Rough and Ready William “Howdy” Martin" Topic

1 Post

All members in good standing are free to post here. Opinions expressed here are solely those of the posters, and have not been cleared with nor are they endorsed by The Miniatures Page.

In order to respect possible copyright issues, when quoting from a book or article, please quote no more than three paragraphs.

For more information, see the TMP FAQ.

Back to the ACW Discussion Message Board

Areas of Interest

American Civil War

Featured Hobby News Article

On Bloody Ground – Trade Partnerships

Featured Ruleset

Featured Showcase Article

CSS Mississippi

Editor in Chief Bill completes a Confederate river ironclad.

Featured Workbench Article

Building the Peter Pig Mortar Schooner

The G Dog replicates a mortar schooner at Fort Jackson during the New Orleans campaign.

Featured Profile Article

Editor Julia's 2015 Christmas Project

Editor Julia would like your support for a special project.

Current Poll

Featured Book Review

The Brigade Commander

Please sign in to your membership account, or, if you are not yet a member, please sign up for your free membership account.

Tango01

22 Feb 2021 10:35 p.m. PST

"On paper, there is little to differentiate William H. Martin from other junior officers in Texas when the Civil War began. In his early 30s, he was a practicing attorney and a former state senator who lived comfortably in the middle-class community of Athens, Texas, with the one notable exception from his peers in that he does not appear to have been a slave owner. Like many of his fellow Texas officers, Martin was not a native-born Texan, but he identified with white Southerners who were sufficiently concerned by the growing power of the Republican Party, its efforts to limit the extension of slavery, and the election of Abraham Lincoln to enthusiastically support secession.

As a leading resident of Athens who organized a company in the spring of 1861, it's not surprising that the men elected Martin their captain. What is noteworthy, however, is how he earned their respect in the early days of the war when men shifted from enthusiastic volunteers to citizen soldiers bristling at the idea of submitting to military authority. In an effort to speed this transition and prepare the men for war, most of the companies that would later form the Texas Brigade, including Martin's, drilled in the Texas heat that summer of 1861 and later near Richmond, where officers emphasized drill, order, and a respect for their commanders. This, they argued, was the way to turn raw recruits into disciplined soldiers…"
More here
link

Amicalement
Armand

Sorry - only verified members can post on the forums.