WI: Sam Houston accepts Lincoln's offer of 50,000 troops and a position as commander in the army?

50,000 is NOT a pipe dream. We can free up that many men by April 1862 when a Northern government in Tennessee is established and it's mostly under union control (OK, Chattanooga isn't)

That's almost a year after Secession, they'd have to go through Arkansas and Louisana, and detaching that many troops would seriously weaken Union forces in the West.
 
That's almost a year after Secession, they'd have to go through Arkansas and Louisana, and detaching that many troops would seriously weaken Union forces in the West.

They could easily do that (assuming they find a meal on their way from Louisiana to Texas... take a boat maybe?) and be able to consolidate Tennessee.
 
They could easily do that (assuming they find a meal on their way from Louisiana to Texas... take a boat maybe?) and be able to consolidate Tennessee.

50,000 detached to Texas is almost equal to the Army of Cumberland's entire size at Chicakmauga. There's also the fact Houston dies in 1862, historically speaking.
 
Yes I know. But there were still Tejanos that resented the way they were treated and who opposed slavery as the article notes
What percentage of the free population 422,000 of Texas in 1860 was Hispanic? I can't find hard numbers. We know 2,500 served in the Confederacy, and we find ample evidence several hundred served in the Union army. My point is that i have a suspicion that between the several hundred Hispanics in blue and the 2500 in Gray, we may well have accounted for a large portion of men of military age in the Tejano community in Texas. But I readily admit I don't have hard figures to back that up.
If anyone reading this is Hispanic, I would not wish to risk offense, because the grievances Tejanos experienced in the years between 1836 and 1861 (and actually far beyond it) are not insignificant burdens. But the issue at hand is about the OP's question. Would those Tejanos who were angry enough to join the Union tilt the balance had Lincoln tried to prop up Sam Houston, and I do not believe their numbers high enough, to have tilted the scale.
I welcome research that shows Tejano active support for the union to exceed their support for the Confederacy.
 
What percentage of the free population 422,000 of Texas in 1860 was Hispanic? I can't find hard numbers. We know 2,500 served in the Confederacy, and we find ample evidence several hundred served in the Union army. My point is that i have a suspicion that between the several hundred Hispanics in blue and the 2500 in Gray, we may well have accounted for a large portion of men of military age in the Tejano community in Texas. But I readily admit I don't have hard figures to back that up.
If anyone reading this is Hispanic, I would not wish to risk offense, because the grievances Tejanos experienced in the years between 1836 and 1861 (and actually far beyond it) are not insignificant burdens. But the issue at hand is about the OP's question. Would those Tejanos who were angry enough to join the Union tilt the balance had Lincoln tried to prop up Sam Houston, and I do not believe their numbers high enough, to have tilted the scale.
I welcome research that shows Tejano active support for the union to exceed their support for the Confederacy.

There were 14000 in 1850. So the 3000ish that served in otl on either side of the civil war was probably the most that could/would serve.
 
My mistake, was thinking he died in July of 1862. Still though, he's certainly not going to be in any shape to wage a campaign this close to his death, even presuming Lincoln could spare 50,000 troops and somehow get them into Texas.

After looking into it a bit, I agree.

His health was deteriorating for a long while.

He was a contemporary of Andrew Jackson, Sam Houston is very old at this point and would probably die quicker and end up as a symbol against the Confederacy throughout the rest of the war.
 
But my California approved textbook said that less than 100 Tejanos took up a rifle or hauled an artillery piece for the South.
Not fair. I was drinking coffee and I had to go get a towel to wipe down my monitor. :cool: I probably shouldn't, but against my better judgment, I'm going to take the comment at face value :p

From the Texas Almanac online, is an article that details Hispanic Texans' contributions to both sides during the Civil War:
At least 2,500 Mexican Texans joined the Confederate Army. The most famous was Santos Benavides, who rose to command the Thirty-third Texas Cavalry as a colonel, and thus became the highest ranking Tejano to serve the Confederacy.

The entire article can be found here:
https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/pom02

50,000 is NOT a pipe dream. We can free up that many men by April 1862 when a Northern government in Tennessee is established and it's mostly under union control (OK, Chattanooga isn't)

The devil is in the details, Alex. As early as 1863 you're likely correct. But dial that back to the OP's question and in 1861, it's a pipe dream. The time Lincoln made the offer, was around the same time as he called for 75,000 volunteers. The federal army had less than 20,000 or so in early 1861 (Could be higher, but doesn't negate the underlying fact). Even by July 1861 the Federal Army was less than 200,000 despite it's rapid expansion.
 
I was actually serious about my USA history textbook I had back in high school, but it's been... less that accurate when it comes to the fine details
 
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