WI: Texas Accepted Union Intervention

To avoid more bloodshed in Texas, Houston turned down U.S. Col. Frederick W. Lander's offer from President Lincoln of 50,000 troops to prevent Texas's secession. He said, "Allow me to most respectfully decline any such assistance of the United States Government."
It is unlikely for Houston to accept this in any iteration of history. However, a hand-wave can replace him with someone else say from a stray bullet or a runaway carriage, and certainly with a different Lieutenant Governor. What if the Governor of Texas had accepted the Union offer to suppress the secession of the state to the Confederacy?
 

TFSmith121

Banned
The US didn't exactly have a spare 50,000 troops when Texas

It is unlikely for Houston to accept this in any iteration of history. However, a hand-wave can replace him with someone else say from a stray bullet or a runaway carriage, and certainly with a different Lieutenant Governor. What if the Governor of Texas had accepted the Union offer to suppress the secession of the state to the Confederacy?

The US didn't exactly have a spare 50,000 troops when Texas seceded in February, 1861, however. Mobilization didn't begin until April.

The US didn't have 50,000 troops, period, and those that were in service weren't in a position to prevent the secession of the state.

Best,
 
The US didn't have 50,000 troops, period, and those that were in service weren't in a position to prevent the secession of the state.

Best,

Well, i kinda figure that anyone in military service from Texas would have left the army at that time....

Actually, did anyone from Texas stay in the Union?
 

TFSmith121

Banned
What do you mean? Serve in the US forces in 1861-65?

Well, i kinda figure that anyone in military service from Texas would have left the army at that time....

Actually, did anyone from Texas stay in the Union?

What do you mean? Serve in the US forces in 1861-65?

If so, then yes; Texas is credited with almost 2,000 enlistments, and 141 Texans died in service.

Best,
 

Japhy

Banned
The Governor will promptly be ousted. While the German settler community in the state was Unionist, the overwhelming Majority of white Texans were not, in fact it was perhaps the most Pro-Confederate state by some metrics, potentially only beaten by South Carolina by some accounts.

For reference 75% of the state voted for Breckinridge to Bell's 25% in 1860, add to that the basic fact that Bell's "Unionists" were more often than not no less secessionist than their Constitutional Democratic counterparts and we're talking about less than one in four white Texans being Unionists, probably even less than that.

Sam Houston won on account of the fact that his Unionism was pretty much meaningless, no one with more backbone than "This isn't going to end well" could possibly be elected, and under no circumstances would have support when the militia launched its coup.
 
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