Civil War Committee Has Formed

A committee made up of members of the Atascosa County Historical Commission and local citizens has come together to plan several events to commemorate the sesquecentennial of the war between the states. An effort is under way to locate and mark the graves of every veteran of the conflict within Atascosa County.

According to Carl L. Duaine's, "The Dead Men Wore Boots", the 32nd Cavalry Regiment was comprised of men from counties surrounding San Antonio, Companies A through K, ten excluding company J. Company E mustered under huge live oak trees that grew around the court house at Pleasanton, in Atascosa County. Local men came, and men rode in from the surrounding counties to sign under the name of the Company Captain, Lewis Maverick. In the shade of those oak trees, 103 men signed up to join company E of the 32nd Texas Volunteer Cavalry.

The committee plans to re-enact the muster of the 32nd in March of 2012, hopefully, with the help of local volunteers playing the roles of Lewis Maverick and those signing up for service. A search for the perfect oak trees is vital as plans are underway to build a replica of the old picket court house next to them.

Additionally, in 2012, Jourdanton plans to host a two day event featuring re-enactors and educational exhibits relating to this important time in our history. We hope to include activities for school children and to have something of interest for everyone.

We are also collecting stories about veterans of the Confederacy, Union and home front. We would love to put these in a book that can be shared by all. Family photographs to correspond with the stories would be most welcome.

The committee planning these events meets on the fourth Monday of each month, at 6:30 P.M, at the Jourdanton Community Center (next to the Library). The public is invited to attend. If you have an interest in history, or have an ancestor who served in the Union or Confederacy, please come to a meeting, or call one of us.
We will help you research him if you need help with that. Call Dorothy Manning at 830 769-3087 or Barbara Westbrook at 830 769-4333