By Karen Gavis/mannaging editor
A SE Campus faculty author will discuss reasons why a Texas military brigade fought in the Confederate Army of Tennessee during a book reading.
Adjunct history instructor John Lundberg will speak and answer questions about Granbury’s Texas Brigade: Diehard Western Confederates 1-2 p.m. Nov. 8 in the SE library.
Lundberg said the men who fought in Brig. Gen. Hiram B. Granbury’s unit believed strongly in what they were fighting for, and the group chose to fight east of the Mississippi. They continued to fight even as the Confederacy unraveled.
“They believed very strongly in white supremacy and slavery,” he said.
To Lundberg, the book, which is adapted from his dissertation, serves as a case study, he said. Lundberg examined letters, diaries and military documents during his research and was surprised at some of the things he discovered, mainly how both rich and poor united in one common goal.
“I was surprised at how the slaveholders fought along with those that didn’t own slaves,” he said. “They were afraid of what would happen to the South and their families if they didn’t.”
The Civil War and the reasons it was fought remains a relevant discussion today, SE librarian James Foreman said. The library chose the event because it likes to hold events that cater to the campus’ diversity. Also, the library wanted to show that it is more than just a place to check out books, he said.
“The American Civil War is one of the defining moments in American history and will continue to fascinate people for various reasons such as the debate about slavery and states’ rights,” he said. “Also, the war is full of colorful characters, good and bad, that provide interesting material for books such as the book written by Dr. Lundberg.”
Lundberg said by studying history, people can understand a great deal about the world as well as themselves.
“All academics have their niche, but history is about who we are and what happens all around us,” he said.
Lundberg is already at work on another piece of military history.
“Right now, I am working on a collection of letters from a confederate officer and his wife from the Civil War,” he said. “So, you get more of a taste from the home front about what women in Texas were thinking about and what they were concerned about during the Civil War.”
Lundberg has taught history on SE Campus since 2009 and also teaches at Collin College.
