Extremes produced by the South appeared in the ranks of the Rebel
armies. The wealthy snobs full of brag and demands for preferential
treatment "as befitting their social position" were as much disliked as
were the illiterate, sharecropper have-nots of the other extreme, who
joined up because the war promised to be easy pickings for them. Among
army personnel of happier middle-ground from these extremes were the
aristocratic, well-educated upper-upper class and the well-born,
self-respecting upper-lower class.
It has been said the average Rebel soldier came from middle class rural
back-ground of non-slaveholding people lacking in formal education and
its product of perspective and tolerance but endowed with conventional
respectability and sturdy independence. Often this individualistic
independence made trouble for officers during sessation of battles when
the inventive soldiers deployed without permission on all sorts of
exploits.
Texas soldiers with their lack of regulation military uniforms and with
the cavalry mounted on the cross-bred ponies were thought to be ruffians
by gentlemen of the deep South...Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi,
Virginia and South Carolina.
The families of Ann Cavett and Andrew Cavitt lines seen to have been not
of the described average Rebel soldier but between the extremes: above
average in education, economically able to supply decent clothing and
provisions for themselves and their comrads when necessary. The records
show them to have been stable and independent as their Dutch nd Irish
progenitors made possible for them to be...not foppishly full of
bragadocia about their position in society, their material possessions,
or their accomplishments. Self-possessed, stable, quietly determined to
accomplish their goals the doctors, ranchers, business men and boys
right out of school bearing the name of Cavitt or Cavett volunteered and
served in Tennessee, Alabama, and Texas companies during the War Between
the States.
A letter from Sheridan Cavitt to his older brother, Josephus, dated Oct.
14, 1861, verifies some of thc stories about families having to furnish
Texas Rebel soldiers with all equipment.
Galveston Texas,
Oct-14-186l
Mr. Josephus Cavitt, Wheelock Tex.
Dear Joe: I take up my pen once more to write you a few lines to do
myself justice toward you. Thinking at the same time you have failed on
your part, as I wrote a letter to you and have received no answer. You
must not think I do not want to hear from you folks up there. There has
not been a meal but what I have looked for a letter from you and Kittie.
I have no news to write. We are all well and enjoying ourselves as well
as we could under the circumstances. Our cannon have not landed yet. We
expect them soon. We are now drilling in the Battalion Company. This
company has improved in drilling since they drilled at the grove or the
church. I think you, too, would say so if you could see us drill.
I heard you were thinking of coming down to the Galveston Camp to stay
awhile. The Captain (Dr. Belveder Brooks) thinks you ought not to come
(to enlist in the army) as he thinks you can be of greater service to
the company with supplies when they are needed, as you have done your
part in fitting them out, and they still feel that if they come to a
place of need you will do your part. We have now in camp everything we
need except peace in our land.
I would be glad to see you come down here, but would not want you to
neglect your business.
If you would like to take a pleasure trip, then you might make our town
a visit, as I think it has as many conveniences as any other in Texas
and I know you have as many friends here as some of your neighbors.
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The most beautiful things in the world cannot be
seen or touched. It must be felt with the heart.
Helen Keller
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wishes, Wants, and Dreams....a few poetic illusions
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/7068
ICQ# 1280761
For Links to all my Sites
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/7068/mylinks.htm
...It is in silence where music lies...
Yanni
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One ought, everyday, to hear a song, read a fine poem,
and, if possible, to speak a few reasonable words.
Goethe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~