When the Civil War erupted in 1861, the allegiance of Mexican
Americans, particularly those living in Texas, was deeply divided.
Initially, some 2,500 Mexican Americans went to war for the Confederacy,
while 950 volunteered for service in the Union Army. By the end of this
bloody struggle (1865), almost 10,000 Mexican Americans had served in
regular army or volunteer units. Of the 40,000 books and pamphlets written
about the Civil War, only one book, Vaqueros in Blue and Gray, has
been printed about the role of the Mexican Americans. In 1863, the U.S.
Government had established four companies of Mexican-American Californians
in order to utilize their "extraordinary horsemanship." At least 469 Mexican
Americans served under Major Salvador Vallejo, helping to defeat a
Confederate invasion of New Mexico. Significant numbers of Hispanics also
served in such Confederate units as the 10th Texas Cavalry, the 55th Alabama
Infantry, and 6th Missouri Infantry.
Contributions to America's Defense By John P. Schmal