From the Annals of the Civil War – In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Ulysses S. Grant as Lieutenant General in command over all Union forces.  Grant was promoted from Major General in command of the western front of the War (Armies of Tennessee and Cumberland).  From this point on, the fate of the Nation rested largely in the hands of one rather ordinary man who had a hatred and genius for war.  At the beginning of the war, if anyone had suggested that Sam Grant, the failed shopkeeper and farmer from Ohio, would rise to command the entire Union Army, you probably would have been laughed out of the room. In fact, Grant himself would probably have thought they he might aspire to be a Brigade commander based on his West Point training and experience in the Mexican-American War.  But Grant’s early victories at Forts Henry and Donelson secured him a promotion to Major General and command of the Army of the Tennessee.  And his victory at Shiloh, at almost unspeakable cost for both sides, secured him a top leadership position for the remainder of the war.  Grant understood that just being in the Army was more dangerous for his soldiers because of illness and disease than actually fighting in most battles and was determined to bring the war to a swift conclusion.  The 30 Days campaign was intended to do just that and it likely broke the back of the Army of Northern Virginia.  Even though the war on the Eastern front settled into trench combat for many months, the 30 Days Campaign assured ultimate Union victory.  Grant has been much maligned over the years as an incompetent general and corrupt politician.  There is some new thinking on Grant, exemplified by Jean Edward Simith’s tremendous biography Grant.  And if you are in the mood for an excellent read on Texas in the late 1840’s, read Grant’s Memoirs.

The Texas African American History Monument may actually be placed on the Capitol ground someday thanks to pushing by Bill Jones, an Austin lawyer-lobbyist, with connections to the Texas GOP.  The monument would celebrate Texas’ rich history of African-Americans beginning with Estevanico de Doranates and including aviator Bessie Coleman, singer Scott Joplin, world heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson, World War II hero Dorie Miller and Congresswoman Barbara Jordan. The San Antonio Express-News reports on efforts to get the monument funded and built.

“At some point, I thought if I didn’t do something about this, no one would,” said Jones, 55, an Austin lawyer-lobbyist, who at one time was general counsel to Gov. Rick Perry. “This is part of my history. … But it’s the state’s history.”

State Rep. Sylvester Turner, a Houston Democrat and fifth-generation Texan who is a descendant of slaves, agreed. As the chairman of the Texas Black Legislative Caucus, he has for years advocated for a Capitol monument highlighting the achievements of African-Americans in Texas. 

“This will be a powerful depiction of history that I think will speak powerfully to every Texan,” said Turner, who is a board member of the Texas African American History Memorial Foundation, which is building the monument.

So far, Jones and other supporters said, about $750,000 has been raised to get the two-sided African-American Texas History Memorial underway, after receiving approval for the project from the State Preservation Board, which manages the statehouse grounds.

Fundraising is ongoing to secure the rest, and officials said Denver-based sculptor and historian Ed Dwight has been commissioned to produce what promises to be a showcase memorial near Texas’ seat of government.

Image from the monument model of Estevanico de Dorantes, a slave in the party of Cabeza de Vaca who is believed to be the first African to have set foot in Texas.

From the Annals of Electrification – In 1936, the first power line in Texas under the Rural Electrification Administration was energized.  The project was a 58 mile line near Bartlett.  The REA was create to bring electric power to rural America.  When President Franklin D. Roosevelt began the REA in May 1935, only about 2 percent of the farms in Texas had electricity. The REA was established as a lending agency. The $33,000 loan to a group of farmers at Bartlett was one of the first ten loans made by the REA.  By 1965, instead of only 2 percent of Texas farms with electricity, there were only 2 percent without electricity.

Scott Huddleston of the Houston Chronicle reports on various myths that have surrounded Texas iconic shrine.  Among them, the fact that Ozzy did not pee on the Alamo.  He directed his stream onto the Cenotaph – perhaps an even scummier act of stupidity from the now addled aging rock star.