Civil War Chaos in Texas: The Tumultuous Tenure of Governor Pendleton Murrah

By the end of the Civil War, Texas was impoverished, lawless, and had experienced suicide in the governor’s mansion. Wartime turmoil ensnared the state, especially its last Confederate governor, Pendleton Murrah. Orphaned by his mother as an infant, Murrah was raised by a charitable organization, which saw to his education. Despite having tuberculosis, he moved to Texas and became a lawyer and politician. He was elected governor in November 1863 and se...