This is the story of 3,000 stalwart Texans, who carried the Confederate banner into the deserts and mountains of the Southwest. They were a zealous and determined army of committed volunteers marching off to war at a time when anything seemed possible. Relying heavily on diaries, memoirs, and other first person accounts, personalities, emotions, and narrative are pushed to the forefront. Often told in participants' own words, the story is a day-to-day account of the adventures of ordinary men living through extraordinary times. The chain of events that led to the clash of two small but rugged frontier armies, remains one of the most stirring and least known episodes of our nation's struggle. Vintage photographs, maps, rigorous footnotes, and an extensive bibliography enhance this extensive work. This book is a MUST for anyone interested in the Civil War or the Southwest.