About WDFloyd

Dave Floyd is an attorney, real estate broker, and trivia host in Austin, Texas. He works with the Foskitt Law Office and is an owner of Floyd Real Estate. He was a candidate for Austin City Council in 2014 and lives in the Zilker Neighborhood.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Food: Lucky J's

Chicken and Waffle Wrap
Apparently, some things are meant to be together:  chocolate and peanut butter; Trinidad and Tobago; the Captain and Tennille; and now I have learned... fried chicken and waffles.  Thankfully, Lucky J's is in Austin to take care of fulfilling this magical culinary niche which (to my knowledge) was hitherto ignored in our fine city. 



Lucky J's has been around for a couple of years, but the Burnet Road location I visited is relatively recent.  They've taken over the former location of The Sandwich Joint.  I was called there by my friend Scott, who was concerned that I'd never experienced the magic of chicken and waffles together.  His concerned was well placed, as it was a delicious combination.  Moreover, the addition of Swiss cheese and bacon really pushed the meal over the top.  It was very good.  I'll be back (but, in deference to my new found interest in healthier eating, I won't be back for a week or so). 


It seemed like this would be an important post to follow the last one.   The suspension of "Floyd-Style" recommendations doesn't mean that my diet has become bland and uninspiring.  Moreover, it doesn't mean that I've given up on formerly beloved foods (and new combination of them) as much as I've added them into a more comprehensive portfolio of edible items.  And besides, Lucky J's has plenty of benefits.  As Scott says: "chicken for strength, waffles for speed!"  Go there, have a chicken and waffle wrap, and then try Scott's combo of syrup and hot sauce in order to add a little boost of flavor.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Meta: Suspension of "Floyd Style" Food Recs

Bacon, cheese, and chili-burger. 

Magically Delicious Frito Pie @ The McDonald Obersavatory
So... I'm going to have to stop recommending things be ordered "Floyd Style" (for a while, anyway).  You see, a few weeks ago I joined Pure Austin gym and decided to splurge on a consultation with a nutritionist.  I just wanted to know what to eat in order to fuel my new found love of cycling and my training for some upcoming mountain trips. 

I highly recommend Laura the nutritionist.  She keeps winning awards for being a top nutritionist in Austin, I thought she was full of good advice.  Unfortunately, much of that advice seemed to frown upon my love of bacon, cheese, and red meat all on the same plate.  My love of chili-cheese enhancements also seemed to run counter to her advice.   And, since most "Floyd Style" recommendations consisted of replacing vegetables with bacon, mayo, queso, and/or chili, my use of said recommendations has been thrown into a quandary: i.e. there is no healthy version of "Floyd Style" and the old version appeared to be charting a course for an early grave (ok, that's overly dramatic, but it was causing me to hurl and/or run out of energy when trying to really push myself on one of my bikes).   Thus, you now see the reason for the suspension of the use of the term as it has traditionally been applied.

But, there is an upside.  It turns out that amping up the fruits, lean proteins, and healthy carbs has indeed resulted in me having an abundance of energy (which is what I've been looking for in order to fuel endurance for business and working out).  And, what's really nice about my new food scheme is that it involves eating all day.  The downside is that my monthly grocery trips have turned into weekly (or more) frequent errands.  Moreover, the late night trips to HEB have been replaced with trips to Whole Foods (which is much closer, but not open at crowd avoidance hours).

Events: Catalyst 8's Mad Hatter Tea Party

It's almost here.  I can't wait.


Tomorrow night is the 2nd Annual Catalyst 8 Mad Hatter Tea Party: 7:30-10:30 @ The Allan House.  There will be food, signature drinks, models doing some fashion stuff, and burlesque.  It's going to be awesome. 


I don't think I've mentioned it before on this site, but I am one of the event chairs.  Ergo, I have a pretty good idea of what's in store for tomorrow and I'm pretty excited about it.   I met with the dancers last week, and their planned routine seemed ever better than the YouTube preview.   Also, a couple of personal friends are bartending and I know they'll add to the fun of the event.


Drinks are being provided by our friends at Maker's Mark, Tito's Vodka, and Independence Brewery.   J. Black's will be passing around some tasty snacks, and there will be other food to enjoy.  There will also be a photo booth and some live sketch artists.  I will most likely be the MC of the event, and there's a good chance that when I'm not introducing folks I'll be roaming around with some cameras looking for guests having an exceptional amount of fun.


Tickets to the Mad Hatter Tea Party are free to Catalyst 8 members, and $35 for non-members (if they are still available). Catalyst Members must RSPV in advance in order to receive said free admission. Funds raised by this event go to support Catalyst 8's Boost Program


ABOUT CATALYST 8


The mission of Catalyst 8 is to spread awareness about the Long Center for the Performing Arts and arts in Austin, to provide opportunities for social and professional access and involvement, and to develop leaders for our community. Funds raised through membership and events fund Catalyst 8’s Boost Program. which provides rental subsidies to Austin-based emerging and underserved arts groups. Catalyst 8’s goal is to expand the diversity of programming and audiences at The Long Center for the Performing Arts while giving area artists a needed "boost" in exposure.

Texas Politics: Regarding Budget Cuts, Poll Shows Mixed Signals from Texans

UT/Texas Tribune Poll: Mixed Signals on Budget Cuts


  • By a margin of more than 2 to 1, Texas voters believe that lawmakers should solve the state's massive shortfall by cutting the budget, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll, but their enthusiasm dissipates when asked if they support specific cuts.
    "We really want to slash the budget, but not anything in it," says pollster Daron Shaw, a professor of government at UT.
    On a sliding scale of 0-10, poll respondents were asked whether they would prefer to balance the state's next budget through budget cuts, by raising revenues, or something in between. Only 4 percent proposed doing it all with new revenue, while 17 percent would do it all with budget cuts. Another 22 percent landed right in the middle. But the rest leaned more toward cuts than toward raising new money for the state government.
    Still, when asked specifically what should be cut, voters were more divided. Given a list of things that could be cut to balance the budget and asked to check each that they'd consider, the voters were protective of state programs, and overwhelmingly so. They oppose cuts to public education, 82 percent; pre-kindergarten, 62 percent; state grants to college students, 73 percent; state contributions to teacher and state employee retirement programs, 69 percent; the Children's Health Insurance Program, 87 percent; to state environmental regulation that could be picked up by the federal government, 65 percent; cuts to Medicaid providers like doctors and hospitals, 86 percent; state funding for nursing home care, 90 percent; prisons for adults or for juveniles, both 67 percent; new highway construction, 63 percent; border security, 85 percent; or for closing four community colleges, 77 percent.

    Many of the items on that list are among the prime cuts made in proposed budgets from the House, the Senate and the governor.
    "Frankly, if you're assuming the results of the last election mean you should cut and that people meant government should completely go away, you're overreaching," says pollster Jim Henson, who teaches government and runs the Texas Politics Project at UT.
    Republicans and independents were more likely than Democrats to prefer spending cuts over revenue increases. Men were more likely than women, and whites more likely than blacks and Hispanics, to lean toward cuts. Those trends were evident in the questions about specific cuts, too, but with only a few exceptions, each of those subgroups was against the specific cuts in the poll. Those who identified themselves as "strong Republicans" and "lean Republican" support cuts to pre-K classes, as do voters over 65. Republican-leaning independents would narrowly support cuts in public employee retirement plans. But the overwhelming result is the same in all groups: Support for specific cuts is dramatically lower than the general support for a smaller state government.
    The poll explored some ways to raise money for state government and with a couple of exceptions, they're not popular, either. A majority — 61 percent — would support legalizing and taxing casinos. A smaller majority — 52 percent — would support higher taxes on alcoholic beverages.

    Then there's the list of things they don't like, along with the percentages of the opposition: surcharges on gas-guzzlers, 80 percent; banning cell phone use by drivers and fining the violators, 54 percent; legalizing and taxing marijuana, 61 percent; eliminating August sales tax holidays if the outlook doesn't improve, 61 percent; increasing state sales tax rates, 86 percent; or imposing a state income tax, 94 percent.
    The state will have $9.4 billion available in its Rainy Day Fund, according to Comptroller Susan Combs. Only 9 percent would use all of that money, and 24 percent would use none of it. Most — 55 percent — would spend some, but not all of it to avoid budget cuts.
    "If you're a purely craven and political weasel, you have to pay some lip service to cutting and then take a strong look at gambling and other options," Shaw says. "What it says, basically, is that if you are interested in cutting, you have to either ignore or lead on public opinion.
    "If you want [to shrink government], you have to make it about cutting the deficit. If you don't want it, you talk about specific programs," he says.
    Both pollsters say state leaders will have to pick a way through the public's split opinion — cut government but don't cut anything dear — to stay out of trouble in the next political season. Henson says the numbers don't offer a road map to anyone looking for a way out of the state's budget swamp.
    "It's no surprise that people talk about wanting a better outcome without having a well-developed idea about how to get there," he says. "It's interesting to see the legislators and the voters both in a state of muddling."
    This latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll is an internet survey of 800 registered voters conducted Feb. 11-17 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.46 percent.
    This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at http://trib.it/gVAZf7.

  • Friday, February 18, 2011

    Testing

    Testing with J6FK63DZEP5H

    Coming Soon: DIVE Bar


    [photo (by WDFloyd): NE Corner of Guadalupe and 17th, the Future Home of DIVE Bar]

    It's mid-February, and I'm excited about a lot of things. First of all, I can't wait for the Catalyst 8 Mad Hatter Tea Party on 2/22. Second (and only because of the chronology), I can't wait for the opening of DIVE Bar at Guadalupe and 17th (across from the Dog & Duck, right next to the D. Berman Gallery.

    DIVE will feature a full bar in a neighborly setting. Located near the Capitol Complex, the Texas Attorney General's office, and the Wells Fargo Tower, DIVE will a great place to walk for cocktails. A couple of my good friends will be taking some shifts behind the bar, and I hear rumors of some pretty awesome entertainment which is currently being lined up. And, DIVE is owned by some good folks who do a lot of good things for the community.

    Last time I checked, DIVE will be opening right around SXSW. I plan to be there, giddy about SXSW Interactive.

    Thursday, February 17, 2011

    Drinks: Gin With Old School Tonic


    [photo (by WDFloyd): my stock cocktail photo, as Haddington's was too dark for my iPhone camera]

    by WDFloyd


    Last night, I was on the loose after the Austin Habitat Young Professionals' Build the Love fundraiser. I drove a couple of friends (who were highly amused that I drive a Passat as opposed to 4x4 truck) over to the West 6th area for a pit stop at Haddington's.

    Although this was my first stop in Haddington's, I'd already heard many good things about the place from reputable sources (e.g., one of my company's employees is a foodie and he loves Haddington's). I didn't have time to eat, but I did have time for a cocktail. And that's when I discovered the Haddington's house version of the gin & tonic.

    What makes Haddington's G&T special is that the tonic water is mixed on site and it includes a healthy dose of the traditional ingredient quinine. The gin & tonic has an interesting history which combines the twin needs of 19th century British colonialists to: (1) prevent malaria, and (2) get hammered. Quinine was an anti-malaria drug administered via tonic water, and the concoction was quite bitter. Enter gin, once about as reputable as crack cocaine but refined and then rebooted as "medicinal" thanks to its infusion of tasty "botanicals" with good old fashioned booze. Moreover, sweet and delicious gin (plus a lime, of course) counteracted the unpleasant bitterness of 19th century tonic water. Plus, I'm sure the alcohol helped the British cope with the stress of living in constant fear of malaria, cobras, tigers, angry colonials, and so forth.

    Since quinine's flavor is kind of overpoweringly bitter, and because in the United States we aren't very concerned about malaria, most brands of tonic water contain only a token amount of the medicinal ingredient. Thus, you can see the novelty of Haddington's gin & tonic, which is about as close to the original cocktail as one can get while on West 6th. I recommend trying a Haddington's gin & tonic. It is very different from what I've always enjoyed (and yes, a lot more bitter and somewhat more salty). I liked it, although I will say that the intense flavor required some rather slow sipping. If you are trying to power drink to forget your personal problems, stick to the Jager bombs and so forth. But, if you're in the mood for some tasty and interesting cocktails, swing by Haddington's next time you are on West 6th.

    Wednesday, February 16, 2011

    Photos: I've Put a Few Up


    [photo (by Sara): me in front of Elvis' jet, The Lisa Marie]

    Since buying the bikes, I've been doing a fair amount of riding and not much photography. Well, that and I've been busy with planning the Catalyst 8 Mad Hatter Tea Party and working on strategic/tactical/operations plans for Prism Risk Management (but unfortunately, not much on the Prism Risk Management blog). And, I read a lot of legislation these days.

    However, I totally love photography and thus I finally made some time to add a few shots to the wdfloyd Flickr page (you can access it through the Flickr widget on this blog's sidebar). Mostly, it's more stuff from my trips to Marfa, the coast, and then my road trip (with the gf) from Illinois which included a fantastic layover at Graceland. I won't say any of this is my best stuff, but I think a lot of the shots are entertaining, somewhat interesting, and/or representative of the subject matter.

    Meta-info:

    If you are curious about my camera equipment: most of the shots posted on this blog are done with my Nikon D90. The cheap Nikon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6G AF-S VR II zoom lens is my workhorse, although I do own some swankier stuff.

    Thursday, February 10, 2011

    Events: HYP Build the Love


    I'd write something original, but the e-mail I received from Austin Habitat Young Professionals says everything which needs to be said:

    Featuring a delicious menu of Moonshine's favorite dishes, a great selection of wines, and live music by Lucas Cook, Build the Love is the tastiest - and easiest - way to make a difference!

    February 16, 2011 -- 6:00pm to 9:00pm
    Moonshine - 303 Red River Street
    $25 Members/$35 Non-members
    Buy Tickets Now

    Each year, HYP commits to raising funds and volunteering on-site to build a home with Austin Habitat for Humanity. Thanks to HYP's efforts in 2009, another family is now living in a safe, secure neighborhood in a home they can afford. It was an awesome feeling to see how thankful and gracious the Arellano family was when we dedicated their home! You should have seen the smiles that day!

    This year mark’s HYP’s 5th anniversary and we are striving to raise more than ever before. We've set a goal of $100,000 in 2011. This will fully fund one Habitat house and provide Austin Habitat for Humanity with some additional funds to put towards another home.

    Virtually all funds raised by HYP are generated through events like Build the Love, and we couldn't do it without you!

    Sunday, February 6, 2011

    Services: The Atypical Mechanic


    [photo (by WDFloyd's iPhone): Jeremy, The Atypical Mechanic, at work on my car]














    Let's say the Check Engine light comes on in your car. You'd like to get this looked at and fixed. You'd also like it fixed by a good mechanic who changes reasonable prices and comes to your home or office. Wishful thinking? Not at all. I submit to you: The Atypical Mechanic.

    I've known Jeremy, owner of The Atypical Mechanic, for quite a while. I already knew he was a good guy, just from personal experience and from watching him work above and beyond the call of duty as the Volunteer Chair for Austin Habitat Young Professionals. Thus, when my Check Engine light turned on and my car began to exhibit a noticeably rough idle, I contacted The Atypical Mechanic immediately.

    Jeremy did indeed come to my building, check out my car, and do some research into what turned out to be kind of an obscure problem. He then returned and replaced the part while I took a break from working in my home office. And, he did all of this on site for less dinero than I anticipated. The result: my car is back to normal and I have spare cash to blow on bike parts. And, as I bonus, he let me watch him work on the car and he answered all of my questions about the engine.

    If you're looking for quality auto mechanic services done at your home or office for a reasonable price, then contact: The Atypical Mechanic

    Friday, February 4, 2011

    Events: The Return of the Catalyst 8 Mad Hatter Tea Party

    Brace yourself for the return of Catalyst 8's Mad Hatter Tea Party. On February 22, 2011 from 7:30 to 10:30p, we will again turn the Allan House into an Austin version of "Wonderland." By that I mean the good kind of wonderland, which will feature signature drinks to consume while you enjoy entertainment throughout the event from cabaret artists Starlite and Shi Feticcio (with her twin sister Ze-Boi making a special guest appearance)... as opposed to the bad kind of Wonderland, which features a homicidal, moody monarch and a rabbit with glandular issues. But don't worry, at our event there will also be models dressed up as Alice in Wonderland characters. They will just be better looking and nicer than the characters described in the Lewis Carroll book.


    In addition to our excellent line up of cabaret performers, Austin’s own Dub Academy will DJ the event. Drinks will be provided by our friends from Maker’s Mark, Tito’s Vodka, and Independence Brewery. And, a special thanks to the support from our sponsors Moreland Properties and Hay Compere, PLLC, as well as our media sponsor Tribeza.

    Tickets to the Mad Hatter Tea Party are free to Catalyst 8 members, and $35 for non-members. Catalyst Members must RSPV in advance in order to receive said free admission. Funds raised by this event go to support Catalyst 8's Boost Program.

    ABOUT CATALYST 8

    The mission of Catalyst 8 is to spread awareness about the Long Center for the Performing Arts and arts in Austin, to provide opportunities for social and professional access and involvement, and to develop leaders for our community. Funds raised through membership and events fund Catalyst 8’s Boost Program. which provides rental subsidies to Austin-based emerging and underserved arts groups. Catalyst 8’s goal is to expand the diversity of programming and audiences at The Long Center for the Performing Arts while giving area artists a needed "boost" in exposure.

    Texas Legislature: "Complete Streets" Bill is Filed



    Lawmakers File "Complete Streets" Bill





  • Lawmakers today filed a bill they hope will help drivers, cyclists and pedestrians safely share the roads.

    State Rep. Linda Harper-Brown, R-Irving, and Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, filed so-called “Complete Streets” legislation, which would require the Texas Department of Transportation to “recognize that bicycle, pedestrian, and transit modes are integral elements of the transportation system,” and develop safer streets for people to walk, bike or drive.


    "If more Texans have the option to use alternative forms of transportation, we could be healthier and safer, our streets could be less congested and cleaner, and our local and regional economies would benefit from increased activity," Ellis said in a statement.


    Making safe routes for children to walk or bike to school could help reduce childhood obesity, say Marcia G. Ory and Deanna Hoelscher, leaders of the Texas Childhood Obesity Prevention Policy Evaluation. Only 13 percent of children walked or biked to school in 2009, compared to 42 percent who did 40 years ago. Their research found students were more likely to walk or bike to school if streets were designed to protect them and parents were confident in their safety.


    “We were in an area doing these environmental audits, and the next week an eighth-grader had an accident, a critical injury in the street,” said Ory. “That’s because there’s a crosswalk, but the cars don’t stop and she got hit.”


    Designating distinct spaces for cyclists, pedestrians and cars creates safe environments for everyone on the road, says Gil Peñalosa, an expert on urban transportation and executive director of 8-80 Cities.


    For most people, Peñalosa says, the decision about whether to bike depends on how safe they feel.


    “Cycling is not just something men 20 to 50 in spandex will do,” said Peñalosa.



    This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at http://trib.it/gPBuCf.









    Wednesday, February 2, 2011

    Cycling: Map My Ride


    [photo (by WDFloyd): my Gary Fisher 29er hardtail, parked along Shoal Creek]

    From the age of 8 until about the age of 16, I biked a lot. Then I got a car. Mysteriously, the biking stopped. Then, in November, I decided I should work out more. I bought a Gary Fisher (or more accurately, Gary Fisher collection from Trek) hardtail mountain bike from the good folks at the Bicycle Sport Shop on South Lamar. Featuring 29" tires and Fisher's Genesis 2 ("G2") aluminum frame, this bike seemed to handle well and be capable of rolling over all sorts of obstacles. Biking resumed.

    My Fisher mountain bike is a lot of fun to ride both on and off road. However, I recently found myself riding on paved surfaces quite a lot. A road bike seemed liked a good idea. Thus, I bought a Trek from the good folks at Mellow Johnny's. And I love it.

    I rode it around downtown a few times and around Barton Hills. Then, on Monday night, after going to a reception adjacent to the TASA Midwinter Conference, I took the Trek for a night ride. It ended up being very long. And that is when I became curious about distance, which led to the discovery of Map My Ride.

    Map My Ride classic
    allows you to set points on a Google street map with simple mouse clicks. You just drop and drop your route onto the screen, and instantly you know how far your ride was. While a cycle computer can tell you how far you've gone, this application does more by letting you map out prospective rides to find one which fits into the distance and area of town you want. The program will even figure out elevation. You can then save these routes for future reference.

    Anyway, while the "classic" version is cool, and the new (Beta) version looks like it has a lot more tools for recording your progress with workouts, rides, training programs, and things of that nature. If you like to share, there are forums. Moreover, there is a mobile interface as well, so you can work with Map My Ride while you're out in the wild.

    Check out either version if you're curious about distances of prospective routes, keeping logs of your rides, or you just tend to be obsessive about such things.

    Tuesday, February 1, 2011

    Events: Raise the Bar Happy Hour


    [photo (by WDFloyd): Habitat for Humanity House Build at Devonshire Block, Nov. 2009]


    On February 24 the Austin Bar Association will be hosting their Raise the Bar Happy Hour at Roial from 5:30-8:30p. This event will raise funds for the Austin Bar Association's Legal Build for Habitat for Humanity. Legal Build has made a lot of progress this year, and they had a very successful fundraising drive at this year's Austin Bar Gala, but they still need funds to cover the cost of building the Legal Build sponsored house. So, come down to Roial, meet some fun lawyers, and help make the dream of home ownership a reality for the recipient of the Austin Bar's Legal Build Habitat for Humanity house.

    Texas History: Secession and Robert E. Lee



    Sam Houston, Texas Secession — and Robert E. Lee







  • No secession ball will mark the day. Nor, it appears, are any other commemorative events planned by Texas, which would rather boast of its time as an independent country. But 150 years ago today, shortly after 11 a.m. on Feb. 1, 1861, a state convention voted overwhelmingly to secede from the Union.


    In Austin, on the second floor of the old Texas statehouse just south of the current Capitol building (near the present-day Alamo and Texas Rangers monuments), cheering delegates to the special convention approved a short document declaring that the federal government was becoming "a weapon with which to strike down the interests and prosperity of the people of Texas and her Sister slaveholding States." Texas, they stated, was henceforth a "separate Sovereign state ... absolved from all allegiance to the United States." (An even more explicit "declaration of causes" followed a day later; it's well worth a read.)


    For one aging veteran in the hall, this was the blackest of days. Sam Houston, the 67-year-old governor of Texas (who had twice served as president of the Republic of Texas), had for years almost single-handedly kept secessionist sentiment in the state at bay, despite being a slaveholder himself. Nearly three decades earlier, Houston had fought for Texan independence from Mexico and guided the fledgling Republic into the Union. He did not want to lose his life's work. "Mark me, the day that produces a dissolution of this [Union] will be written in the blood of humanity," Houston, then a U.S. senator, told Congress in 1854 as he defied Southern predilections to vote against the Kansas-Nebraska Act.


    Of himself, he had said: "I wish no prouder epitaph to mark the board or slab that may lie on my tomb than this: 'He loved his country, he was a patriot; he was devoted to the Union.'"


    As secessionist fever swept Texas, Houston was denounced as a "traitor-knave" for his Unionist views. Always, though, when the grand old man — who still hobbled from a wound sustained at San Jacinto in 1836 — took the stage, he had been able to quell his rivals. But as the year 1860 drew to a close, with Abraham Lincoln's election causing South Carolina to secede and other states to teeter on the brink, Houston, despite being governor, could no longer hold back the tide.


    He tried. When secessionists began clamoring for a special legislative session in anticipation of secession, Houston stalled. Soon, however, a secession convention at the end of January 1861 appeared inevitable. Houston convened a special session of the Legislature just before the convention, hoping that he could somehow persuade lawmakers to rein in the proceedings.


    It was not to be. The delegates — chosen in a hastily organized election in early January — convened in Austin on Jan. 28, 1861, and quickly penned a document that would sever Texas' ties to the federal government. Houston was invited to the roll call on Feb. 1. He sat "grim and motionless," writes his biographer M.K. Wisehart. One man called him a traitor to his face, though Houston's allies swiftly demanded (and received) an apology. The delegates approved the secession ordinance, 166-8.


    The governor won a few concessions, however. He had said he would swallow secession if the people ratified it — so it was put to a vote on Feb. 23, 1861, and the people affirmed it, 44,317 to 13,020. Houston tried to argue that Texas voters had merely approved secession, rather than latching onto the Confederacy. This was technically true, but the governor, who preferred that Texas should return to its old status as an independent country, had lost his sway. In March, Texas became the last state to join the Confederacy in the "first wave," before hostilities broke out at Fort Sumter.


    A defiant Houston would swear no oath to the Confederacy, and he was finished as governor. "Fellow citizens, in the name of your rights and liberties, which I believe have been trampled upon, I refuse to take this oath," he declared on March 16, 1861. "In the name of the nationality of Texas, I refuse to take this oath. …" Nor would he live to see the end of the war he tried so hard to avert; he died in 1863, a year after the Battle of Shiloh, in which his son, Sam Jr., a Confederate soldier, was wounded and held prisoner for months. Texas, in fact, would become the site of the last battle of the Civil War, in May 1865. It was also the last rebel state readmitted to the Union, on March 30, 1870, subject to several conditions.


    There is another peculiar post-script to the secessionist drama of 1861.


    Oddly enough, one Robert E. Lee was living in Texas at that time. Lee had been stationed in Texas on and off for several years, commanding the Second United States Cavalry in frontier skirmishes against Comanches and Mexicans. He didn't seem too fond of the frontier life; he wrote to his wife of living of a "desert of dullness."


    With war approaching, Lee received orders summoning him back to Washington, so he departed Fort Mason, in Mason County, on Feb. 13, 1861, for the journey east. But in San Antonio, Lee was waylaid. A federal general from Georgia, who had taken over Lee's Texas responsibilities, had just cheerfully surrendered his men and supplies to Texas rebels who had ridden out to San Antonio (Sam Houston had dispatched the Texas Rangers to try to prevent this, but they did not arrive in time). So Lee, as a federal army officer, was potentially a prisoner in a state (or country) that was preparing for war with the federal government.


    Lee donned civilian garb, reminded the Texans he was a Virginian, and was ultimately allowed to proceed (though he was apparently quite provoked by the Texans, who tried unsuccessfully to get him to declare allegiance to the South then and there). He got back to his home in Arlington on March 1 — and little more than a month later, took a command in the Confederate army.



    This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at http://trib.it/hILnPe.