Palmito Ranch: From Civil War Battlefield to National Historic Landmark by Jody Edward Ginn and William Alexander McWhorter

Abstract

Reviewed by: Palmito Ranch: From Civil War Battlefield to National Historic Landmark by Jody Edward Ginn and William Alexander McWhorter Jeffrey William Hunt Palmito Ranch: From Civil War Battlefield to National Historic Landmark. By Jody Edward Ginn and William Alexander McWhorter. (College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2018. Pp. 136. Notes, bibliography, index.) The battle of Palmito (Palmetto) Ranch, which occurred along the banks of the Rio Grande from May 12–13, 1865, is both one of the most famous and least known events in Texas and U.S. history. It has a certain notoriety as the last land action of the Civil War and has the added irony of being a Confederate victory. It is also one of the big three Texas battles, [End Page 124] along with Galveston (December 31, 1862) and Sabine Pass (September 8, 1863). In the last half of the nineteenth century and even in the early decades of the twentieth, as Jody Ginn and William McWhorter point out in their carefully researched and well-written work, most Texans once knew about this last fight. Today, however, many Texans are unaware of the battle or only familiar with it as a myth-encrusted factoid attached to the larger story of the great sectional contest. This is in spite of the fact that, since the dawn of the twenty-first century scholarship on the battle has vastly improved. Ginn and McWhorter begin by giving us a primer on the battle’s history and that of a previous fight at Palmito Ranch in September 1864. Along the way, they acknowledge reliable scholarship and dispel the folklore that has surrounded the struggle almost since its conclusion. Attention is also given to Colonel John S. “Rip” Ford, one of the most famous Texans of his day and the Rebel leader whose cavalry and artillery defeated Union infantry forces commanded by Colonel Theodore H. Barrett. The strength and focus of the book, however, is the careful documentation of the fight’s key artifact, the battleground itself. Ginn and McWhorter painstakingly detail how the location of the contest has been confirmed and why it remains in almost pristine condition. They rightly observe that this is as much fortunate happenstance as intent. From 1865 to the present, the field’s location and geography have rendered Palmito Ranch unattractive to developers. Thus it has not disappeared under concrete or been lost to the appetite of a voracious river, as have most Texas battlefields. The authors do a wonderful job tracing the battleground’s history and documenting the tireless efforts of dedicated individuals and organizations such as the Battlefield Trust (formerly Civil War Trust), the Texas Historical Commission, the Cameron County Historical Commission, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which have worked diligently—usually separately but increasingly in concert—to protect, preserve and better interpret the fight. Consequently, this book not only records the history of a battlefield and its survival, it also provides a roadmap of sorts for those who hope to maintain similar sites. It is obvious throughout this book that the authors have done their homework, care deeply about their subject matter, and are themselves part of the story they tell. Helpful maps and marvelous photographs enhance and reinforce their story, each offering its own fascinating glimpse into the battlefield’s history. The book is visually compelling and beautifully printed on high-quality paper, which makes it feel like a hardback rather than the paperback it is. For anyone interested in the Palmito Ranch battles, interpretation of the site, or preservation efforts in general, this is a must read. [End Page 125] Jeffrey William Hunt Texas Military Forces Museum (Austin) Copyright © 2019 The Texas State Historical Association