EARLY YEARS / PREHISTORY TO 1873

Fighting the War

Dallas County was far removed from the political battles that preceded the war, but once it began no part of the nation was isolated enough to avoid choosing sides. Pro-slavery sentiment was dominant among the County’s voters, as well as support for State’s Rights, particularly the right to maintain slavery. In February 1861, Dallas men endorsed the secession of Texas from the Union by a vote of 741 to 237. Nearly one in three eligible Dallas county men joined the Confederate forces.