American Brigadier General warns Washington that Texas is about to secede, wants advice, gets ignored, turns over the entire military district to Texas, becomes one of the top Confederate Generals. TA DA.

>It had become obvious by December that Texas might secede, and [Twiggs](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Major_General_David_E._Twiggs_MET_DP249140.jpg) had repeatedly written Washington for advice. No specific orders came back. In mid-February Twiggs told one of his officers, “If an old woman with a broomstick should come with full authority from the State of Texas to demand the public property, I would give it up to her.” >Two days later, a large mob, with no real authority, appeared in San Antonio, where Twiggs kept his headquarters, and demanded he surrender his entire command. >He considered it for a few hours, then verbally agreed. He sent out orders to all nineteen posts to turn over “everything” to the Texans. A few minutes later he left for New Orleans, where he was greeted with open arms by the Confederacy, which designated him one of its highest-ranking generals. ___________________________ **Source:** Detzer, David. “Hostages.” *Allegiance: Fort Sumter, Charleston, and the Beginning of the Civil War*. New York: Harcourt, 2002. 190. Print. ___________________________ **Further Reading:** [David Emanuel Twiggs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_E._Twiggs)