Lincoln, Houston, & Texas

[LincolnMan]

Author John Hoyt Williams informs us in his book Sam Houston A Biography of the Father of Texas the following:

"Abraham Lincoln, inaugurated the day Houston proclaimed secession, clearly perceived the importance of Texas with a Unionist governor and a size able, but overestimated, Unionist minority. Lincoln and his advisors determined to defend Houston as "the outstanding exemplar of Unionism in the South." In fact, serious thought was given to sending massive reinforcements to Texas. Certainly Texas was far more important than lonely Fort Sumter or the only other Union holdout in the South, Florida's Fort Pickens. If Texas could be held in the Union with Houston at its helm, the tide of rebellion might yet be turned. Virginia had not yet seceded, and a Confederacy without the twin anchors of Texas and Virginia would drift upon the diplomatic seas." (343).


Certainly Texas was a huge loss for the Union. I think any action like sending Union troops there would have made things worse-and I don't think there were enough Yankee troops to do so at that time. It was also a sad way for Sam Houston to have his career "ended." Your thoughts?