Confederate Veterans of the Civil War created the Confederate Reunion Grounds in 1889 as a place to meet annually under a full moon in late summer to celebrate their camaraderie and remember their war experiences and sacrifices.
“The object shall be to perpetuate the memories of our fallen comrades, to administer to the wants of those who were permanently disabled in the service, and to aid the indigent widows and orphans of deceased Confederate soldiers, to preserve and maintain that sentiment of fraternity born of the hardships and dangers shared in the march, bivouac and the battlefield.”
— From the 1889 Constitution of Camp 94 UCV
People arrived by horse, buggy, or train from as far away as Dallas and Houston and purchased camping spots where they built summer cottages or camped in tents or brush arbors. They planted crepe myrtle trees and irises, which still bloom on the site each spring. Funds from the lease of lots helped the camp finance the purchase of the reunion grounds.
The Confederate Reunion Grounds were donated to the Texas State Parks System in 1994.
Check the website for special scheduled events such as living history days, reenactments, or junior archaeology programs. Or just enjoy an unstructured outing–a little peace and quiet and maybe a picnic lunch. Children sometimes absorb the history of the place rather naturally and remember it fondly as someplace special, just as those who came before.
