Victor M. Rose

(1842-1893) Son of Victoria County judge. From boyhood wrote stories and poems. Left college to join Confederate Army in the Civil War. Fought in Ross' Brigade, in many of the hardest battles in history. Was wounded twice and spent many months as a prisoner of war.

Edited "Victoria Advocate" and several other Texas news- papers. Became a distinguished author. His books include a history of Victoria County, "History of Ross' Brigade" and "Life of General Ben McCulloch".

Men actually fighting -- as Rose was -- wrote most of Civil War news reaching Texas. Lack of manpower and paper made professional war correspondents scarce. Only one Texas paper is known to have had a full time reporter stationed on the fighting front.

Of 80 newspapers in Texas in 1860, only 20 survived by 1862; for war news most of these depended on mail from soldiers. It took 10 or more weeks for letters sent from camps east of the Mississippi to reach Texas and papers were read until worn to shreds.

Many men kept wartime diaries or had families who kept their letters. About 50 Texans later published diaries, letters, memoirs, regimental histories and commentaries on men and events of the Civil War. (1965).