Civil War History
Eagle Pass Was a Key Confederate Cotton Port
During the Civil War, Eagle Pass became an important shipment point for Confederate cotton exports after Union forces occupied Brownsville, making it one of the most active border crossings in the South.
During the Civil War, Union forces blockaded Confederate ports on the Gulf Coast and occupied Brownsville in 1863. Texas merchants had to find another way out. They moved cotton overland to Eagle Pass, where it was ferried across the Rio Grande and sold in Mexico.
Eagle Pass became an important shipment point for Confederate cotton during this period.
The end of the war played out here too. A group of Confederate soldiers who refused to surrender — called the Shelby expedition — crossed the Rio Grande at Eagle Pass. They buried what sources describe as the last Confederate battle flag in the river.
This wartime history helped build Eagle Pass's lasting economic and cultural ties to Mexico.
Source to confirm: TSHA Handbook — Eagle Pass, TX