Resident Pens Biography on Civil War Era Texan

Book about Liberty County sheriff and cattleman William Berry Duncan

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Texas A&M University Press has recently released Moss Bluff Rebel: A Texas Pioneer in the Civil War, authored by Philip Caudill, a resident of Grogan's Mill Village in The Woodlands. The historical biography, the latest volume in the Sam Rayburn Series on Rural Life, chronicles the life of previously unknown Texas cattle drover, sheriff and Civil War Confederate cavalry officer William Berry Duncan of Liberty County.

Caudill's accounts, culled from Duncan's personal and business diaries and letters, paint a picture of everyday life for the Anglo-Texans who settled the Mexican land grants and subsequently became citizens of the proudly independent Texas Republic.

"It has been thoroughly enjoyable to have discovered Duncan's papers," explained Caudill, "and it is a great honor for me to tell the story of a Texas pioneer who helped build our state and our nation on the 19th century frontier."

Ralph A. Wooster, Distinguished Professor of History, Emeritus, Lamar University, said, "In Moss Bluff Rebel, Philip Caudill skillfully traces the life and times of William Berry Duncan, Liberty county clerk, sheriff, cattleman, entrepreneur and Confederate soldier. Fully utilizing primary sources, especially Duncan's diaries, and secondary accounts, Caudill describes Duncan's experiences as a captain in Spaight's battalion in Civil War action in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana. The author is a diligent researcher, forceful writer, and coincidentally, an entertaining public speaker and readers will enjoy this spirited narrative about a reluctant Rebel in the Civil War and Reconstruction."

Col. Matthew Moten, PhD, Department of History, United States Military Academy at West Point, said, "Moss Bluff Rebel paints a detailed portrait of a fascinating Texan, William Duncan - businessman, county sheriff, cattleman and Confederate citizen-soldier."

Gregg Cantrell, the Lowe Chair in Texas History at Texas Christian University, said, "Phil Caudill paints a vivid portrait of William Berry Duncan's fascinating life. Moreover, he gives us one of the best glimpses yet of life on the Civil War home front in Texas."

M. Hunter Hayes, general editor of the Sam Rayburn Series, said, "Philip Caudill's skill as a writer, astute command of historical detail, as well as his gifts for engrossing readers in a compelling narrative, further expand our understanding of this tumultuous period and its impact in and beyond Texas."

The book's abstract, six reviews, the first chapter and sidebars to each chapter may be found on the Internet at the Web site below. The book is available at Barnes & Noble at The Woodlands Mall and throughout Texas, as well as amazon.com.

Caudill wrote Moss Bluff Rebel after a 35-year career in business and public affairs in the United States and Europe. He is a former television news anchor with master's degrees in both history and journalism.