The Gray and the Blue

Into the western part of Texas, about 1885 came Civil War veterans of the Gray and the Blue, to tame the wilderness. They grazed cattle where drought parched the grass. Lived in dugouts. Found daily existence a siege that reminded them of war hardships. On occasional trips into town, verbally refought the war on the Courthouse Square, but lived peacefully together to build a great county. In Cottle County, 85 per cent of the early pioneers had worn the Gray. One out of 3 had been in Texas units. Others, were from Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee and Virginia. Of the great early brands, most were owned by Confederate veterans, but one in Cottle was run by a strong pro-Unionist. 8,722 Union veterans lived in Texas in 1890. One example in Cottle County at this time was Union veteran, William Frederick Liedtke (1836-1914), who had migrated to the U.S. from Prussia, in 1856. He served as a county official and then as state auditor of Nebraska before settling in Paducah. He was legal advisor, abstractor and Justice of the Peace here. Gray or Blue in the 1860s, the 1890 uniform tended to be cowman's regalia on an American looking to the future rather than at the past. (1964)

The Gray and the Blue is a historical marker in Paducah, Cottle County, dedicated in 1964. It is one of 9 historical markers documented in Cottle County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 11 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 34.0172, -100.3034 near Paducah. The nearest cataloged historic site is Cottle County (historical marker), about 0.1 miles away. Others within a short drive include Cottle County Courthouse, Gober-Barron-Williford House, and Martin, Emmett.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5101005346. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.