The 9th Texas Infantry was formed at the start of the Civil War from companies recruited from North Texas. They fought with the Army of Tennessee until the end of the war. The men joined because of a variety of reasons from support for an independent Confederacy to a fear of being called cowards. They saw their first action in the opening assault at Shiloh, and fought in a number of battles including Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, Atlanta, and Nashville, ending the war at Spanish Fort outside Mobile, Alabama. Always in the thick of the fighting, they suffered heavy casualties and were honored for their courage. During the war, the men were exposed to disease, the hardships of camp life, and the rigors of military discipline. To survive, the men relied heavily on religion, their leaders, and each other. Those who survived carried their service with them the rest of their lives.