Good question Stan! REB was John's uncle. Here is a letter John wrote to him in 1861. Unfortunately, I cannot read the writing. Perhaps someone who has studied 19th Century writing more than yours truly (like David) can translate it for us.

Both of these were fascinating men, deserving of their own biographies.

http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth30594/m1/1/

p.s. If you look around, several universities in Texas received large contributions from well known Confederate veterans. Sul Ross became president of Texas A & M in 1891 after serving as Governor and had a university named after him. George Washington Littlefield is the largest and most famous benefactor of the Univ. of Texas. Nowadays, people with bent liberal persuasions want us to be ashamed of them. Confederate battle flags are banned from Aggie cadet dorms and left wing nut jobs on the U.T. campus want to remove the magnificent statues of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis and John H. Reagan that were purchased by Major Littlefield and placed at the South Mall.

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/carver/online_exhibits/mon_john_h_reagan.htm