Pendleton Murrah graduated from Brown University and pursued a legal career, moving to Texas where he established a law practice. He entered politics, serving in the state legislature and on the executive committee of the Texas Democratic Party. Elected governor in 1863, he faced significant challenges during the Civil War, particularly over conscription and cotton sales. After the war, Murrah sought to restore Texas to the Union but fled to Mexico to avoid arrest.

Pendleton Murrah's political identity is marked by a complex interplay between regional loyalty and strategic pragmatism. His opposition to Confederate conscription and cotton sales policies reveals an unexpected focus on protecting local economic interests, even at the expense of the Confederate war effort. Murrah's flight to Mexico to avoid Union arrest after the war highlights a calculated approach to navigating post-war realities, balancing personal survival with political principle.