The delegates often appeared to be confused because they ofter were. Both
advocates of secession and its opponents were trying to persuade the other
side, and opponents and undecided delegates were also trying to find ways to
end the crisis and not have to make a choice. The times were rapidly
changing and very tense. I second the recommendation of Dan Crofts's
splendid RELUCTANT CONFEDERATES, which is a brilliant analysis of the
attitudes and actions of upper south Unionists and their interactions with
secessionists and undecideds.

Brent Tarter
The Library of Virginia
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-----Original Message-----
From: RLB [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 07 February, 2002 8:59 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: The Vote to secede


---------
Brent Tarter wrote:

In the only state about which I can claim to know anything at all, Virginia,
sentiments certainly changed between the election in November 1860 and the
opening of hostilities in April 1861. Scarcely anybody doubts that a
substantial portion (probably a large majority) of the people who voted in
February 1861 for members of the Convention of 1861 were at that time
opposed to secession. When the question of secession came to a vote on 4
April 1861 a majority of the convention delegates voted it down. Only two
weeks later a majority of the same delegates voted in favor.

So what does that tell us? That opinions changed as circumstances changed.
---------

Brent,
Those details help verify the observations in spring 1861 letter that has
come down
through our family.  A young man from Albemarle, living in Richmond at the
time, wrote to
his sister that the "delegates are all either drunkards or fools" because
one day the talk
was all succession and the next all union.  He was frustrated that they
couldn't seem to
make up their minds.  He then told about the quantities of weapons and
ammunition South
Carolina was buying in Richmond, and that everyone was sure that if shots
were to be
fired, it would start in South Carolina.

I'm recalling these details from memory. Don't have a copy of the letter
handy.
Interestingly, he didn't take a position on the issue of succession, but
seemed to be
waiting for the convention to figure out what the state would do. His next
letter home was
uncharacteristically brief -- just one line saying he didn't know where he'd
be next but
would write when he had his new address.  What went unspoken (and we later
found in the
service records), is that he had enlisted.  Guess that was his way of
breaking it to the
family gently.

Rosanna Bencoach

P.S.  The relative who has the originals of the war letters from Joseph
Parrish of
Albemarle deposited copies of them with Alderman Library at UVA, if anyone
is interested.
He served as a private with a heavy artillery company, and was later
transferred to the
engineers. He died in the spring of 1864.

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