Having spent a little time working on Civil War-era research in northern Alabama, let me add my thoughts. The decision for Alabama's secession was made at their secession convention and was never put to the people for ratification. Thomas Joyce McClellan of Limestone County was angry, as were many of the delegates from northern Alabama, that the people never had a chance to ratify the decision. McClellan had earlier voted against secession (and refused to sign the order), and considered the demonstrations in Montgomery at the announcement of secession, to be "a soul-sickening spectacle," The Union flag flew over the Athens, Alabama courthouse, and "true-blue unionists" dared anyone to take it down. There was even talk of seceeding along with several southern Tennessee counties to form their own state (probably more of a fantasy than a reality). All talk of remaining in the Union and criticism of secession abruptly ended with the firing on Fort Sumter. The issue changed completely at that point to defending the "home country" and hearth and home. Thomas Joyce McClellan would send three sons off to the war and would serve in the Alabama legislature during the war. The issue of southern unionism and loyalty to either side is very complicated. Individual states and counties seemed to be very divided in their loyalties, and also, I think, in the reasons why they fought the war. I don't think one can make a statement that a region like northern Alabama, for instance, should be labled as a pro-Union area. The northern Alabama counties were a mixture of small farmers and large planters in a cotton-producing area with ties to the slave-economy, but also with strong interests in remaining in the Union. While many opposed immediate secession, some of those same people quickly jumped on the secession bandwagon once the firing started. However, from reading many of their letters before and during the war, it is clear that they thought the war was a mistake, and that they also hoped that once again the southern states might return to the Union. Northern Alabama was much like Culpeper, Virginia in that it was occupied off and on by Union troops; it had some citizens who were northern supporters, and some who were southern supporters; and it was subject to raids by both Union and Confederate forces. It was hard to get a feeling about loyalty towards either side when Union troops under Gen. Basil Turchin would raid Athens on one day, and Nathan Bedford Forrest on the next. Many people just shut-up, hunkered-down, and rode it out. Thomas McClellan's son wrote to him from the front in Virginia, upon hearing of the Union occupation of northern Alabama, and advised him to act like "the perfect Yankee" to save his home and family. I am currently researching the old Whigs (1840-1852) from northern Alabama and south-central Tennessee to see if there is a connection between their Whig backgrounds and their secession politics. Any comments or suggestions? John Carter --- Gregg Kimball <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > I would say that the eventual formation of West > Virginia also constitutes a > "significant public outcry . . . against secession." > I would highly > recommend Dan Crofts' book "Reluctant Confederates" > on secession in the > upper South. If I remember correctly, the decision > to secede was never put > to a popular vote in Virginia. What was the case in > the other southern > states? > > Gregg Kimball > > > Gregg D. Kimball > Director of Publications > and Educational Services > Library of Virginia > 804/692-3722 > [log in to unmask] > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please > see the instructions > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more http://taxes.yahoo.com/ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html