There were many people against the Civil War in Alabama including Unionists in Montgomery, Alabama in 1861 [films]
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Yes, I am a descendant of one!
I’m surprised that there were not more since it is my understanding that the vote for succession was relatively close. Nice story.
Traitors
Get over it.
blue bellies amongst us.
You have left out the Free State of Winston! When Alabama seceded from the Union, Winston County seceded from Alabama! The hardy, small farmers of the Appalachian foothills didn’t own slaves and saw no reason to be pawns in what they called “a rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight.”
This was a story only about Montgomery. There were many people in other counties including Winston against secession. I wrote about Winston County in two stories. See links below.
http://alabamapioneers.com/free-state-winston-county-civil-war-became-bastion-republican-party/#sthash.nPgjko4n.dpbs
http://alabamapioneers.com/free-state-winston/#sthash.vqRIm9Pc.dpbs
These stories are never told
The secessionists didn’t “want” a war as well but rather a peaceful separation and independence from a government they saw as repressive and tyrannical….as per the Founding Fathers; as per the Declaration of Independence; as per the Constitution. It was Lincoln and the Radical Republicans who wanted war. Every peace delegation sent by the Confederate States to Washington to negotiate a peaceful separation was turned away without so much as recognition they had even come. Those unionists who stayed behind and acted on behalf of the Union were the equivalent of Tories during the American Revolution….most Americans today have little problem accepting how Tories were treated by the “secessionist” colonists.
Well, that’s one way to un-read history.
I’ve read more history books than you’ll ever see not to mention primary documents, newspapers, dairies, and publications of the period. Have studied the period extensively for over 30 years.
Modern day in a nutshell. It’s coming to a head, as they all knew it would
People that remained loyal to Britain in the Rev War were treated horribly afterward. There were many split families in the Carolinas and Georgia. The British brought the Rev War to the South because they felt there would be more people loyal to Great Britain. I have always wondered if a lot of North Alabama folks were resistant to the idea of the War of Northern Aggression because they had heard stories from their grandparents of how terrible it was. The “British” at King’s Mountain were Americans other than their commander. If your Alabama ancestors were in the Carolinas or Georgia for the Rev War, don’t shake your family tree too hard. That war went on for seven years and folks may have had to change sides to survive. I have always heard that for the Rev War, about 1/3 were Loyalists, 1/3 Patriots and 1/3 did not care.
I had Alabama relatives on both sides….
Read tories of the hills. Tells a lot about this
My great uncle wanted “Tories of the Hills” to be made into a movie. I finally read it last week after getting it through inter-library loan. It makes you wonder how our ancestors survived such a dark and bloody time.
There were a good many from North Alabama that fought with the Union. There was a Union calvary unit from Cullman & Huntsville area. Two brothers from my family by marriage were Union officers. One was murdered after war ended because he fought for the Union. His brother caught up with his brothers killers in Texas & took revenge. My grandmother wrote a book about it entitled Gone to Texas. Dont think she ever published it.
Little known facts about Alabama folks against secession and who stayed loyal to the Union.
The vote for succession was close, 54-46 of the elected delegates. Half my family at the time were unionists.
My great grandfather was one who voted against succession.