The following table specifies the number of votes cast in the three elections from 1856-1860 and the referendum vote on secession in 1861. I’ll comment more on this later. However, with a quick glance at the difference between numbers of voters in 1860 and 1861, in most cases (Rockingham and Shenandoah counties being the exception) a person is left to wonder where so many people were on the day of the referendum vote for secession. Why didn’t they go to the polls for such an important vote?
| County | 1856 | 1859 | 1860 | 1861 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augusta | 3353 | 3572(-) | 3865(+) | 3140 (-18.75%) |
| Berkeley | 1843 | 1940(+) | 1849(-) | 1811 (-2%) |
| Clarke | 629 | 623(-) | 672(+) | 556 (-17%) |
| Frederick | 2249 | 2012(-) | 2344(+) | 1862 (-20.5%) |
| Jefferson | 1791 | 1732(-) | 1857(+) | 1178 (-36.5%) |
| Page | 1091 | 1090(-) | 1153(+) | 1103 (-4%) |
| Rockbridge | 2160 | 2438(+) | 2233(-) | 1729 (-22.5%) |
| Rockingham | 3243 | 3162(-) | 2913(-) | 3034 (+3.9%) |
| Shenandoah | 2572 | 2184(-) | 2493(+) | 2518 (+.099%) |
| Warren | 713 | 671(-) | 792(+) | 678 (-14%) |
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Posted on April 8, 2008 by Robert Moore
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