Browsing All posts tagged under »Southern Unionists«

Visualizing the Valley’s Unionism

February 20, 2013 by

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With an interest in seeing Southern Unionism from a different perspective, I’ve been tinkering with data a bit. The following pie charts are just some examples of the ways in which I’m reviewing some of the data I’ve compiled. Each illustrates the different levels of completeness for the various counties of the Shenandoah Valley. Comparing […]

“I don’t think there were really that many”

July 13, 2012 by

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Not so much a matter of content delivery this morning, and more about a thought that’s been lingering with me for a bit… About a month ago, a friend of mine attended a reenactment, here in the Valley (the Cross Keys/Port Republic event held on… the Cedar Creek battlefield). When he had an opportunity to talk […]

Let’s be honest with Shenandoah Valley history for the Spring of ’62… not all locals were happy with Stonewall’s presence

May 5, 2012 by

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I’ve seen a good deal of “Stonewall Jackson praising” going on lately, and while I can appreciate his part in the history of the Valley for that time, that’s not quite all of the story. In short, not everyone was cheering the arrival (and in some cases, the return) of Confederate troops in the Valley, […]

Defining Southern Unionists… one part of what might end up a multi-part examination

February 19, 2012 by

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On and off, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about this lately. First, I wonder just how many people have a one-dimensional, stereotype definition of Southern Unionists. Is it common to see them simply as Southerners who refused to release their embrace of the Union? Maybe folks also see them as Southerners who embraced Lincoln […]

50 Most Powerful Images of the Civil War…. hmmm; methinks some are missing

February 6, 2012 by

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The Atlantic put out a series of images from the Civil War that they consider among the most powerful. Certainly, I agree with some, but I think their list also falls short. In fact, there are several images that are pre-war, and as far as the actual time of the war goes, I think others […]

Confederates, Southern Unionists, and… The Waltons?!

October 23, 2011 by

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To be clear… I’ve always been a fan of the Waltons… though I prefer the first three seasons over the rest. Not only was it based largely on the writings of a Virginian, but also focused on a fictional Virginia family under the shadow of the Blue Ridge (albeit, on the eastern side). I still […]

Confederate oppression… there seems to be a trend here…

August 10, 2011 by

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Just sayin’… …for all the talk in Civil War “memory” about how wicked and oppressive the men in blue were, there seems to be convenient forgetfulness when it comes to how wicked and oppressive the men in gray could be. What is it that is said? For one finger pointing outward, indicating blame, there are […]

Strother returns to the Valley, April 30 – May 2, 1861

April 30, 2011 by

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As D.H. Strother makes his way from Annapolis, back to Harper's Ferry, he finds "the plot has thickened" considerably. Remarking briefly about the batteries placed on the surrounding hills, and the new commander there (T.J. Jackson), his attention is focused on discussions with some of the Virginia troops there. Despite being in the ranks, not all are embracing secession, and, in fact, remain hopeful that Virginians would reject it in the referendum to come, later in May. ...[ Read more...]

Enter… the Confederate army of occupation

April 28, 2011 by

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It’s difficult for some Southerners to see it that way, but, in fact, that is the way that some Southerners felt in 1861. As Craig points out in his post, from April 26, some folks and communities are starting to take note of the fact that not everyone in Virginia embraced the Confederacy. That’s recognition […]

“They call me a traitor now”

April 23, 2011 by

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This poem (and, no, not written by the same author, whose poem I posted on April 21… and not to fret, I’ll be telling you more about the author of that poem, soon) comes from the Memphis Bulletin (as reprinted in the Staunton Spectator. You remember… the Unionist paper in that town…) April 23, 1861. […]

A quest to know more about my Virginia ancestor who spoke out against secession

April 3, 2011 by

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As I mentioned yesterday, after posting a few items focused on anti-secession rhetoric in Virginia (during this time of the year, 150 years ago) this past week, I began thinking again about an ancestor of mine who also spoke out against secession at this same time. John Shuler (1815-1908) was a well-to-do farmer in Grove […]

WYSIWYG Confederates?

March 20, 2011 by

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Pardon the silence for the last week. A few unavoidable matters over the past week set posting back a bit, but let me see if I can get things moving once again… What are WYSIWYG Confederates? Well, in Web development, WYSIWYG is an acronym for “What you see is what you get”, and, in some […]

Southern by the grace of cornbread!

February 23, 2011 by

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Thinking about Craig’s post from the other day, I remembered something I’ve been meaning to post about cornbread… yes, cornbread. Now cornbread has become known as something distinctly “Southron”, but appears to  have origins with the Native People of what is now the southeastern U.S. (references vary, but among those suggested as originators are the […]

Were some Union soldiers fighting to preserve slavery?(!)

February 19, 2011 by

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Yes, you read that correctly. Give me a little time, and I’ll set the stage… As many who follow this blog know, one of my favorite areas of study is western Maryland… most especially, the Clear Spring and Conococheague Districts in Washington County. Likewise, I spend a good deal of time researching the men from […]

“What Can Virginia Do?”

February 9, 2011 by

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From the secession-leaning Staunton Vindicator, February 8, 1861… 150 years ago yesterday… The return so far received from the election on Monday last, show that a majority of “Union” candidates have been chosen over their “Secession” opponents. The complete returns from the State will not be received in time for publication in our issue of […]

The heritage dilemma and the Civil War

February 8, 2011 by

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Just a quick thought, but… What is one’s personal Civil War heritage? I see it as that link to the past through ancestors. So, if heritage is a part of us… the blood of our ancestry running through us, I’m wondering… With each generation, there comes the possibility/probability that a new line of heritage is […]

Were Southern Unionists and Northern Copperheads really comparable?

January 29, 2011 by

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Over the last two years, when I’ve raised points about Southern Unionists, the topic of Northern Copperheads has entered the picture. I think the two groups are commonly seen in the most basic terms… people in two separate geographic regions that supported the government (or “cause”) in power in the other geographic region. But, I […]

“All we ask is to be left alone”

January 15, 2011 by

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I’m picking-up from where I left off in my last post… Regarding some of those who opposed secession, and continued to do so… it didn’t necessarily mean that they were ready to go to war against their neighbors and friends, in defense of their position. Instead, many preferred to be left alone. They simply didn’t […]

Proud to be a Southerner!

January 2, 2011 by

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Sure, I love the South, for ALL of its history and heritage… it’s my history… it’s my heritage. But, to be proud of Southern heritage in connection with the war years between 1861-1865, what does that mean, exactly? Let’s keep it simple today… It means an ability to remain conscious of the fact that to […]

One site, multiple angles for interpretation

December 19, 2010 by

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One of my favorite historic sites in Page County, Virginia is Catherine’s Furnace. Because of efforts made in the early 2000s, the site has one Virginia Civil War Trails marker. I was fortunate to be involved in deciding that the site merited a marker, and I also wrote the text and provided images for the […]

Willa Cather’s Civil War Heritage

December 8, 2010 by

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I’m a huge fan of Writer’s Almanac, partly because it’s a great audio morsel that brings back hints of a time long gone, and partly because I’ve enjoyed listening to Garrison Keillor on Prairie Home Companion for years.  Additionally, I enjoy the closing remark, and find it encouraging at the beginning of the work day… […]

Goodhart on “States’ Rights”

December 5, 2010 by

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Some readers might already be familiar with the story of the Loudoun Rangers… but, just in case… in short, they were Virginia’s only organized Union unit (though many a Virginian joined Union units from other states). Briscoe Goodhart was a member of Company A. In his History of the Independent Loudoun Virginia Rangers, Goodhart wrote […]

Thinking of Southern Unionists under different terms

November 28, 2010 by

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I had been thinking about this for a while, but yesterday, while watching the latest Harry Potter movie, I caught myself thinking of Southern Unionists in a different light (yes, I know… of all things, how would I think about Southern Unionists in a Harry Potter movie… I suppose I’m hopeless…). Why did I think […]

Complex connections

November 22, 2010 by

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I saw this today, and the first thing I thought was, “oh, I bet Harry would be interested in this”… The thing is, I was looking for the headstones of David Hunter Strother’s (aka Porte Crayon… or, around these parts, simply, “The Porte“) parents. Well, this stone was not ten feet from John Strother’s stone… […]

Virginia’s textbook ordeal: thinking beyond “Black Confederates”

November 17, 2010 by

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Not long after the controversy over Virginia’s 4th grade history text began, like a number of others, I gave some thoughts about the mention of “Black Confederates” as well, but didn’t go beyond the single post. Yet, in the weeks that followed, I began to think more of what this means. Let’s focus specifically on […]

More on Southerners who relocated to the North and joined the Union army

November 17, 2010 by

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So, in the wake of Sunday’s post, I’ve been thinking. As I pointed out, the Mill Creek Baptist Church in Page County, Virginia split in 1805 over the issue of slavery. In the wake of that split, I’m curious about how many of the children of those people involved, who went to Ohio, ended up […]

How all Northerners “then” weren’t really so out of touch with “being Southern”

November 14, 2010 by

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It’s bad enough to hear some contemporary Southerners speak of Northerners as if it was still the time of the Civil War, but it’s even worse to hear Southerners speak of the people of the North from the time of the war, as if they could not, in the least bit, identify with the culture […]

Civil War History Month in Virginia… coming for 2011

September 24, 2010 by

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Virginia’s Gov. Bob McDonnell just did the right thing… not the PC thing, but the right thing. Now, here’s hoping that his next proclamation recognizes ALL of Virginia’s population in the war; the division within, the diversity and the varied sentiments, from Confederates to slaves to free blacks, from Southern Unionists to leave-aloners. Here’s hoping… […]

… and they were all Southern, alike.

September 21, 2010 by

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I’ve said it before… the South does not equal the Confederacy. In fact, Southerness in general is not a reflection of the Confederacy. Southerness existed before the Confederacy… Southerness was and is the culture. Modern Confederateness, on the other hand, is a culture unto itself and is not to be confused as dominant over Southerness, […]

Personal recollections of the Civil War. By a Virginian. (D.H. Strother) [Installment 6]

September 12, 2010 by

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Returning to where I left off (my September 4, 2010/fifth installment of D.H. Strother’s “Recollections”)… April 19. – On going down into the town this morning I found that there had been considerable accessions to the State forces, seven or eight hundred having arrived during the night and morning, while as many more were reported […]

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