Cry Havoc!

[ole]

A new book by Nelson Lankford, author of Richmond Burning. A detailed look at the struggles of Unionists between Sumter and North Carolina's secession. Not particularly kind to Lincoln's efforts, there were many incidents and activities I didn't know about. A good read, as well.
Ole

 

[larry_cockerham]

Ole, are you purposefully connecting my native state "the goodliest land neigh the cloak of heaven" with those scum in South Carolina?

 

[OpnDownfall]

Cry Havoc

From the reviews, it appears the author does not go too deeply into differentiating between 'unionists' and 'conditional' unionists in the upper south.



"Cry Havoc and Let Slip the Dogs of War"

 

[ole]

Now that you mention it, I don't believe I saw any reference to the labels for differing degrees of unionism. His subject dealt more with those fighting to keep their states in the union.

Larry: My reference was only to time -- the first and last to secede.
Ole

 

[OpnDownfall]

Cry Havoc

Indeed, the motivations of those really wanting their states to remain in the Union, were a different (and much rarer) breed of cat from those who wanted to remained in the Union only until a more plausible excuse,than the election of a President provided.

 

[elektratig]

I recently read Daniel Crofts' excellent Reluctant Confederates: Upper South Unionists in the Secession Crisis, which covers the attitudes and actions of unionists in Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee during the Secession Winter.

What is striking is that the vast majority of upper south unionists were, indeed, "conditional" unionists. On the one hand, they resented and bitterly denounced the lower south for destroying the union and placing the upper south in a position where it was forced to make a choice -- and in the Winter large majorities of those three states made clear that they would not willingly leave the Union. At the same time, their proposed remedy was to placate (I'm tempted to say "appease") the lower south with the Crittenden Plan and variations thereof and then hope that the lower south would ultimately return, and they made clear that they regarded the use of force as unacceptable.

After Sumter and Lincoln's call for 75,000 militia, of course, all three states left the Union, and the decisions to do so were not close.

I haven't read Lankford's book, but Crofts is an excellent place to start if you're interested in understanding the upper south during the Secession Winter.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0807844306/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

 

[larry_cockerham]

After Sumter and Lincoln's call for 75,000 militia, of course, all three states left the Union, and the decisions to do so were not close.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0807844306/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

Yep, that's the part that kicked over the milk bucket. Many southerners that weren't into slavery simply got a little offended by the threat, or later the reality, of an invading army, even a US one.

 

[OpnDownfall]

Cry Havoc

Exactly, most of the so-called southern 'unionists' leaders were for the union until the right excuse could be found, to secde. They were bound to go out of the union, sooner or later, preferably, depending upon the excuse, sooner rather than later.