the Town line...

[potter.]

i recently watch a short history of the above, and was amazed that this village/town in upper New York seceded to the confederacy in 1861, and did'nt rejoin the union till 1946... any more information?

 

[DBF]

I was curious enough to goggle and discovered the town called "Town Line" and the following article:

https://knowledgenuts.com/2015/02/10/the-confederate-town-in-new-york-that-held-out-until-1946/

Apparently they were not the only are to secede as these people from Maine tell the story:

"When gentle Abraham Lincoln announced that soldiers would be drafted, the men and boys of Loud's Island paid no heed, or as island lingo would put it, harked not. The boats went to sea, and no Loud's Islander visited the draft board over at Rockland port.

Then a navy boat came, and a sign was tacked to Loud's Island trees, saying a draft company of soldiers would come at stated time and at stated place to sign up the men and the penalties would be thus and so. The men of Loud's Island had been duly notified.

So on the appointed day, the big military boat came to Loud's Island and with the aid of two drummer boys safely landed the militia, and the search began.

There wasn't a man on the island. House by house, the soldiers followed the little path through the bayberries and sweet fern around the island, past the white chapel and the red school, and all they could flush were the women, the girls, and the small children, who came out willingly and stood with hands over their eyes against the bright sun and said nothing. Not a word.

The men, and every boy-child big enough to bait a trawl, were at sea. Somewhere betwixt the Isles of Shoals and Dingwall, no doubt. But not here.

About the middle of Loud's Island, then as now, stood the wee white chapel already alluded to, which in these days is connected with the Maine Seacoast Missionary Society and is active in the newer-day community life. Next door to the chapel, on that Civil War day, the soldiers found Granny Annie-Belle, a dame of advanced years whose hearing was impaired but was in good physical condition and liked to be left alone.

When the menfolks came in from sea, they held a meeting and voted to secede from the Union, and it has always been said that Father Abraham, already busy with a number of other secessions, decided to ignore this one and never did a thing about it."

https://www.csmonitor.com/1996/0419/19172.html

 

[Fairfield]

When the menfolks came in from sea, they held a meeting and voted to secede from the Union, and it has always been said that Father Abraham, already busy with a number of other secessions, decided to ignore this one and never did a thing about it."

https://www.csmonitor.com/1996/0419/19172.html

Like so many glossy re-renderings, the real story was a bit more complicated. It was a dispute with the town of Bristol over the fishing fleet, government and the vote. Not so glamorous.

However, Loud's Island (Muscongus Island or Bristol Mills) did come to an agreement with Father Abraham: the island paid to have its men released from obligation (I've read that several did, in fact, serve but--if so--they used residency in Bristol). The island also settled with the state and continued with tax payments directly to the state; it is today governed as an unorganized territory. But it never settled with the town of Bristol (the true culprit in this dispute). Ironically, the inhabitants of Loud's Island are all gone and the island's only population consists of summer people; however the owners all have Bristol addresses!

 

[Pollaco]

He is referred to as "gentle" Abraham Lincoln and "father" Abraham. Was that sarcasm maybe?

 

[Fairfield]

He is referred to as "gentle" Abraham Lincoln and "father" Abraham. Was that sarcasm maybe?

Probably not. At the time of the draft, there was a popular song "We Are Coming, Father Abraham".

 

[Pollaco]

Probably not. At the time of the draft, there was a popular song "We Are Coming, Father Abraham".

we are coming father abraham at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

That is understandable but
were did the "gentle" come in?

 

[Fairfield]

That is understandable but
were did the "gentle" come in?

I don't know but, IMO, President Lincoln was a gentle man--certainly in comparison with others of the time. There are some great examples of his gentle maneuvering in Goodwin's Team of Rivals and Oakes' Crooked Path to Abolition.

 

[major bill]

Interesting story. I am not sure it was entirely legal.

 

[Fairfield]

Interesting story. I am not sure it was entirely legal.

What do you mean by "legal"?

 

[DBF]

I remembered the story of Loud's Island because it was a trivia question back in February of 2020 (one that I didn't find the answer) and I never forgot the questions I missed! @Fairfield it was your question!!

Trivia - 2-19-20 Who and Why | War Between the States Trivia Game

In 1863, part of the Union seceded. Who seceded and why? credit: @Fairfield

civilwartalk.com

 

[Kentucky Derby Cavalier.]

It is said that five men from Town Line went South to fight, I've always thought this was embellished as no one ever produced any names or records.

 

[lupaglupa]

Not to quibble, but Town Line is in western New York, which is not the same as upstate. Town Line is technically a hamlet, which in New York is what we call unincorporated communities. It's not a legal entity so any vote they would have taken would have been symbolic.

 

[John Hartwell]

The Republic of Town Line:

{Buffalo Morning News, Feb. 21, 1861}
​

Reminds me of the Republic of Indian Stream, which seceded from New Hampshire in the 1820s.

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/town-line-ny-last-area-in-csa-to-rejoin-union.7949/

 

[lupaglupa]

We once rented a vacation house from a man whose son had declared the oceans a sovereign nation and made himself head of them. Some things never seem to go out of style.

 

[John Hartwell]

There are, today, scores of self-proclaimed micronations all over the world, some issuing passports, currency, postage stamps, electing (or crowning) heads of state and ambassadors, and tendering one another diplomatic recognition. Some have existed for decades. They range from something like the Kingdom of Redonda (an absolute monarchy established on an uninhabited Caribbean island in 1865); to the Kingdom of Talossa, a founded in 1979, by a 14-year-old Milwaukee lad, with territory consisting of his bedroom (since expanded); changed from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy in 2007 (GDP today of $842.50); to the very ambitious Nova Roma, ("Dedicated to the restoration of classical Roman religion, culture and virtues").

I bet you could find one or two of them that would even have recognized the CSA!

 

[Fairfield]

There are, today, scores of self-proclaimed micronations all over the world, some issuing passports, currency, postage stamps, electing (or crowning) heads of state and ambassadors, and tendering one another diplomatic recognition. Some have existed for decades. They range from something like the Kingdom of Redonda (an absolute monarchy established on an uninhabited Caribbean island in 1865); to the Kingdom of Talossa, a founded by a 14-year-old Milwaukee lad, with territory consisting of his bedroom (since expanded); changed from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy in 2007 (GDP today of $842.50); to the very ambitious Nova Roma, ("Dedicated to the restoration of classical Roman religion, culture and virtues").

I bet you could find one or two of them that would even have recognized the CSA!

Two of my favorites are:

1. the Conch Republic (Key West seceded from the U.S. in 1982); I believe that it actually declared war on the U.S. It certainly might have recognized the CSA
2. a small island off Oakand, CA (Winter Island?) seceded in 1898 in a dispute between its owner (Major William Oscar Howes--1st Maine SharpShooters and 20th Maine Infantry) and the U.S. government over the appointment of Mark Hanna to the US Senate.

 

[roberts]

Why was some of New York part of the Confederacy until 1946?

 

[lupaglupa]

Why was some of New York part of the Confederacy until 1946?

A better title - why will people believe anything put on the internet?

 

[rpkennedy]

Not to quibble, but Town Line is in western New York, which is not the same as upstate.

Anything north of New York City is upstate to everyone not from New York.

Ryan (born in Troy, grew up just outside of Saratoga)

 

[lupaglupa]

Upstate starts at Hudson, ends on the north at Canada, on the west at Utica (born in Poughkeepsie, live near Albany)