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Over 200,000 Scotch Irish came to this country in the 1700's and settled in the hills of the south - Virginia, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Georgia and Kentucky. Since they lived in the south then it makes sense that they fought on the Confederate side.
Over 200,000 Scotch Irish came to this country in the 1700's and settled in the hills of the south - Virginia, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Georgia and Kentucky. Since they lived in the south then it makes sense that they fought on the Confederate side.
These same Scotch Irish that came to this country in the 1700's also settled in the hills of the north -Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, what would become Vermont and West Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland and especially Pennsylvania. Since they lived in the north then it makes sense that they fought on the Union side.
Over 200,000 Scotch Irish came to this country in the 1700's and settled in the hills of the south - Virginia, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Georgia and Kentucky. Since they lived in the south then it makes sense that they fought on the Confederate side.
Many of those people lived in mountainous areas of the south with very strong Union sentiment such as eastern Tennessee, eastern Kentucky, western Maryland and and western North Carolina. Over 20,000 white east Tennesseeans fought in the Union army, betcha didn't know that, eh? And Kentucky and Maryland stayed loyal to the Union anyway and both supplied far more troops to The United States than to the Rebellion.
Oh yeah, not to mention the mountainous areas of western Virginia which seceded from Virginia and formed the new loyal state of...ta-da.....West Virginia.
I wouldn't doubt that between Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland and the Unionist pockets in the rebelling states that as many Scotch-Irish took up arms for The United States as for the Rebellion.
Oh yeah, not to mention the mountainous areas of western Virginia which seceded from Virginia and formed the new loyal state of...ta-da.....West Virginia.
I wouldn't doubt that between Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland and the Unionist pockets in the rebelling states that as many Scotch-Irish took up arms for The United States as for the Rebellion.
West Virginia was really only a Union state on paper. According to military historian Russell Weigley-
Quote:
In much of the new state, the Confederacy in fact dominated throughout the war, all the more firmly supported by a local population resentful of attempts to alter its state allegiance against its will. Except in the Ohio River counties, the new state could enforce its writ only under the bayonets of the Union Army.
Anyone who wants to read more can take a look at my website.
West Virginia was really only a Union state on paper. According to military historian Russell Weigley.......
With about an equal number of troops in American and rebel armies and most of the state under American control for most of the war it could hardly be claimed to be a rebellious state either. Interesting, I didn't know that many people there had supported the Rebellion though.
Hi Tom. If you look at the Quotes on the Guerrilla War on my website that will give you an idea on the amount of control they had. In 1863 when it officially became a state Gov. Boreman said that a Union man wasn't safe out of sight of the Ohio River, so I don't think Federal control was as extensive as some historians believe. In 1865 citizens of Parkersburg complained to Boreman that they were being overrun by Confederates, and that is fairly far north in the state, and even in his 1865 address to the legislature Boreman complained of extensive raids in Harrison and Marion counties, which are right near the northern panhandle.
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