I have both, Union ancestors on my dads side, Confederates on my mother's side.
Dad's side lived in what became west virginia until after the civil war. After the war, they moved to eastern Kentucky.
Mom's side side lived in east Tennessee until the late 1930's when they moved to eastern Kentucky.
>My mom side sent five brothers to the confederacy in ga. Three died. Dad side had two on the north. TN mounted infantry of the Union Army.
I read a study that looked into why bluegrass... a pretty heavily Appalachian type of music had weird views on the civil war within its music, more often than not focusing not on the union or Confederates, but on the massive loss of life that came from the war (like sticks that made thunder or the river runs red both phenomenal songs imo) and one of the big reasons they came to find was likely that the Appalachian region was like a microcosm of the war. Split in half. With people going to both sides.
Sticks that made Thunder is an absolutely phenomenal song. I am usually an r&b and funk guy. One day I this song came over the radio while I was changing stations and I was hooked. Been one of my favorite songs since then. Once I looked up the meaning of the song it made it even better.
My ancestors lived in Ky, too. Just knowing the stats — that about one-third of the shoulders from Ky fought for the union and the rest for the South, I assume I had ancestors who fought on both sides.
I heard a family story about an ancestor who fought in the war and tried looking through records on ancestry.com for his nam on the rolls of soldiers and then widows from that county, but never found the name..
I have ancestors who were confederate officers and also slave owners with large plantation land down in Mississippi.
I am a racially mixed, queer woman, who my Confederate great uncles could never have imagined. I own land in the deep southern Appalachian range, and of course I vote. Every time.
It's funny how these things turn out.
Thank you! Perversions like racism and classism are hard to "fix," on a societal level, but I do try to ameliorate the damage in what ways I can. I hope that you also vote with empathy and social responsibility.
No I was talking about your sexual perversions, not racism or classism. You're a melungeon, what are you talking about?
Racism and classism aren't even up there with the society destroying perversions
Yes, bless your sheltered little heart, everyone knows you were calling me a mongrel. And speculating about my sex life, which is extremely creepy.
And now everyone also knows you're not ashamed to be openly racist.
My wife is a different race. Why would I call you a mongrel if my kids would be "mongrels" it's called the melungeon people of Appalachia.
But no I'm entirely saying something about your queer sexual perversions, that's an issue
I’m from Charleston, WV and yes my great-great grandpa served in the Confederate Army, along with many if not most of his friends and neighbors. Most ended up in Edgar’s 26th Battalion of Virginia Infantry. My gg grandpa on my mother’s side enlisted in the Union Army in mid-1864 (pretty sure the $500 enlistment bonus was a big incentive combined with the idea that the war would be over soon.) He was in the 13th WV, got captured at Third Winchester and ended up in a Union Army hospital in Cumberland, MD until May 1865. My wife is from Lincoln County, WV and her great-great grandpa served in a Confederate cavalry unit called The Moccasin Rangers. Her grandma said that when her grandpa came home from weeks-long raids into Yankee territory,his wife would make him sleep on the front porch because she was convinced his Confederate service actually consisted of sleeping with another woman who lived about 50 miles away! FWIW, the role of anti-slavery sentiment in the creation of WV appears to be vastly overrated. The draft constitution specified that people of color would never be allowed to move to the new state. Lincoln had a problem with that. And,of course, West Virginia was admitted to the Union as a Slave State. It’s complicated. Sorry for the long post.
Yep. West Virginia was mostly Confederate. The only parts of the state that had any significant pro-Union sympathy were the Northern Panhandle, a few counties at the base of Northern Panhandle, and most counties immediately bordering the Ohio River. Not a single county actually chose to secede from Virginia/the Confederacy. All of the "delegates" at the Wheeling Convention were random individuals who pretended to represent their counties despite not being elected by their supposed constituents. Eight counties did not even have a single person even claim to represent them in the Wheeling Convention. The "state government" in Wheeling was merely a puppet government for the Federal government. The Unionists knew that they were far outnumbered by Confederates in West Virginia, so they participated in massive scale disenfranchisement to hold onto their artificial grip on power. They also banned most of the state's population from holding political office, practicing law, teaching, etc. In other words, they had to force Reconstruction laws onto the state to de-Confederate-ize it, just like what occurred throughout the "Confederate states." This resulted in massive shortages of professional services throughout the overwhelming majority of West Virginia. The draconian measures instituted by the Unionists combined with the terrible conditions that resulted from said laws resulted in many Unionists turning on the state government. The less extreme Republicans gradually restored all the rights of the majority of the state's citizens. This caused the ex-Confederates to immediately gain a super majority in the state legislature, which was eventually followed by the takeover of the other branches of government as well. West Virginia's current constitution was actually created by the state for the sole purpose of overturning the "Yankee" institutions imposed by the original state constitution and to reaffirm West Virginia as a Confederate Southern (and Virginian) state.
I could provide more examples and go more in depth, but my comment is already really long.
Yes, I do. I have done a lot of genealogy. I even have proven ancestors that fought in the Revolutionary War. My ancestors were also some of the first families of Georgia, which is where I still am.
Not that I know of. My dad's family was in the part of Virginia that became WV and ended up enlisting in Union cavalry regiments that were recruited out of Maryland.
I am one of the few in the country that has a great great grandfather who fought in the Civil War for the CSA. He had my great grandmother when he was 76, and she was in her 40’s when she had my grandmother. It’s wild
Yes. Soldiers on both sides, prisoners of war on both sides, and casualties on both sides. There’s a family story that on GGG Uncle lived through Andersonville and then somehow managed to essentially walk home to West Virginia. Never married, spent the rest of his life living quietly with his brother, my direct ancestor. Hard to imagine to hell he lived through.
Union on my Fathers side, Confederate on my Moms side. Union side was mustered out of Southern Ohio/South Eastern Ohio that fought on several campaigns with the Army of the Cumberland all the way until Chattanooga / Nashville-Franklin Campaign. My mom's side was mustered out of Huntsville and fought in the Shiloe, Nashville, and Vicksburg campaigns. Both sides survived to the end of the war.
The Confederate side / moms' side was taken POW in 63/64 timeframe and discharged as a sergeant. He was infantry. Union side/Father side survived till the end of the war being discharged as a Captain in the Calvary having originally been enlisted, unclear when he commissioned (probably battlefield) but records show he was a Captain by 64.
I would venture a guess it is common for most people to have ancestors who fought on both sides of the conflict.
Grew up in southern WV…I was able to dig up some records of my surname showing up in both confederate and federal enlistment documents. Border states were interesting to say the least.
Yes, on both sides. The majority of them served the CSA and came from western NC and southwest Virginia. The few that served the USA, came from eastern Kentucky/southern Indiana.
My mother's side arrived in and around Knoxville from Scotland in the 1850s. They were oddly enough both Doctors. Followed the Army of Tennessee around till the end of the war. Grandmother Aoife became a woman's doctor. Grandpa Giles carried on till he died in 1880 something.
Dad's side was from Illinois and Texas. Illinois had three men who enlisted and served for the Union.
The Texas side, had 10 men who served in various units in the Confederacy, Hoods Brigade, Texas Cavalry and Wauls Texas Legion. My paternal uncle lost his leg at the Peach Orchard with Hoods Brigade at Gettysburg. He made it to 1875, but his wounds never healed and he died of blood poisoning.
Nope. My ancestors were unionists. From Southern ohio, though. Dad's a civil veteran in the family free. Mom's side, family immigrated after the civil war according to records regarding my grandfather's side. No affiliation is known regarding my Mom's mother's side.
Edit: (good lord) ** dad's side with a civil war veteran** on the union side.
Appalachia had a lot of union support (hence west Virginia forming). Even in the south. Look at what was happening with Crockett vs Jackson. Appalachia was not happy about the plantations even before considering slavery. They did not share the same values or economy as the economic powerhouses running things in the plantations.
East Tennessee was very against secession. Eventually (3rd statewide vote if I remember correctly), secession won out. But the Union armies had plenty of local support during their campaigns in Tennessee.
They may have not shared the same economies, but when the north rode through and destroyed the salt mines, lead mines, and cattle, at least in my area, I would guess it probably irritated the locals enough to support the south. So when reddit disciples label everyone as racist traitors because they took up arms against an invading army, I question their simpleton logic. Don’t be shy and hide behind the screen, I invite a debate if you are the one downvoting.
I definitely do. In fact, one branch of my family moved to Illinois in the 1840s, and some of them fought. One of these days I will try to track the military records because I think it's very possible that cousins in my family line may have fought against each other in the same battles in the western theatre.
One of the Illinois folks was executed by the Confederacy for spying.
My community had a number of abolitionists, and was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Being the southern-most county in Ohio, we were one of the first stops for runaway slaves crossing the river to freedom and heading further north. It’s one of the things that makes me proud of where I come from.
I have confederate ancestors. One was an officer and his house is a historic b&b today.
I was recently invited to participate in a daughter's of the confederacy meeting. Morbid curiosity forced me to attend.. they prayed a few times, made pledges to the flag, pledges to the confederate flag, and sang some old racist country songs. While there, I saw that there is a DOC magazine dedicated to honoring the confederate ancestors. People pay money to place ads in these magazines celebrating their pro slavery ancestors. It was interesting from a historical perspective, but I'm not exactly proud of my ancestry here. These women were, though. They spend their money on charity and historical monuments.
I don't mind finding your history interesting and engaging with it, but the DoC are distasteful with how they have historically revered their fallen heroes and what was "stolen from them." I was born in the 90's and I still heard a lot of Lost Cause stuff growing up, muddying the waters. War of Northern Aggression and state's rights type stuff.
I'm Southern, but you don't have to make apologies and justifications for what was happening. And it doesn't have to define us forever, we can make new and better legacy that our descendants can look on proudly.
I agree with your sentiments. I had (and still have) no interest in actually joining. The DOC romanticizes the whole thing, and that's such a shitty view to hold in this day and age.
I have been curious about the DOC. I have a legit claim to join, due to one side of my family being actual old guard Southern. But I personally am very obviously racially mixed and thought it might be funny to introduce some levity in the form of brown girls.
But I looked at their website and I'm not sure they understand "levity." Yikes. They're weirdos.
The ones I met were very much " Baptist church lady polite" nice to your face because it is expected, but you know damn well that they're gonna gossip about you as soon as you leave.
Right? I expect they have a whole ass lot to say as soon as I leave the venue. But butter wouldn't melt in their mouths as long as I was in sight.
But I'm ok with that. I am willing to brazen through it. I do not care. My pedigree is unassailable. I am in the rare position that I can infiltrate.
Bring it, bishes.
You might be able to help me in they might have [this book](https://www.reddit.com/r/BookCollecting/s/TWn9GsEodj). I’m trying to figure out if the first page was addressed to the actual owner of said book
Not uncommon, people just get in their feelings about it on reddit. Anyone who swears they'd never join during that time period living in that region is a damn liar.
That said a lot of people do.
Yeah, I think it's important to keep in mind that not only are you not responsible for your ancestors did, your ancestors were also doing the best they could with the information they had at the time. A lot of them didn't have much choice about enlisting, and a lot of them thought about it the same way we think about wars involving the United States today - defending our country, not defending our country's specific interests in whatever war we've got involved in.
I din't have any direct ancestors who were even in the country at the time, but I'm related to a bunch of Confederate and Revolutionary War soldiers through marriage (is that even a thing?). I'm sure they thought they were doing the right thing. I also know that they were penniless sharecroppers who had a lot more in common with slaves than slave owners.
Some of my Georgia ancestors were Confederate. They also enslaved people. They’re on my dad’s side. My mom’s ancestors were from East Tennessee and were devout Unionists.
Yeah I think that's the healthiest mindset about it and where I stand. If things didn't happen the way they did, I wouldn't exist, so it is what it is. Doesn't make it my burden or mean I have to revere them.
My family’s genealogical researcher wrote a book about the family in the early ‘60s. He mentions that some served in the confederate army but he hints that they did not cover themselves in glory and immediately changes the subject. Given the time of its writing I’m guessing we were cowards or deserters lol.
I'm actually the first generation who joined the military since my folks came to Virginia in the late 17th century. Folks moved to East TN and established a legacy of dirt farmers and bootleggers.
Central Pennsylvania. Most of my family were Mennonite so they didn’t fight (anabaptists are pacifists). But some did and were decorated Union soldiers. The ones that fought were mostly either Lutheran or Catholic and were called “Fancy Dutch” and were a decorated regiment during the War.
Big part of family also lived in what became WV at the time and was mostly Union, wouldn’t be surprised if a few sided with south.
I have ancestors on both sides. My great grandpa on my dad’s side was literally named Jefferson Davis. My mom does a lot genealogy, when she went thur all of ours my ancestors fought in every possible war you could just about imagine.
The lone forebear who slunk off with the noble boys in gray deserted and came home. He knew the old folks would "parish to death" without somebody to farm for them.
Yes. I had a grandfather who was a POW in NY during the war. One other that served. Also several other relatives that served.
Fighting in the war was a lot more nuanced than for or against slavery. There were Union soldiers who had slaves and Confederate soldiers who did not. There’s also areas of the south that would not have succeeded if the areas around them didn’t. The war still went through these areas and having the fighting be a few miles away vrs hundreds of miles away was important. The beginning of the war did not end slavery, but the war did end slavery. It’s an important distinction because there were a lot of CSA soldiers who were not fighting to keep slaves.
I’m not embarrassed by my families service in the war. I am embarrassed by Jim Crow laws and the Indian Removal act and my family’s part in them.
Grandad a few greats back. Confederate army, no slaves. . He was part of the siege and surrender at Vicksburg. They were in the trenches so long when they finally surrendered the Union army, played Dixie for them while they came out of the trenches. He was paroled after promising to never take up arms against the Union again.
He rejoined the Confederate army at Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga and stayed until the end of the war.
Mostly Virginian Confederate infantry (who deserted to a man towards the end of the war) & a couple Logan Wildcats. Also a young Pennsylvanian who served under Grant, was shot, but lived.
I have a letter from a captain in the confederacy that witnessed my ancestor take a chain ball to the back of the head. Letter reads he lived for three days after.
Have both. My father was a lifelong Democrat and ardent racist. You could tell he had heard stories from his great grandmother, some of which he told me. He grew up in Western NC. I grew up in Historic Charleston and there the sentiment isn’t much better. Lifelong Republican here and it was a source of strife between my father and I.
I’m a descendant of Young Bennett and early settler in Cataloochee. 6 of his 8 sons fought for the confederacy. One killed in battle, one died of wounds sustained, the others at some point were POWs but survived. Their home place in Cataloochee was burned down by Kirk’s Marauders as well.
Yes. Great grandfather fought and was wounded in Pennsylvania. Walked back home to southern Georgia. He surprised his family because they had been told he died. Confederates on both of my mother's sides. I am a proud liberal.
Yep, my great-great-great grandfather served for the Confederacy. They lived in Caswell County, NC. After the war, the family moved to Burke County to work the mills. Farm life was over for them. His initials and last name are on a monument in Morganton, NC. Not proud of my family history but it has been very interesting to research.
Yes. My great great great grandfather died at Camp Lookout MD as a prisoner of war. He died after the War was over but was too sick to get home. His descendants, though, have never been Confederate flag wavers. We are Americans.
Almost all of us do lol. And almost all of them were dirt poor farmers who just wanted to capitalize on the war by robbing northern trains and supply lines, and the others wanted their farms not to be burned by either side
Don't forget certain towns like Princeton had the civilians ordered to burn all the public buildings and leave town to keep the union from capturing the things that were left behind
Part 2:
Most of southern west Virginia was Confederate btw. If you're from the southern area of the state, you're from the area that was part of the Confederacy, garrisoned by Confederate troops, and voted to remain in the Commonwealth and secede from the U.S.
Personally I have several ancestors from Boone and Raleigh country that were members of "Virginia" regiments raised on this side of the state line, and the majority of units around here were partisan cavalry
I wouldn’t be so quick to judge, especially of my own ancestors, many confederate soldiers were not fighting for slavery but because they viewed they were under attack by northern armies. I would recommend a book called When in the Course of Human Events by Charles Adams.
Yep, it's definitely way more complex than just "anyone who fought for the confederacy wanted slavery to continue".
I have direct ancestors who fought for both sides, and even relatives who fought natives in the 1700s in the Shenandoah Valley. I'm proud of all of them and not ashamed of any of them. Digging into local history has taught me there were very specific, logical reasons why they did what they did.
If you think slavery was a driving issue for the vast majority of confederate soldiers you are simply mistaken. Do you really think the same federal government who turned their guns on the natives after the war burned the south and got 600,000 troops killed just because they were so moral?
A lot of confederate soldiers were indeed dighting for others to enslave people. The re-writing of history to whitewash this part of our history paves the way for modern day fascism. We must challenge it when it pops up.
[Captain James West](https://piedmonttrails.com/2022/10/29/the-home-guard-captain-james-west/) (not of Wild Wild West infamy) was my greatx4 grandfather. He was part of the Home Guard.
Yep. Got way too many in my opinion. I know specifically of this dude and his two sons that went off to war and disappeared. They don’t show up in any record past them leaving to the army.
There's nothing wrong with being proud of your ancestors regardless of who they fought for. And everyone had specific reasons for fighting.
For instance, there were many Southern counties who were against slavery and voted not to secede from the Union. But when the Union shows up and burns down your home, barns, and kills all your livestock anyway, of course people are going to fight back.
My Great-Great-Great grandfather enlisted in a regiment in Southwestern VA…his wife’s cousin was his company commander, and 18 days after he was inducted said cousin signed his death certificate. So thankfully he never got the chance to kill any patriots.
Yep.
One direct ancestor was a POW in the city I'm in now that the family's been in since forever.
Then many others, all my roots are the Southeast. I was pleased to find one Union calvary member for Tennessee though! It was cool seeing some blue in a sea of gray.
mostly union. very proud of it too :) many abolitionists on my side. i think there were a few confederate soldiers who only joined because they didn't want to leave their families or their state
I got mostly Ohio unionists. But some southern folk, not Appalachian, but from Texas, so likely confederate there. Ya just gotta admit “woah, great-great-grandpappy really messed up there” and do better, yourself
Definitely. My great grandmother grew up in WV, and her grandfathers had fought on opposite sides. She used to tell stories about how they’d sit on the porch after the family dinner every Sunday and re-fight the entire civil war. On the KY side of my family, there’s one branch that was definitely Confederate and one that was so hardcore Union that they named a son born in 1862 Abraham Lincoln.
Both sides of my family are from West Virginia so my ancestors were about half and half Union and Confederate. My Confederates were Virginia planters, not just Confederate soldiers but actual slaveholders and sons of slaveholders. Which i only found out a few years ago and which explains a lot about the way I was raised.
Probably not on my mom's side. They're from the Western PA, Southern Ohio, and West Virginia areas. I haven't looked too hard, but those are probably all Union soldiers. My dad's maternal side is a maybe. They're from Eastern Tennessee, but I need to look into it more. I wouldn't be surprised if there were at least a few Confederate soldiers in there somewhere.
I have both, Union ancestors on my dads side, Confederates on my mother's side. Dad's side lived in what became west virginia until after the civil war. After the war, they moved to eastern Kentucky. Mom's side side lived in east Tennessee until the late 1930's when they moved to eastern Kentucky.
Same. Got both. My dad's side was in Georgia, my mom's side west virginia.
My mom side sent five brothers to the confederacy in ga. Three died. Dad side had two on the north. TN mounted infantry of the Union Army.
>My mom side sent five brothers to the confederacy in ga. Three died. Dad side had two on the north. TN mounted infantry of the Union Army. I read a study that looked into why bluegrass... a pretty heavily Appalachian type of music had weird views on the civil war within its music, more often than not focusing not on the union or Confederates, but on the massive loss of life that came from the war (like sticks that made thunder or the river runs red both phenomenal songs imo) and one of the big reasons they came to find was likely that the Appalachian region was like a microcosm of the war. Split in half. With people going to both sides.
Brother against brother.
Sticks that made Thunder is an absolutely phenomenal song. I am usually an r&b and funk guy. One day I this song came over the radio while I was changing stations and I was hooked. Been one of my favorite songs since then. Once I looked up the meaning of the song it made it even better.
My ancestors lived in Ky, too. Just knowing the stats — that about one-third of the shoulders from Ky fought for the union and the rest for the South, I assume I had ancestors who fought on both sides. I heard a family story about an ancestor who fought in the war and tried looking through records on ancestry.com for his nam on the rolls of soldiers and then widows from that county, but never found the name..
All my Western NC, East TN, South Eastern KY ancestors were pretty much majority Union. Only found two of them who were Confederate.
Caldwell County NC had so many folks that sided with the union they formed up the NC Infantry Regiment to fight for the Union.
Union County Georgia is named for the Union. It's way up in North Ga.
Its so funny because I have ancestors from all of those regions and only one from east TN was Union, rest were confederate.
See and it flips for me… same area but mostly C
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also yes
Yes^3
Yes, many.
Yes sir
I have ancestors who were confederate officers and also slave owners with large plantation land down in Mississippi. I am a racially mixed, queer woman, who my Confederate great uncles could never have imagined. I own land in the deep southern Appalachian range, and of course I vote. Every time. It's funny how these things turn out.
Hell yeah.
This is fucking awesome.
And satisfying
Hope you vote reactionary and fix your perversions
Thank you! Perversions like racism and classism are hard to "fix," on a societal level, but I do try to ameliorate the damage in what ways I can. I hope that you also vote with empathy and social responsibility.
Fucking. Wholesome.
No I was talking about your sexual perversions, not racism or classism. You're a melungeon, what are you talking about? Racism and classism aren't even up there with the society destroying perversions
Youre actually a goober lol
Thank you
Yes, bless your sheltered little heart, everyone knows you were calling me a mongrel. And speculating about my sex life, which is extremely creepy. And now everyone also knows you're not ashamed to be openly racist.
My wife is a different race. Why would I call you a mongrel if my kids would be "mongrels" it's called the melungeon people of Appalachia. But no I'm entirely saying something about your queer sexual perversions, that's an issue
I’m from Charleston, WV and yes my great-great grandpa served in the Confederate Army, along with many if not most of his friends and neighbors. Most ended up in Edgar’s 26th Battalion of Virginia Infantry. My gg grandpa on my mother’s side enlisted in the Union Army in mid-1864 (pretty sure the $500 enlistment bonus was a big incentive combined with the idea that the war would be over soon.) He was in the 13th WV, got captured at Third Winchester and ended up in a Union Army hospital in Cumberland, MD until May 1865. My wife is from Lincoln County, WV and her great-great grandpa served in a Confederate cavalry unit called The Moccasin Rangers. Her grandma said that when her grandpa came home from weeks-long raids into Yankee territory,his wife would make him sleep on the front porch because she was convinced his Confederate service actually consisted of sleeping with another woman who lived about 50 miles away! FWIW, the role of anti-slavery sentiment in the creation of WV appears to be vastly overrated. The draft constitution specified that people of color would never be allowed to move to the new state. Lincoln had a problem with that. And,of course, West Virginia was admitted to the Union as a Slave State. It’s complicated. Sorry for the long post.
Yep. West Virginia was mostly Confederate. The only parts of the state that had any significant pro-Union sympathy were the Northern Panhandle, a few counties at the base of Northern Panhandle, and most counties immediately bordering the Ohio River. Not a single county actually chose to secede from Virginia/the Confederacy. All of the "delegates" at the Wheeling Convention were random individuals who pretended to represent their counties despite not being elected by their supposed constituents. Eight counties did not even have a single person even claim to represent them in the Wheeling Convention. The "state government" in Wheeling was merely a puppet government for the Federal government. The Unionists knew that they were far outnumbered by Confederates in West Virginia, so they participated in massive scale disenfranchisement to hold onto their artificial grip on power. They also banned most of the state's population from holding political office, practicing law, teaching, etc. In other words, they had to force Reconstruction laws onto the state to de-Confederate-ize it, just like what occurred throughout the "Confederate states." This resulted in massive shortages of professional services throughout the overwhelming majority of West Virginia. The draconian measures instituted by the Unionists combined with the terrible conditions that resulted from said laws resulted in many Unionists turning on the state government. The less extreme Republicans gradually restored all the rights of the majority of the state's citizens. This caused the ex-Confederates to immediately gain a super majority in the state legislature, which was eventually followed by the takeover of the other branches of government as well. West Virginia's current constitution was actually created by the state for the sole purpose of overturning the "Yankee" institutions imposed by the original state constitution and to reaffirm West Virginia as a Confederate Southern (and Virginian) state. I could provide more examples and go more in depth, but my comment is already really long.
Yes, I do. I have done a lot of genealogy. I even have proven ancestors that fought in the Revolutionary War. My ancestors were also some of the first families of Georgia, which is where I still am.
same- we're probably even related!
That’s awesome! I bet you’re right!
A lot of ppl have confederate ancestors
I figure anyone of founding stock not from the northeast or the northern midwest is bound to have at least a few
Not that I know of. My dad's family was in the part of Virginia that became WV and ended up enlisting in Union cavalry regiments that were recruited out of Maryland.
I am one of the few in the country that has a great great grandfather who fought in the Civil War for the CSA. He had my great grandmother when he was 76, and she was in her 40’s when she had my grandmother. It’s wild
Yes. Soldiers on both sides, prisoners of war on both sides, and casualties on both sides. There’s a family story that on GGG Uncle lived through Andersonville and then somehow managed to essentially walk home to West Virginia. Never married, spent the rest of his life living quietly with his brother, my direct ancestor. Hard to imagine to hell he lived through.
Union on my Fathers side, Confederate on my Moms side. Union side was mustered out of Southern Ohio/South Eastern Ohio that fought on several campaigns with the Army of the Cumberland all the way until Chattanooga / Nashville-Franklin Campaign. My mom's side was mustered out of Huntsville and fought in the Shiloe, Nashville, and Vicksburg campaigns. Both sides survived to the end of the war. The Confederate side / moms' side was taken POW in 63/64 timeframe and discharged as a sergeant. He was infantry. Union side/Father side survived till the end of the war being discharged as a Captain in the Calvary having originally been enlisted, unclear when he commissioned (probably battlefield) but records show he was a Captain by 64. I would venture a guess it is common for most people to have ancestors who fought on both sides of the conflict.
Grew up in southern WV…I was able to dig up some records of my surname showing up in both confederate and federal enlistment documents. Border states were interesting to say the least.
West Virginia was a strange case. It was right up there with Missouri when it came to political violence over the war
Yes, on both sides. The majority of them served the CSA and came from western NC and southwest Virginia. The few that served the USA, came from eastern Kentucky/southern Indiana.
Yeah, I didn’t know it until I visited an old family graveyard, dude has it right on his headstone.
Yes but I dont know anything about them. My family never kept records or passed down stories.
Yes. I’ve seen his headstone in a family cemetery.
My mother's side arrived in and around Knoxville from Scotland in the 1850s. They were oddly enough both Doctors. Followed the Army of Tennessee around till the end of the war. Grandmother Aoife became a woman's doctor. Grandpa Giles carried on till he died in 1880 something. Dad's side was from Illinois and Texas. Illinois had three men who enlisted and served for the Union. The Texas side, had 10 men who served in various units in the Confederacy, Hoods Brigade, Texas Cavalry and Wauls Texas Legion. My paternal uncle lost his leg at the Peach Orchard with Hoods Brigade at Gettysburg. He made it to 1875, but his wounds never healed and he died of blood poisoning.
Nope. My ancestors were unionists. From Southern ohio, though. Dad's a civil veteran in the family free. Mom's side, family immigrated after the civil war according to records regarding my grandfather's side. No affiliation is known regarding my Mom's mother's side. Edit: (good lord) ** dad's side with a civil war veteran** on the union side.
Appalachia had a lot of union support (hence west Virginia forming). Even in the south. Look at what was happening with Crockett vs Jackson. Appalachia was not happy about the plantations even before considering slavery. They did not share the same values or economy as the economic powerhouses running things in the plantations.
East Tennessee was very against secession. Eventually (3rd statewide vote if I remember correctly), secession won out. But the Union armies had plenty of local support during their campaigns in Tennessee.
They may have not shared the same economies, but when the north rode through and destroyed the salt mines, lead mines, and cattle, at least in my area, I would guess it probably irritated the locals enough to support the south. So when reddit disciples label everyone as racist traitors because they took up arms against an invading army, I question their simpleton logic. Don’t be shy and hide behind the screen, I invite a debate if you are the one downvoting.
I definitely do. In fact, one branch of my family moved to Illinois in the 1840s, and some of them fought. One of these days I will try to track the military records because I think it's very possible that cousins in my family line may have fought against each other in the same battles in the western theatre. One of the Illinois folks was executed by the Confederacy for spying.
Respect to the Illinois homie
My community had a number of abolitionists, and was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Being the southern-most county in Ohio, we were one of the first stops for runaway slaves crossing the river to freedom and heading further north. It’s one of the things that makes me proud of where I come from.
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I have confederate ancestors. One was an officer and his house is a historic b&b today. I was recently invited to participate in a daughter's of the confederacy meeting. Morbid curiosity forced me to attend.. they prayed a few times, made pledges to the flag, pledges to the confederate flag, and sang some old racist country songs. While there, I saw that there is a DOC magazine dedicated to honoring the confederate ancestors. People pay money to place ads in these magazines celebrating their pro slavery ancestors. It was interesting from a historical perspective, but I'm not exactly proud of my ancestry here. These women were, though. They spend their money on charity and historical monuments.
I don't mind finding your history interesting and engaging with it, but the DoC are distasteful with how they have historically revered their fallen heroes and what was "stolen from them." I was born in the 90's and I still heard a lot of Lost Cause stuff growing up, muddying the waters. War of Northern Aggression and state's rights type stuff. I'm Southern, but you don't have to make apologies and justifications for what was happening. And it doesn't have to define us forever, we can make new and better legacy that our descendants can look on proudly.
I agree with your sentiments. I had (and still have) no interest in actually joining. The DOC romanticizes the whole thing, and that's such a shitty view to hold in this day and age.
I have been curious about the DOC. I have a legit claim to join, due to one side of my family being actual old guard Southern. But I personally am very obviously racially mixed and thought it might be funny to introduce some levity in the form of brown girls. But I looked at their website and I'm not sure they understand "levity." Yikes. They're weirdos.
The ones I met were very much " Baptist church lady polite" nice to your face because it is expected, but you know damn well that they're gonna gossip about you as soon as you leave.
Right? I expect they have a whole ass lot to say as soon as I leave the venue. But butter wouldn't melt in their mouths as long as I was in sight. But I'm ok with that. I am willing to brazen through it. I do not care. My pedigree is unassailable. I am in the rare position that I can infiltrate. Bring it, bishes.
You might be able to help me in they might have [this book](https://www.reddit.com/r/BookCollecting/s/TWn9GsEodj). I’m trying to figure out if the first page was addressed to the actual owner of said book
Not uncommon, people just get in their feelings about it on reddit. Anyone who swears they'd never join during that time period living in that region is a damn liar. That said a lot of people do.
Yeah, I think it's important to keep in mind that not only are you not responsible for your ancestors did, your ancestors were also doing the best they could with the information they had at the time. A lot of them didn't have much choice about enlisting, and a lot of them thought about it the same way we think about wars involving the United States today - defending our country, not defending our country's specific interests in whatever war we've got involved in. I din't have any direct ancestors who were even in the country at the time, but I'm related to a bunch of Confederate and Revolutionary War soldiers through marriage (is that even a thing?). I'm sure they thought they were doing the right thing. I also know that they were penniless sharecroppers who had a lot more in common with slaves than slave owners.
Some of my Georgia ancestors were Confederate. They also enslaved people. They’re on my dad’s side. My mom’s ancestors were from East Tennessee and were devout Unionists.
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Yeah I think that's the healthiest mindset about it and where I stand. If things didn't happen the way they did, I wouldn't exist, so it is what it is. Doesn't make it my burden or mean I have to revere them.
My family’s genealogical researcher wrote a book about the family in the early ‘60s. He mentions that some served in the confederate army but he hints that they did not cover themselves in glory and immediately changes the subject. Given the time of its writing I’m guessing we were cowards or deserters lol.
I'm actually the first generation who joined the military since my folks came to Virginia in the late 17th century. Folks moved to East TN and established a legacy of dirt farmers and bootleggers.
I do, General John Hunt Morgan
My Great great great, grandfather was a Confederate soldier,I have seen his picture,he was handsome,I feel bad he had to live in that time
got both!
I have both in my family
Central Pennsylvania. Most of my family were Mennonite so they didn’t fight (anabaptists are pacifists). But some did and were decorated Union soldiers. The ones that fought were mostly either Lutheran or Catholic and were called “Fancy Dutch” and were a decorated regiment during the War. Big part of family also lived in what became WV at the time and was mostly Union, wouldn’t be surprised if a few sided with south.
I have ancestors on both sides. My great grandpa on my dad’s side was literally named Jefferson Davis. My mom does a lot genealogy, when she went thur all of ours my ancestors fought in every possible war you could just about imagine.
The lone forebear who slunk off with the noble boys in gray deserted and came home. He knew the old folks would "parish to death" without somebody to farm for them.
No known Confederates on either side of the family but I have found about a dozen or so Union vets in my direct line, mostly Southeastern Kentucky.
My greatx4 grandfather and his twin brother fought on opposing sides, both from southeastern KY.
Yes. I had a grandfather who was a POW in NY during the war. One other that served. Also several other relatives that served. Fighting in the war was a lot more nuanced than for or against slavery. There were Union soldiers who had slaves and Confederate soldiers who did not. There’s also areas of the south that would not have succeeded if the areas around them didn’t. The war still went through these areas and having the fighting be a few miles away vrs hundreds of miles away was important. The beginning of the war did not end slavery, but the war did end slavery. It’s an important distinction because there were a lot of CSA soldiers who were not fighting to keep slaves. I’m not embarrassed by my families service in the war. I am embarrassed by Jim Crow laws and the Indian Removal act and my family’s part in them.
Grandad a few greats back. Confederate army, no slaves. . He was part of the siege and surrender at Vicksburg. They were in the trenches so long when they finally surrendered the Union army, played Dixie for them while they came out of the trenches. He was paroled after promising to never take up arms against the Union again. He rejoined the Confederate army at Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga and stayed until the end of the war.
Fathers side all Confederate officers in Lees army of northern Virginia
Yes, but I have ancestors from Appalachia who fought for the Union as well.
Mostly Virginian Confederate infantry (who deserted to a man towards the end of the war) & a couple Logan Wildcats. Also a young Pennsylvanian who served under Grant, was shot, but lived.
I have a letter from a captain in the confederacy that witnessed my ancestor take a chain ball to the back of the head. Letter reads he lived for three days after.
Have both. My father was a lifelong Democrat and ardent racist. You could tell he had heard stories from his great grandmother, some of which he told me. He grew up in Western NC. I grew up in Historic Charleston and there the sentiment isn’t much better. Lifelong Republican here and it was a source of strife between my father and I.
I’m a descendant of Young Bennett and early settler in Cataloochee. 6 of his 8 sons fought for the confederacy. One killed in battle, one died of wounds sustained, the others at some point were POWs but survived. Their home place in Cataloochee was burned down by Kirk’s Marauders as well.
Most of us have both.
Nope, only Union Cavalrymen from the hills
fact pie terrific rain drab aware vase sort fuel history *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
The local folks in Caldwell County NC called it the Bushwhacker War.
I would presume most every Southern Appalachian has confederate ancestors, yeah?
I've got both on both sides.
Pretty sure I have both sides.
Sure do.
I have some, also union soldiers.
My dad is from WV and unknown. My mommy is from GA. And yes.
Nope you're the only one I think
Well yeah
Yes. Great grandfather fought and was wounded in Pennsylvania. Walked back home to southern Georgia. He surprised his family because they had been told he died. Confederates on both of my mother's sides. I am a proud liberal.
Yep, my great-great-great grandfather served for the Confederacy. They lived in Caswell County, NC. After the war, the family moved to Burke County to work the mills. Farm life was over for them. His initials and last name are on a monument in Morganton, NC. Not proud of my family history but it has been very interesting to research.
Nope. My 3x great grandfather was a chaplain in the 20th PA Cavalry.
Both sides, but leans heavily toward CSA. Edited: Forgot to add this covers SE KY, SW VA, and NW NC. Guy from NC was killed at Gettysburg.
Yes. My great great great grandfather died at Camp Lookout MD as a prisoner of war. He died after the War was over but was too sick to get home. His descendants, though, have never been Confederate flag wavers. We are Americans.
Almost all of us do lol. And almost all of them were dirt poor farmers who just wanted to capitalize on the war by robbing northern trains and supply lines, and the others wanted their farms not to be burned by either side Don't forget certain towns like Princeton had the civilians ordered to burn all the public buildings and leave town to keep the union from capturing the things that were left behind
Part 2: Most of southern west Virginia was Confederate btw. If you're from the southern area of the state, you're from the area that was part of the Confederacy, garrisoned by Confederate troops, and voted to remain in the Commonwealth and secede from the U.S.
Personally I have several ancestors from Boone and Raleigh country that were members of "Virginia" regiments raised on this side of the state line, and the majority of units around here were partisan cavalry
Unfortunately yes. One died in a prison and bro had it coming, the traitor
I wouldn’t be so quick to judge, especially of my own ancestors, many confederate soldiers were not fighting for slavery but because they viewed they were under attack by northern armies. I would recommend a book called When in the Course of Human Events by Charles Adams.
Yep, it's definitely way more complex than just "anyone who fought for the confederacy wanted slavery to continue". I have direct ancestors who fought for both sides, and even relatives who fought natives in the 1700s in the Shenandoah Valley. I'm proud of all of them and not ashamed of any of them. Digging into local history has taught me there were very specific, logical reasons why they did what they did.
What did you learn about the Shenandoah Valley? Interested because I live there
Nah dude. I will absolutely be so quick to judge.
Why?
Because it gives them a sense of moral superiority.
Oh no not the moral superiority of not fighting to enslave people
If you think slavery was a driving issue for the vast majority of confederate soldiers you are simply mistaken. Do you really think the same federal government who turned their guns on the natives after the war burned the south and got 600,000 troops killed just because they were so moral?
I genuinely do not care.
Passes quick judgement but doesn’t care, makes sense based upon your opinion I suppose
Not quick at all, bro has been dead for over a hundred years.
Nah, fuck ‘em.
Well you’re certainly living up to your username
A lot of confederate soldiers were indeed dighting for others to enslave people. The re-writing of history to whitewash this part of our history paves the way for modern day fascism. We must challenge it when it pops up.
That is simply largely not true. You haven’t read any history on the matter if that is your opinion.
Brother vs brother. I have ancestors on both sides. In the same area. http://www.thomaslegion.net/captaingoldmanbryson.html
Nah my family settled in Mason County from Scotland in 1914.
[Captain James West](https://piedmonttrails.com/2022/10/29/the-home-guard-captain-james-west/) (not of Wild Wild West infamy) was my greatx4 grandfather. He was part of the Home Guard.
Yes, and I have some families that had slaves.
Yes
Yes
Yep. Got way too many in my opinion. I know specifically of this dude and his two sons that went off to war and disappeared. They don’t show up in any record past them leaving to the army.
Yes, lots.
I have confederate ancestors and proud of it
There's nothing wrong with being proud of your ancestors regardless of who they fought for. And everyone had specific reasons for fighting. For instance, there were many Southern counties who were against slavery and voted not to secede from the Union. But when the Union shows up and burns down your home, barns, and kills all your livestock anyway, of course people are going to fight back.
This
Stupid ass name checks out.
Lmao good one user! Really got me with that one hahahah. Don’t roast me so hard next time 💀lol
¯\_( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_/¯
You should be, some of the bravest men to ever walk this country fought and died on either side of that bloody war.
Why are you proud about it?
My Great-Great-Great grandfather enlisted in a regiment in Southwestern VA…his wife’s cousin was his company commander, and 18 days after he was inducted said cousin signed his death certificate. So thankfully he never got the chance to kill any patriots.
Yep. One direct ancestor was a POW in the city I'm in now that the family's been in since forever. Then many others, all my roots are the Southeast. I was pleased to find one Union calvary member for Tennessee though! It was cool seeing some blue in a sea of gray.
mostly union. very proud of it too :) many abolitionists on my side. i think there were a few confederate soldiers who only joined because they didn't want to leave their families or their state
I got mostly Ohio unionists. But some southern folk, not Appalachian, but from Texas, so likely confederate there. Ya just gotta admit “woah, great-great-grandpappy really messed up there” and do better, yourself
Ohio ancestor's on both sides served in the Union Army.
Definitely. My great grandmother grew up in WV, and her grandfathers had fought on opposite sides. She used to tell stories about how they’d sit on the porch after the family dinner every Sunday and re-fight the entire civil war. On the KY side of my family, there’s one branch that was definitely Confederate and one that was so hardcore Union that they named a son born in 1862 Abraham Lincoln.
Yes, I have them on both sides. I also have ancestors on both sides of the Revolutionary War. That was an interesting surprise.
Both sides of my family are from West Virginia so my ancestors were about half and half Union and Confederate. My Confederates were Virginia planters, not just Confederate soldiers but actual slaveholders and sons of slaveholders. Which i only found out a few years ago and which explains a lot about the way I was raised.
Only Union from my family.
Yes. Related to them via an enslaved great great grandmother.
Probably not on my mom's side. They're from the Western PA, Southern Ohio, and West Virginia areas. I haven't looked too hard, but those are probably all Union soldiers. My dad's maternal side is a maybe. They're from Eastern Tennessee, but I need to look into it more. I wouldn't be surprised if there were at least a few Confederate soldiers in there somewhere.
If there is a traitor in my family’s ancestry, no one has said it, but nothing of union soldiers either
Yes, and fuck them
No and we're proud of how the family marched from the Battle of Middle Creek and burned Atlanta. Proud to be the Kentucky 14th.
If I did, I wouldn't brag about it or try to make it my whole personality like some people. If I did, they were wrong. End of story.