Impressions for the Border States (Maryland-centric)

[Elaine Kessinger]

Re: Impressions for the Border States (Maryland-centric)

The story of how Washington, D. of C. became the Capitol City is an interesting look at an early North/South compromise. When the founders were trying to decide, the northern states suggested New York City, the southern states suggested Richmond. Both sides became ...Ahem! vehement.. about their choice, placing the founders in a quandry as to where to put the Capitol without "showing favoritism" to any one state, north or south. Finally, Maryland AND Virginia offered part of their land, near the Potomac River, if the other could be convinced to do likewise. This land would be given to the country to be set up as it's own city, not part of ANY state in any way. It being roughly in the "middle" of the coastal U.S.A., neither north nor south could claim favoritism. Everybody hated it, but had to agree it was a fair compromise.

[shubal]

Re: Impressions for the Border States (Maryland-centric)

Some thoughts from Chestertown which in some ways was in the more southerly-focused part of Maryland, the Eastern Shore. Historic markers in Chestertown

This is post war I know but...
Interesting GAR link in Chestertown MD

[MickCole]

Re: Impressions for the Border States (Maryland-centric)

Seems to me that the Maryland State Song reflects something of a bias toward the South.
Mick Cole
SUVCW, SCV

[marylandreb]

Re: Impressions for the Border States (Maryland-centric)

Marylands state song did not become official until 1939 although it was written in1861 by James Randall as a sort of protest poem. It was set to music in 1861 and used in the south during the war, most notably when Lee crossed the Potomac in the Md. campaign. To say the least Randall ( b Baltimore 1839) wanted to rebuke Lincoln for the actions taken in Md. including deaths in the streets of Baltimore but my question is how much was politics of the day and an attempt to get Md. to leave the union

[A Baltimore Confederate]

Re: Impressions for the Border States (Maryland-centric)

Wow, what a difference a few weeks can make. Thanks for all the great responses. Of the first replies, several have been supportive, and one started out not so supportive, but in the end made several of my “talking points” for me. (Thanks Mr. Lewis). Then there was the take-off with the addition of Civilian impressions (I wasn’t even thinking about going there), and the State song.

Getting back to my “original” premise of Improving Impressions of Border States, over the past few weeks I have taken the opportunity to continue my research, and to that end, read (actually reread) several books. Maryland in the Civil War, by Harold Manakee, published in 1961 (I have a 1969 reprint), A Southern Star for Maryland, by Lawrence Denton, published 1995, and Maryland, The South’s First Casualty, by Bart Talbert, also published in 1995.

For those Border Staters staying with the Union, it’s not too much of a stretch to say “Once a Union man, always a Union man”. For those who chose to “go South”, I believe that one can break down the points at when a man would have made that decision to a few specific points in time. Remember, I am writing a Maryland-centric thread. Please post additional (editional? :)) if this works or doesn’t work for Kentucky and/or Missouri.

1. The Election of 1860. Obviously, if one were to be anti-North, anti-Republican (or anti-abolitionist, but not necessarily pro-slavery, though that may be a stretch), and/or anti-Lincoln, this young (presumed on my part) Fire-Eater could very likely find himself in, or on his way to, South Carolina either for, or shortly after, the eventual December 20th secession. (Open Question to all: Did militia units of South Carolina swell in numbers after Secession and into 1861? If so, were those numbers predominantly South Carolinians, or men from other states?)

2. Fort Sumter/Pratt Street Aftermath. Consider the events of the previous 4 months (20 December, 1860 through the end of March, 1861): the states of the Deep South secede by 1 February 1861. The Upper South and Border States Unionist factions continue to put forth compromises, and continue to fail, even after Lincoln takes office on 4 March.

The fall of Fort Sumter on 14 April, and Lincoln’s call for 75,000 volunteers on the 15th to put down the Secession put the flame in many. For Marylanders, the events after the Baltimore Riot on Pratt Street of 19 April 1861, and the immediate aftermath, presented the opportunity for many to “go South”.

I believe the largest number of men to “go South” come at this point, the so-called Reluctant Confederates (there is a book by this title by Daniel Crofts, published 1989, currently on my “next book to get” list), men who either voted for John Breckenridge of Kentucky, the uncompromising “States Rights” Southern Democrat (he took Maryland with 45.9% of the electorate), or John Bell of Tennessee, of the Constitutional Union Party “The Union as it was” (who narrowly missed taking Maryland with 45.1%). John Bell did take Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, and Virginia, and narrowly lost North Carolina (like Maryland, by less than 1%).

At this point, I am not discounting anything. There are many and various reasons these men “went South”. Perhaps it was that Lincoln was elected; maybe it was an increased fear of continued, and strengthened, Northern domination; maybe it was Lincoln’s unconstitutional(?) call for 75k volunteers, or the rapid response by the Northern Governors to that call; (OQ: How many Regiments of Volunteer Infantry were on their way within, say, a week, April 22nd, of the initial call?) perhaps it was the fact that it just did not seem right that the Federal Government should be coercing the Individual States; or maybe it was just the heavy-handedness of it all. (Please add to this list; I do not want to discount anything.)

3. The Maryland Campaign. When General Lee entered Maryland, he did so for many reasons (a really good list and argument for each can be found in Sounding the Shallows, a companion volume to Taken at the Flood, both by Joseph Harsh). Lee was coming off of an impressive string of victories that summer (the Seven Days, 2nd Manassas, etc) and hoped to recruit a number of Marylanders to swell his troops, and though he did increase his host, it was not very impressive. Geographically he was in the worst place in Maryland to get new recruits: west of Frederick. Those counties had a large influx of Germanic immigrants from Pennsylvania (from the 1760s on), which drew large numbers of German immigrants direct from the German states (during the 1850s). They tended to be “Union men”. In most cases, they weren’t even citizens yet (of Maryland or the United States), and therefore, did not have the right to vote (which will become important in later election cycles in Maryland during the war).

If any Marylanders were still sitting on the fence at this time, now (September 1862) was about the last opportunity to “go South”.

What do ya think?

JIMbo Ward

[A Baltimore Confederate]

Re: Impressions for the Border States (Maryland-centric)

Not only were soldiers from the border states facing each other across battlefields, but civilians of the border states lived next door to neighbors who supported the "opposing side." A civilian could have their neighbor arrested by the occupying military for giving "aid and comfort" to the enemy one week and have the tables turned the next by the town being occupied by the "opposing side." ...imagine the situation after South Mountain, when the town was occupied by Federal forces and your relative fighting for the Southern forces is wounded and makes his way "home", your neighbor (sympathetic to the Federals) notices and turns you in to the Feds for giving "aid and comfort".
Too Afraid to Cry makes it clear that civilians of the Border states were in an unique and terrifying situation, where it was very dangerous to make your sympathies known clearly.

Another really good book is the one I am reading now: Beleaguered Winchester A Virginia Community at War, 1861-1865, by Richard Duncan. It came out just last year, 2007.

In it he describes what the situation was like beginning with John Brown's Harper's Ferry Raid, and the immediate aftermath, which included the 1860 Presidential election. Then, as the war began, and continued, the various occupations of the town, and all the intendent attitudes toward the military commander in charge. This history treats Union Gens. Milroy and Sheridan about as kindly as they treated the civilian residents of Winchester (yeah, big Ouchie!!!)

As a community, even if one did not announce whether they were Secesh or Unionist, it could be fairly well determined. But, these folks were neighbors, had been for years, and they realized early on that in order to survive, you put a lot of trust in your neighbor, and they vouched for you, or you vouched for them, when one army or the other came to occupy the town (which for Winchester, legend has it, changed hands 70+, some say 76, times). Also, three major battles, several minor battles, and over 70 smaller skirmishes were fought in the immediate vicinity, each one putting a strain on the resources of everyone, Confederate and Union-sympathizer alike.

For me as an Historian (by education), I like that it is extensively footnoted (actually 60 pages of Endnotes), a long bibliography, and well indexed. I am not too far into the book, but I have "jumped" ahead to read on various topics, so I can only recommend the book based on reading less than a 1/4 of it. I will follow-up with a better, more-informed, review later.