I was actually interested in posting something about this exact topic, so forgive the necromancy...
Having hiked the 'easy' path through the Cumberland Gap recently and noting the large artillery outpost at the top of one of the mountains overlooking the pass? Yes, it is.
Because Kentucky was up for grabs and the people living in the area were pragmatic. Piss off the local army moving through the area, your lands are gone and your neighbors are angry. But look at the history of the Hatfields and McCoys if you want another angle.
I guess you've never driven through the area in question. There are some mountain roads, and many modern highways are built along those lines or tunneled where possible to make the drives shorter, but try hiking in the area. Lots of caves to disappear into, lots of places to get hurt, and a crap-ton of choke points that would make a perfect place for a robbery or ambush.
That could be done by sea or via the Cumberland portion of Maryland where the border was more porous. Raids into Kentucky and travel by Confederates into Kentucky would go on for much of the war, and both sides had serious concerns about travel by road or rail in the state. ever wonder why Thomas's men referred so 'lovingly' to the terrain on the road to Chickamauga?
Because crossing into Tennessee or Virginia is so arduous that only the most diehard pro-Confederate men would do it.![]()
Having hiked the 'easy' path through the Cumberland Gap recently and noting the large artillery outpost at the top of one of the mountains overlooking the pass? Yes, it is.
If there was nearly equal enthusiasm for the Confederacy, why do we not see it for say, Bragg and Kirby'Smith's invasion? Why do we not see it in 1861? Why do we not see more crossing into Confederate territory?
Because Kentucky was up for grabs and the people living in the area were pragmatic. Piss off the local army moving through the area, your lands are gone and your neighbors are angry. But look at the history of the Hatfields and McCoys if you want another angle.
And Kentucky borders two Confederate statements, which would make it very easy for a pro-Confederate Kentuckian to cross into "safe" territory - the fact that more didn't is a pretty strong sign that more weren't interested.
I guess you've never driven through the area in question. There are some mountain roads, and many modern highways are built along those lines or tunneled where possible to make the drives shorter, but try hiking in the area. Lots of caves to disappear into, lots of places to get hurt, and a crap-ton of choke points that would make a perfect place for a robbery or ambush.
The problem is, if there isn't sentiment for the Confederacy, that doesn't really matter. Men were willing to cross into Virginia from Maryland and form units in Richmond to fight in gray (quite a number apparently not caring about forming Maryland units, interestingly, but the whys of that is another discussion), if Kentuckians had such evenly balanced sympathies, similar actions would be the natural response to Union "occupation" with or without the "doesn't matter if we're fighting as (our state) units".
That could be done by sea or via the Cumberland portion of Maryland where the border was more porous. Raids into Kentucky and travel by Confederates into Kentucky would go on for much of the war, and both sides had serious concerns about travel by road or rail in the state. ever wonder why Thomas's men referred so 'lovingly' to the terrain on the road to Chickamauga?