Could LInconl have arrested Virginia Sessesionist lawmakers

I have heard it said the Lincoln kept Maryland in the Union partly because he arrested legislators who might have voted for sessession

There was certainly substantial support for the Union in Virginia

Could that have been done?

If so does the CSA fizzle out?
 
I have heard it said the Lincoln kept Maryland in the Union partly because he arrested legislators who might have voted for sessession

There was certainly substantial support for the Union in Virginia

Could that have been done?

If so does the CSA fizzle out?


He'd have had to capture Richmond, and he didn't have anywhere near the necessary forces to do so.

The secessionist areas of Maryland were limited to Baltimore and some rural counties on the Western Shore. The equivalent area in Virgina was enormously larger.
 
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He'd have had to capture Richmond, and he didn't have anywhere near the necewssary forces to do so.

The secessionist areas of Maryland were limited to Baltimore and some rural counties on the Western Shore. The equivalent area in Virgina was enormously larger.

Much more so, although the motivation for secession was due to Lincoln's decision to crack down on the "original" CSA, and not necessarily due to any love for that "peculiar institution" that states such as South Carolina and Mississippi had; ditto for North Carolina and Tennessee.

Two interesting facts about the Upper South in the CSA;

1) Many Tenneseans opposed secession, especially in the eastern parts of the state (I have no supporting figures, but I've heard an anecdote that more Tennesseans fought for the Union than for the Confederacy, despite the state's allegiance).

2) Although West Virginia was broken off from Virginia out of lack of desire for secession, the level of popular support for this is suspect due to Union troops being stationed at every poll (during the October 24th. referendum for a new Unionist state to be formed) AND given orders to arrest anybody suspected of sympathizing for the Confederacy. Given how often I see the "Stars and Bars" flying all over the state whenever I go back to visit family, I really have to call into question just how "loyal" West Virginians actually were, as opposed to leadership and public officials hand-picked by the Federal government.
 
It was more than just hand picked - but we see (apparently) roughly even numbers of men fighting for the Confederacy and the Union from what became West Virginia.

I think most of that is that while there was a definitely Unionist part of the state, not all the counties added to it were anything like that.
 
That's true; IIRC most of the pro-Union West Virginians tended to come from either of the panhandles and the northwestern part of the state such as Parkersburg, whilst the southern and central portions tended to favor secession (as a side note, I share the same birthplace as Stonewall Jackson, in Clarksburg. If you thought Robert E. Lee was revered, you should see how they treat Jackson's memory there).
 
Much more so, although the motivation for secession was due to Lincoln's decision to crack down on the "original" CSA, and not necessarily due to any love for that "peculiar institution" that states such as South Carolina and Mississippi had; ditto for North Carolina and Tennessee.

Two interesting facts about the Upper South in the CSA;

1) Many Tenneseans opposed secession, especially in the eastern parts of the state (I have no supporting figures, but I've heard an anecdote that more Tennesseans fought for the Union than for the Confederacy, despite the state's allegiance).

2) Although West Virginia was broken off from Virginia out of lack of desire for secession, the level of popular support for this is suspect due to Union troops being stationed at every poll (during the October 24th. referendum for a new Unionist state to be formed) AND given orders to arrest anybody suspected of sympathizing for the Confederacy. Given how often I see the "Stars and Bars" flying all over the state whenever I go back to visit family, I really have to call into question just how "loyal" West Virginians actually were, as opposed to leadership and public officials hand-picked by the Federal government.

1. That is not true, and I have no idea where that anecdote came from, from my last check, somewhere in the neighborhood of 100,000 Tennesseans fought in the Confederate armies. While something around 40,000-50,000 fought in the Union armies. The heaviest Unionist presence in East Tennessee was in it's easternmost counties in the Appalachians and Smokies. The cities of Chattanooga and Knoxville were fairly pro-Confederate.

Secession_Vote_by_CountyA.jpg


Even then, even many of those anti-secession counties sent many of their men into the Confederate army.

But then again, here is the West Virginia situation.

Pro-Secession counties in what would become West Virginia:

 
No, he'd have to already have the territory under Union control in order to arrest anybody. Confederates are not going to be arrested in solidly rebel territory, which Virginia was. Isn't it obvious?
 
Those two maps appear to be in conflict on West Virginia.

Yeah, I noticed that, I think the first map was made much earlier than the second.

Here is a better Tennessee secession map:

060511civilwarwaps_t607.jpg


East Tennessee:


Maroon: Rejected secession by more than 80% margin
Red: Rejected secession by 51%-79% margin
Gray: Voted for secession
White: No return (or county didn't exist, yet)
 
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