What Side Was Kentucky on in the Civil War?
When it comes to the question of what side Kentucky fought on during the American Civil War, the answer might seem simple – the neutral side, right? Or maybe Kentucky was a member of the Union, despite being a slave-holding state? However, nothing could be farther from the truth. Kentucky was officially neutral during the Civil War, but, as we will explore later, its loyalty was often debated and questioned. In this article, we will examine the complexities surrounding Kentucky’s role in the Civil War and its dual allegiance to the Union and the Confederacy.
Contents
Unionist Sympathizers and Confederate Infiltrators
By the start of the war, Kentucky’s economy was heavily reliant on slavery and its agricultural crops. While the slave-holding majority of Kentuckians opposed secession, many of its sons and daughters did not share this stance and actively sought to join the Union Army. Enthusiasm for the North was especially prevalent in towns like Lexington and Louisville, which were influenced by Transylvania University’s strong northern sympathies. Notably, many prominent businessmen and industrialists in Louisville, including John S. Hinton and Abner Hazelden, raised funds for the Union Cause and smuggled supplies for the Northern forces.
Simultaneously, sympathizers of the Confederacy made their own attempts to win over hearts and minds in Kentucky. Secessionists among the Gentryville, Christian, and Pikeville groups, primarily representing the wealthy elite, held secret meetings, disseminating pro-slavery and states’ rights rhetoric, which fuelsized the passion of pro-confederate feelings across the state.
The neutrality declaration
On June 20, 1861, the Kentucky Legislature declared its neutrality in the conflict. This step was primarily aimed at allowing the state to maintain order and keep the peace as the nation slid into civil war chaos. This decision was controversial, and several Union states, particularly Ohio and Pennsylvania, publicly protested Kentucky’s stance, calling it weak and a breach of the sacred Union bond. In light of these circumstances, both the North and the South, sent agents to try and neutralize or compromise Kentucky. A commission led by Orville Hickman Browning, from the North and a similar commission on behalf of the Constitutional Convention, to the South.
Meanwhile, Kentucky Governor Beriah Magoffin, in June 1861, accepted President Abraham Lincoln’s request to place thousand of Volunteer Militia Troops of Kentucky, the Fighting First of Kentucky Infantrie Regiments at the federal’s disposal in the District of Columbia as a " Border State Volunteers" for Washington’s aid.
“Border State Volunteers” Join the Battle
Throughout 1862, the Confederacy pushed for control of Kentucky to secure their borders and improve supply lines. During the first weeks of invasion, on the 24th and 25th of February, the Southern forces won an early fight at Richmond. The disastrous 1861-62, in fact, brought severe losses within the region: Harpers Ferry, Virginia, Lexington and Frankfort, Louisville, and further many places in 1863 were under the control of or occupied by Southern forces (Confederacy) by the beginning of 1863, there were three main sections:
- Federal zone;
- Occupation zone (Controlled By Confederacy);
- Non-organised Territory, the mountainous terrain (Tollgate Pass).
The latter, controlled the passage that connected Tennessee with the Upper South.
With the Northern forces led by General Buell taking control, from St. Louis and Louisville for the West (the Confederacy in its struggle there); In 1862 and 1862-63 in the Mississippi Valley (including Tennessee) and a great raid by Stoneman in Missouri to block the approach of a southern army along the western bank of Mississippi River in November 1862 and in Arkansas, while trying to open the West as well., the region could be "neutral".
During the whole period (and up 1864, and further), this Kentucky Frontier Defense Zone, Kentucky’s terrain with the South, kept changing. Despite the attempts, there can be little question that neutrality was merely a smoke screen, the actual purpose of this step was purely to enable a Union win in 1865**;.
Border Rivalry and Local Governments
Despite the Confederacy’s strong presence throughout the region, neighboring Missouri, by 1864, as well, remained in Southern control, its own battle in August 1864 at Lexington, fought between two Kentucky-based Missouri regiments led by pro-union brigadier-General Jeff Thompson resulted in Union Victory, for the rest, it served as the decisive moment from which time both Kentucky- and Missouri-led Union cavalry forces secured victories and managed to retake the last remaining pieces under the state’s administration under Fighting Jack Churchill, they were victorious for the control of all three parts after the battles (of Tennessee, Louisiana) in Spring 1863, on the Western Theater. While the local administrations were pro-Confederate sympathizers (Christian and others), as there were anti-union people who secretly supported it in June 1862, these were already captured were captured (Fighting**.
In light of our exploration, the question should be reconsidered: Were Kentuckyans pro-union or pro-Confederate during the Civil War? It can be debated that while there were numerous sympathizers to both forces, Kentucky officially remained loyal to neither the North or the South but, because of a divided loyalty – border State within the struggle in the "Border War."
