This paper examines the relationship between Union soldiers from states along the Ohio River and Copperheads, members of the Peace faction of the Democratic Party during the American Civil War. The unique process of the Union Army's politicization was in large part driven by these Copperhead agitators. It encompasses soldiers' experiences both on the home front, as described in letters from family and friends, and in the field, marching through territory with residents who resented their presence. Throughout the war, soldiers and society grappled with questions of loyalty and what constituted a loyal citizenry. This region was a hotbed of Copperhead activity during the war, and to many soldiers Copperheads represented a tangible threat to their homes and families along with the war effort. Many soldiers struggled with the concept that such men could have a say in politics, while they, far from home, could not. An important facet of this relationship is the way in which these accounts of Copperhead agitation clashed with the political leanings many soldiers may have had towards the Democratic Party. Although some positions, such as pro-slavery and anti-emancipation, had sympathetic ears amongst the army, the consistent drumbeat of anti-war sentiment from these Copperheads drove soldiers towards the Republican Party. This most notably shows during elections, especially in the key elections for Ohio Governor in 1863 and U.S. President in 1864. By voting from the field in 1863 and 1864, soldiers remained active participants in the growing American democracy.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TCU/oai:etd.tcu.edu:etd-04052013-142957 |
| Date | 05 April 2013 |
| Creators | Altavilla, Keith |
| Contributors | Steven Woodworth, Kenneth Stevens, Todd Kerstetter, Clayton Brown |
| Publisher | Texas Christian University |
| Source Sets | Texas Christian University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf, application/octet-stream |
| Source | http://etd.tcu.edu/etdfiles/available/etd-04052013-142957/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to TCU or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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