Hello everyone, I am doing a research paper soon on the role of loyalists/ third parties during major American conflicts. I was wondering if anyone had any information or sources regarding southerners who did not support the confederacy for one reason or another during the civil war period. I read recently that some did want to remain in the union or felt marginalized by the confederacy and somewhat higher class slaveholders and their interests. If anyone has read up on this or has any useful information, I would be grateful, thanks!
Nearly every Southern state raised at least one regiment for the Union over the course of the Civil War and three Southern States never seceded(Kentucky, Missouri, and Maryland). Support for the Confederacy and secession was unsurprisingly strongest in areas that had large numbers of slaves and weakest in areas that had low numbers. This extended even to the border states like Kentucky, which had the most support for secession of the border states and the highest concentration of slaves as compared to Delaware which had no meaningful secession movement and a very low concentration of slaves. I always find Freehling's work very helpful he tends to be heavy on the political aspects but The South vs The South is a great place to start. It's primarily focused on the border South and doesn't delve much into Unionists in Alabama or other Deep South states, but most Union Supporting Southerners were in those areas