The personal dilemmas of these officers have received surprisingly little attention from historians of the Civil War. When considering the bonds of kinship and regional sentiment, one can understand why the officers "went South," but equally understandable was the hostile reaction of the Lincoln administration.
When forced to choose, many elected to "go South," to leave the service they had sworn a legal oath to uphold. 2 There were, however, hundreds of other officers in the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Army who faced the same decision. Farragut did not have such prestigious offers to consider, but as a southerner, he chose to serve the Union. He was offered command of both armies and had the unique dilemma of choosing between them. There are many cases of agonizing decisions made by officers of southern birth and up-bringing who searched the depth of their souls to discover where lay the higher loyalty. As the debate over slavery, combined with mounting sectionalism, brought this nation to the brink of civil war, it could not fail to affect the feelings and expressed attitudes of those who had chosen to serve in the Unted States armed forces. Conflicting loyalties were the heart of the matter in the American Civil War. The question of civil war inevitably raises issues of patriotism and treason, of loyalty to nation, state, region, or ideology. Finally, I appreciate the willingness of the Naval Historical Foundation to provide a forum for my thoughts in "Going South." Naturally, I assume sole responsibility for the opinions expressed and any flaws discovered are of my own making. Stimulating comments made at each meeting were considered during the completion of this study. During 1980, earlier versions of this article were read to the Harrisburg Civil War Round Table and to the University of Richmond's Mid-Atlantic Maritime History Conference. Breeden, a former colleague in the Department of History, Southern Methodist University, provided a critical reading of the first draft and made many helpful suggestions. Jane Huie, another colleague, contributed her superb secretarial skills, particularly appreciated in the typing and proofreading of the Tables and Appendix. McCuistion diligently corroborated and added to the research that forms the basis for this article. Morgan, Head of the Historical Research Branch, Naval Historical Center, has provided the benefit of his long editorial experience and deep knowledge of naval history. Kane, Jr., Director of the Naval Historical Center, has consistently encouraged me to complete the study for publication. Dudley for making the results of his invaluable research available to the Foundation members.ĭuring the two years that this study has been in preparation, several individuals have contributed their time and effort toward its completion in various ways, leaving me much in their debt, and I gratefully acknowledge their assistance. The Naval Historical Foundation is deeply indebted to Dr. Dudley of the Naval Historical Center has examined in depth how President Lincoln, Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, and the Navy Department reacted to and handled the almost 400 Navy and Marine Corps officers who resigned to "Go South." The author has included a comprehensive appendix listing the name of each officer by rank. In this unique and interesting study, Dr. Men of the highest principles from young midshipmen at the Naval Academy to the most senior officers who had devoted their lives to the Navy-Raphael Semmes, Josiah Tarnall, Matthew Fontaine Maury, for example, resigned their commissions to cast their lot with the Confederacy. Local, state and family ties ran very deep. These dire times confronted officers of Southern origin in the country's military service with an agonizing decision whether to remain under the "Old Flag" or leave and follow their section. While still less than a hundred years old in 1861, the nation stood on the brink of catastrophic civil war as states in the lower south followed South Carolina in seceding from the Union. Table III: Proportion of Officers "Going South"Īppendix: Data on Officers Resigning, Accepted and Dismissed
Table II: USN Officer Resignations and Dismissals 1860 - 1861 by Months Table I: USN Officer Resignation and Dismissals April 1861 by Days
0 kommentar(er)
